dannyblog

Monday

We are back from Az.  A very nice short drive.  The weather here is as nice as anyone could request. Had a nice lunch today with Richard and Suellen.  Then walked around Palm Springs, trying not to spend too much money.

Raining and cold

We r in Scottsdale Az for spring training. The first 2 games were good. We won and had good weather. Today the Giants were terrible. They got lucky when the game was stopped by rain. Cold wind too.
Tomorrow we have a free day, and will try to find something to do with cactus. We picked up some nice plants already.
We return to P S Wednesday so I can see the dentist Thursday.

Wednesday

I had the broken tooth extracted yesterday. After 6 weeks of going here, then there then back there. Nice to have it finished. He then inserted the implant stem, directly into the bone of the Jaw.  Minimal pain, no muss no fuss.  Hopefully the bone will grow into the grooves in the titanium and be ready for a crown in about 5 months.

We are leaving early tomorrow to drive to Scottsdale Az.  We are going to 3 of the Giant's games. The first game is tomorrow night.  The 6 of us had a very nice Mexican dinner tonight. All but me are playing bingo tonight.  Cindy and Dale are going to Az. with us in the morning.

We have covered all of the tables, chairs and the "cheap" golf cart in case it rains while we are gone.  We had an electrician come today, for a minimal fee (yeah, right) he fixed the lights, and the volt meter.  The cart will not hold a charge, so we can not use it tonight. We will need 6 new batteries for a price of $600. "Cheap golf cart", now $1160. 

Nikki and arful play date.

 

We spent most of today at the Urologist. The doctor was really weird. I said that I just passed a kidney stone, and he jumped violently back as if I might spill it on his pants or something. We looked at all of the images together, and I have a huge stone in my bladder, that will never pass out of the bladder without cystoscopy to break it up.  He offered to do that in his office; no thanks. The stone that was most likely causing my pain, is still there in the most recent x-rays.  So, at some point, I am going to have a problem, and will almost certainly need cystoscopy or worse, at a time in the future, hopefully in San Mateo. 

Monday

A quiet day today. Sunny and very warm, almost hot. I had my kidney stones x-rayed today so the Urologist can check  the pix on Wednesday.  We shopped for umbrellas, not sure yet which one.  Tomorrow is the oral surgeon to pull the tooth, finally, and Wednesday the Urologist.  We leave on Thursday for Az. 

A few nights ago we had a sand storm. Here is a picture of the dust, using the camera flash.

 

Sunday

This is going to be a very busy week. Monday, I have to go get new x-rays of my kidney stones. Tuesday, I am having my broken tooth extracted, then an immediate placement of a tooth implant.  Wednesday I see the Urologist to discuss future treatment of my remaining stones.  Very very busy.

 

Lynnette cutting her birthday cake.  A large party turned up.

 

 

Here is the new golf cart.  Wait until we radicalize it. 

 

And at last, a picture of our visit with Marc and Jane, who are definitely going to move to NYC.

 

 

No pain, is great gain.

I have had no kidney pain for 3 days, so apparently I have passed the stone.  Now I only have the "usual" pain to deal with.  The weather is as perfect as is possible. Lots of outdoor time, Kayak is grafted on my shoulder sitting in the shade from my hat brim.  Claudia decided that she had to have a golf cart to make our life perfect, so she found one for $500.

Last night we saw Carmen in 3 D.  Very good. Hard to read the sub titles but great music.  I really think that 3 d is the way of the future.  The glasses are very comfortable.

Claudia had lunch with 3 of her girl friends at a fashion show yesterday, lots of fun.

I saw the oral surgeon.  He has convinced me that the only course is to pull the broken tooth. Next week he will pull the tooth and insert the prosthesis at the same sitting.  Then 5 or 6 months later, my own dentist can apply the crown. 

 

 

 

Another day, another e.r.

Another 4 a.m. wake up pain. No better after 3 hours, so I woke up Claudia and we drove to the Desert Memorial Hospital. They are the place that accepts Kaiser patients.  Got another shot of joy juice. Tried a different oral pain medicine. I spent the rest of the day enjoying the slight buzz, and the beautiful day.  Warm and sunny, with thin clouds most of the day.   We had a temporary panic this evening, we could not find my drivers licence, the only photo i.d. I have. Kaiser will not treat me without a photo i.d.    We found it under a pile of papers.  Phew!  We are having a really strong wind storm tonight. I took some wild photo's of the dust in the air. Will post them soon. 

 

Rick and Julie at the top of the world.

 

Verdi taking a picture.

 

Claudia and most of the other hikers.

When will it end?

Rick and Julie arrived. They are staying at another wonderful up-scale hotel.  Rick uses Price line and gets great deals. 

 I did finally go to the e.r. The pain was unrelenting.  Could not find a comfortable position, kept moving , could not sit still or lie down.  The c.t. scan shows a large stone in the left kidney uritier. From the size and location, it is very highly likely to pass with out any intervention, surgery or Lithotripsy.  The shot they gave me was wonderful.  No pain for 6 hours. The pills they gave me are twice the power of the pills I get for my back. I went one period of time, 16 hours during the day, with no pain. We all thought I had passed the stone. Then I took 6pills in 12 hours.  I am going to have to make an appointment with a Kaiser M.D to get another prescription of pain pills. I have used Claudia's after I ran out of mine.  Only 20 pills, no refills.   My tooth remains broken, but has not pain.  I have an appointment on Tuesday, here in the desert, with a dentist to discuss treatment options.  The tooth was sooo important when it happened, and is so unimportant with every thing else going on.  I did consider going home with Rick and Julie today, but then I would have to drive my self to any medical appointments, and would have to fly back down. I decided to just stay here where Claudia can pamper me.

R and J and H and V and C did a great hike up and down ladders and in slot canyons, while I baby sat the 2 dogs.

Marc and Jane came to visit today. We went to an out door restaurant to that Wolfie could sit with us.  We all had bagel and lox, follow up later with banana splints. Wonder visit. S and L joined us for the ice cream. 

Me in the new chair.

 

At the table.

 

Tuesday

 
Woke up with kidney pain again, at 6 a.m.  Tolerated it until 8 a.m. when it felt like a large knife was piercing my  kidney. I woke up Claudia, and we got dressed and were getting in the car to go to the e.r., when the pain eased. Got symptoms of bladder irritation, which usually signifies a stone in the bladder. By symptoms, I passed at least two more stones during the day.  Funny how my tooth is no longer a big deal.  

Hopefully, I can just go back to my normal pains.  Rick and Julie are coming down today.