November 2023 – Travels with Fred

Everything Fred – Part 170

30 November 2023

It’s official. Hurricane season is over after today. That doesn’t mean we couldn’t have a hurricane but the likelihood is slim. I remind everyone NOAA has contemplated expanding the season on the front end as well as the back end.

I got 6.5 hours of sleep last night but not without pains in the butt and legs. Sometime during the night I had to get up and do some stretches and then put the heating pad on my butt. I was afraid I would have to go back to the chiropractor today but it finally eased off enough to get to sleep. I left a message for my GP to see if he would recommend an MRI as the chiropractor requested. Time will tell.

When I did get out of bed around 6:30 am I was very stiff, sore, and unsteady. As the morning wore on, I improved. It was tough sitting at the computer to read my papers this morning and I had to add a pillow to the already puffy chair designed for long periods of sitting in front of a computer screen.

Kudos to Holley and Jim for recommending Bliss Nails. Since I don’t have the hand strength to trim them anymore, I needed someone to do it for me. I called and found out they take walk-ins.

It’s a very nice salon. I decided to treat myself and to a mani/pedi. It’s been years since I did this. Bliss Nails does it right.

I asked permission to take the photo. The chair is a massage chair which helped my lower back.

I told the pedicurist/manicurist that I was undergoing chemo and that my nails were brittle. She handled the info and the treatment really well. When asked about putting a clear coat, she said some clients undergoing chemo refuse it, so I did also.

I’m weird in the sense I cannot stand any length in my nails. I know some men grow them out just a little but I don’t. The mani/pedi cost $52 and I tipped $10 because she did a great job. I won’t be able to do that once a week (that’s how often I trim them) but they do trim fingernails and toenails for $8-$10. I can afford that weekly.

The collard greens turned out really well. Some of the leaves were really large and I thought they might be tough but they came out tender. Fall means collards to me. Spring is turnip greens. I have enough to eat on them for a few days.

Hydration infusion is tomorrow afternoon. Next week is busy. On Monday, someone from AC/DC Pools will come check out what is wrong with my heater. I also take the jeep in for a recall and I have another chiropractor appointment late afternoon.

On Wednesday, I see Amy Sear again for acupuncturist treatment, Thursday I have a dental appointment and Friday another hydration infusion. Good thing I’m retired!

Stay tuned!

Cancer Update – Part 88

29 November 2023

It’s been a busy day. I wrote yesterday I got one hour of sleep. I improved on that last night getting 1.5 hours. I thought I was doing pretty good after the infusion on Tuesday but when I crawled into bed at 6 pm, I started aching. First, it was low back pain. It then spread to my hips. Then to the thighs and then to the calves. It was excruciating pain. I tried everything in the book and got no relief. I thought I was going to have to call someone to drive me for today’s appointments but as I started slowly moving around, I got better. Apparently standing helps. Lying supine does not.

My first appointment was with Amy Sear, acupuncturist recommended by Dr. Velez to help alleviate/mitigate the peripheral neuropathy. She had to temporarily move her office from Johnson Street near Hollywood Memorial to Washington Street near Memorial South. Actually, her temporary office is in the same building as my cardiologist so I had no trouble finding her.

First, she’s a talker. She would ask you a question and before you could complete the answer, she was off on another tangent. Every malady I mentioned, acupuncture would help. I also needed more than one session – of course.

The process was relatively painless. The most I felt the needles were in my left ear (she didn’t do the right ear). She worked needles into the feet, the sides of my hands where you find the pinkies, the top of my head, and my forehead. I was well and properly stuck. She would leave the room periodically and come back and twist or tap the needles deeper. On the fourth visit she removed the needles.

My next appointment is at the old office on Johnson Street, assuming the plumbing problems are solved. I think we scheduled 4 more. Medicare only covers acupuncture for back pain. I was quoted a price of $150 for the first visit and $50 for each visit thereafter. For that price, I wanted her to take a photo of me with pins stuck all over but I didn’t ask.

I’m not really sure acupuncture will work but I’ll give it a try. She did make one comment I took to heart. When I told her the Cyclobenzaprine (muscle relaxant) did nothing for my back, she suggested it wasn’t muscular but neural. She recommended her chiropractor. When I went back to the jeep, I called and got an appointment for 4:30 this afternoon. I can’t go through another night like last night.

I made it back home after a quick stop at the Walgreen’s pharmacy and Winn-Dixie – collard greens tonight to go with our winter temperatures of 56°F.

Next up was my wellness check with my primary. He hold me the Gabapentin I’m on (100 mg) is the minimal dose to alleviate pain. You can dose as high as 900 mg. He suggested I do 100 mg twice a day instead of once. I’ll also probably have to increase the dosage over time to help with the peripheral neuropathy. Sadly, he said I’ll probably have nerve damage for the rest of my life. It’s been exacerbated by being a diabetic. I can’t stand to think it will never get any better.

The other thing he suggested is to stop taking the blood pressure medicine Losartin. My dizziness is probably due to my pressure being too low. He said stop it if I like and we can always go back on it if my pressure stays too high for too long.

My GP is worried about my glucose levels. I assured him that Dr. Jellinger was more than looking after me.

I met with Dr. Masterson, the chiropractor recommended by Amy Sear. It seems my Medicare and United Health covered today’s session. I figure he wants me to come twice a week until…. He put something similar to a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit on my lower back and let that run for a while to loosen up the muscles in that area. He then did a simple manipulation that immediately allowed me freer movement in my legs.

The big concern is that I’ve developed weakness in my lower extremities to the point that when I first get out of bed, my legs almost collapse on me. He’s concerned there may be long term nerve damage if this isn’t corrected. He’s requested my GP to authorize an MRI. He can do it but it will cost me out of pocket but if the GP requests one, Medicare/United Healthcare will pay for it.

To be honest, I’ll do anything to get a good nights rest.

I have tomorrow off! I may go to Bliss Nails and get my fingernails and toenails clipped. I’ve tried for the last two days and I just don’t have the strength in my hands to do it. Bliss Nails is where Jim and Holley go on a regular basis. Chemo has made my nails brittle and they flake off and form notches in the nails which catches on any and every thing. Looks like I’m ceding small parts of my life to someone else’s control.

Stay tuned to see what falls apart on me next!

Cancer Update – Part 87

28 November 2023

Whether it was the prednisone or the sore back, I got all of one hour of sleep last night. For the back, I alternated between an ice pack and a heating pad. Nothing worked. I took 1/2 tab of cyclobenzaprine (muscle relaxant) and it did no good. The first time I took a whole tab of that it knocked me out for an entire day. Then in the early morning, diarrhea hit – three times. That’s the first in quite a while. Wade slept through it all. He later told me it was the best night of sleep he’s had since he’s been here.

Barbara picked him up at 6 am this morning and we all said goodbyes. He stops in Denver and is hoping he’s not stranded. He later texted me it was 40°F and snow on the ground.

I took an Uber to the cancer center and made it with plenty of time to spare. Sean, the driver, was talkative and he could relate to me since his mother was a survivor of stage 4 lung cancer.

Pat was my nurse again (hurrah!) and I asked if she could give me a fix of saline in addition to the Herceptin and Magnesium. She did! I started to feel better immediately.

Strangely, my blood work was pretty good. My white blood cell count was even normal (and has been since I stopped Taxol). Of course, my Magnesium was low and I needed that drip added. Otherwise, there was nothing in the blood work that would lead you to believe I felt like crap.

Earlier, I texted Dr. Jellinger my vitals: BP 148/91 (the monitor asked if I was sure), Pulse 98, Temp 97.9, Glucose 211, and Oxygen 98. He later texted me to have nurse or physician to check pre- and post infusion. Pre-infusion the BP was 126/76 and post-infusion it was 135/71. I suspect he was concerned with the morning reading I did at the house.

I sent for an Uber around 12:30 pm and it was just arriving to drop a fare off at Holy Cross. Pedro was his name and he didn’t speak much English. You are given a PIN code on your phone and he has to type that in to confirm the ride. I had to give him the numbers in Spanish. He drove very fast and moved into the lane and then signaled his move. He didn’t follow the map and when I told him which exit, he merrily sailed past my exit and headed to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport where we got tied up with semis lined up to get into Port Everglades. I still gave him a 4 star rating and tipped him.

I’m slowly putting the house back together after Thanksgiving and Wade’s visit. It didn’t seem like he was here for a week. Time really flew!

Since I’ve been hydrated, I hope to be able to drive to my two appointments tomorrow: Amy Sear for acupuncture and Dr. Dunhill for wellness check.

I still stagger around like a drunken sailor (which I was at one point in time) due to the neuropathy. It also feels like I am wearing wooden clogs when I walk. At least I have the energy to put a load of clothes in the washer. I suspect I’ll go to bed early tonight. Apparently, I dozed off in the infusion chair today which is pretty hard to do with all the activity around you.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 169

27 November 2023

It was a miserable night and a miserable day. At 1:30 am back pain waked me and kept me awake even though I took an additional Gabepentin and two more Advil. I put an ice pack on my back. I got up and did stretches. I hunted for and failed to find the heating pad. This continued until 6 am. I realized I was not going to make the 9:30 am blood draw. There are consequences for falling at my age.

Instead, I booked an appointment at the Urgent Care Clinic for Holy Cross on Federal Highway for 9 am. I called Joel and he picked Wade and me up. They dropped me off a the clinic and went to get breakfast.

I had pre-checked in online and they took me back early. The nurse and then the doctor visited and it was off to x-rays. Fortunately, there’s nothing broken. The x-rays basically said I’m an old man with degenerating discs but otherwise OK. It must, therefore, be muscular in nature.

I’m to stay off Advil. Joel and Wade drove me to Walgreens to pick up some Tylenol Extra Strength and then home. I had on hand the muscle relaxant I’ll take tonight. I crashed and slept two hours.

Wade leaves tomorrow at 6 am. Hopefully, I’m up to drive to the cancer center for a Herceptin infusion. All last-night plans with Wade have been canceled. If I’m up to it, I’ll write more tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred -Part 168

26 November 2023

One year, Wade Joel, and I made it to Sawgrass Mills on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We finally found a parking space at least a mile away on the swale. We vowed never again. Last year we went on Saturday morning after Thanksgiving and found if we went early enough, you could beat the crowds.

This year we did the early Saturday experience. We arrived about 15 minutes before the stores opened and had ample parking. Wade always wants to visit the Ralph Lauren store and I like to visit the Tommy Bahama store. We waited until 10 am and made one pass through the Ralph store and Wade didn’t find anything he liked.

We then tried to find the Tommy Bahama. The map was not accurate and we gave up. We decided to leave and on the way out we found the most unusual vending machine.

Put your credit card in and you can get a slice of cake. It offered all varieties. Wonder if the cakes have any preservatives?

As we started our way back to the jeep, traffic in the mall picked up.

I suspect you can hear every language in the world here. Notice in the background someone with a suitcase. People who fly into Florida for Black Friday from all over the world and either bring suitcases to pack the goods away for the trip back home or they buy suitcases in the mall to pack their treasures.

As we made it to the parking lot, it was so full two sets of people asked where we were parked so they could take our vacated space. The lot was full and this was by 10:45.

We then decided to Rosies so Wade could get another BLT. Rosies goes all out for every holiday and Christmas is probably the most over the top.

I’m not sure what unicorns have to do with Christmas but I see this theme more and more in yard decorations.

After the shopping (most walking I’ve done in a couple of months) and Rosies, I was ready to get back home. I washed some clothes, Wade washed some clothes and we snacked and napped the afternoon away.

Later that evening, Joel picked our friend Melinda up from the airport and then dropped by the house to pick up Wade to take to dinner to Flanigans. I was too wiped to make it so I became a couch potato and watched some football games.

Yesterday, Dr. Jellinger wanted me to text him my vitals while he was in New York. He texted me back it is important to taper off prednisone slowly. He’s prescribed me to alternate between 5 mg and 2.5 mg for 7 days, then 2.5 mg for 7 days, then 2.5 mg every other day for 10 days. I’m to report him my vitals with a Tele-Medicine he’ll schedule on Tuesday or Wednesday. The last part of the text was a little alarming.

“As you know, it is possible that your symptoms may be partly or substantially related to the cardiac toxicity of chemo agents. If you have not had a recent cardiac evaluation, it may be advisable.”

I had an echocardiogram prior to cancer surgery and since then have had a MUGA scan. I’m scheduled for another cardiac scan in January. I’ll talk with Dr. Velez on Tuesday to see if he wants to schedule that appointment sooner.

I’m still sluggish, still have night sweats, and still have arthritic pain in my hands. Not only that but even though my back didn’t bother me yesterday, the pain has come roaring back today. I took a Gabapentin early this morning in hopes of getting it under control. It’s true they say if you wait until the pain hits, it’s too late.

I’m not sure how much I’ll be up to with Wade today. He’s been really good about rolling with the punches with my physical restrictions. Hopefully I haven’t bored him to death while he’s been here. He’s really great company and a great conversationalist.I

Yesterday, my Citizens Home Insurance policy arrived. Usually, it has one page, maximum three of “Notice of Change of Policy Terms.” This year has 16 pages of changes, mostly stated as changes in state law but in reality is just a list of things they will not insure. It’s like paying to have no insurance. Citizens is the insurer of last resort in Florida which is pretty much the only game in town unless you are willing to bet on new companies that are offering policies not to go broke in one or two years. All insurance agents that operate independently pretty much tell every one never leave Citizens if you don’t have to. There are stories of people leaving Florida because they cannot afford their insurance rates.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 167

25 November 2023

I really did overdo it yesterday. I was dragging all day long. I would get out of bed, get a bite to eat or drink and go back to bed. I’m afraid Wade was totally bored with me. I just had no energy. I took Dr. Jellinger’s advice and took an extra 2.5 mg of prednisone just before bedtime to try to perk me up.

Joel and Keith came over and picked up Wade to take him to the Mason Jar Pub for dinner. I was invited but I just couldn’t get up the energy. I gave Wade a key to the house in case I was asleep when they returned but they got back around 8:30 pm. I went back to bed and I did get around 6 1/2 hours of sleep.

Today Wade and I may go to Sawgrass Mills to visit the Ralph Lauren store. It depends on my energy level. If I’m not up to it, Joel will take him on Monday. As it looks right now at 6:48 am, it looks like it’s going to pour down rain any minute. If we get there at 10 am when the store opens, there will not be a crowd. Any later and it’s pandemonium. People line up to get inside the store.

Wade is great company. I don’t feel I have to entertain him. He makes do on his own. He’s very understanding that I’m not at my best right now and goes with the flow.

I received my FEMA flood insurance packet in the mail yesterday. There was an extra sheet this year explaining Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL). SRL is defined as if your property (1) “has incurred flood-related damage for which four or more separate claims payments have been made, with the amount of each claim (including building and contents payments) exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative amount of such claims payments exceeding $2o,000; or (2) For which at least two separate claims payments (building payments only) have been made under such coverage, with the cumulative amount of such claims exceeding the market value of the building.”

My flood damage claim sent to FEMA was $8,252.00.

Fortunately, I don’t meet any criteria, but I feel this is a “shot across the bow” warning. If I end up meeting the criteria at some future date, then I will be transferred to a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Direct Servicing Agent and get a rating factor and may become ineligible for a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) discount and that would result in at 25% annual increase until I reach full-risk premium. In other words, I’d be up the famous creek without a paddle.

The April flood that hit my property was supposedly a 1 in 1000 year flood. With global warming, that may be out the window. We are already getting flood maps of South Florida showing what will be under water 50 years from now. Several municipalities in South Florida have severe beach erosion. When I moved down here in 1985, you never heard about King Tides. Now they are an issue and they cause the drains to back up and flood streets. This link shows the vulnerability of Fort Lauderale.

Monday is blood work for Dr. Jellinger (endocrinologist), Tuesday Wade leaves and I have a Herceptin infusion. Wednesday I have an initial consultation with Amy Sear for acupuncture and a wellness checkup with Dr. Dunhill. Friday I have an hydration infusion. It’ll be a busy week.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 166

24 November 2023

It was a great Thanksgiving! There were seven people and me and everything came together and everyone seemed to have a very good time. The turkey Wade cooked was moist and perfectly cooked. Everyone raved over his cranberry sauce and gravy. My dressing turned out well.

Thanks to Joel and Keith for a beautiful lemon cake, Barbara made a delicious sweet potato soufflé, Wayne brought a huge broccoli salad and Tom and Kurt furnished the wine. This is a fun group of people and there was much story telling, laughing, and discussion.

Everyone pitched in on the cleanup and everyone was gone by 7:30.

I overdid it. Not only that, but in getting dishes out of the pie safe, I tripped over a lamp cord and hurt my back. By the time everyone left for the evening, I was Done in. I got out of bed around 5:30 am but went back to bed after a cup of coffee. Then I slept again until 11:30. I’m still dragging.

I suspect tomorrow Wade will want to go early to Sawgrass Mills to the Ralph Lauren store. It’s kinda tradition for him and he sometimes loads up with clothes suitable to San Francisco’s cold weather. I’m sure we’ll go back to Rosies for more BLT’s.

The weather was perfect last night. It’s a good thing we did Thanksgiving out on the patio. Today, rain is forecast and it would have been a mess with everyone in the house. The gods of fortune looked down on us.

I plan to cool it today. I need to recover some strength and not try to do too much. Hopefully everyone had as good a Turkey Day and we did.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 165

23 November 2023

Happy Thanksgiving! Four am rolls around and I’m fully awake. I decided to read until 5 and then started the day. I actually feel good for a change. Yesterday was a good day. Wade and I picked up Joel and headed to Rosies so Wade could get his very first BLT this trip.

The place quickly filled up with pre-Thanksgiving revelers.

Rosies always goes all out for the holidays! After dropping Joel back home, Wade and I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a 11.5 organic fresh turkey for today. I then picked up some meds from Walgreens and then headed home.

After I went to bed last night (I finally started crashing around 7 pm) Wade started on the cranberry sauce. Sometime during the night he pulled the turkey out of the fridge to let it come to room temp.

It’ll be a very busy day. I need to do some outside work on the patio where we’ll eat and I need to make the cornbread dressing. At 30 minutes per pound, the turkey will take a while. Everyone should start coming over sometime around 4 pm and the party and eating starts.

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 164

22 November 2023

Wade’s flight was delayed by an hour out of Chicago so he landed around 7:30 pm last night at Fort Lauderdale International. Joel and Keith picked him up and they headed to Outback Steakhouse off 17th Street for a late dinner. They got to the house around 9:30 last night and the first thing he did after greeting me was to hand me a 2 pound box of See’s candies!

After Joel and Keith left, Wade and I caught up a bit and by 11:30, I headed to bed. I couldn’t sleep. It was my feet and my arthritis in my hand. Earlier, I took the Gabapentin and Temazepan and two Advil to try to head the pain off . Around 1:30 am I finally added two more Advil and pulled an extra pillow out to put between my legs. I’ve lost 20 pounds and I’m boney, particularly in my legs and I needed some separation for my knees. I finally drifted off.

Today, we plan on lunch at Rosies in Wilton Manors so Wade can get the first of many BLT’s. Then we pick up a prescription of mine at Walgreens then on to Whole Foods to pick up the fresh turkey and other odds and ends we’ll need for Thanksgiving. We’ll probably go to to dinner somewhere tonight. Somewhere in the day I’ll make cornbread for the cornbread dressing tomorrow.

For the first morning in a very long time I’m not dragging. I’m moving slowly but at least I don’t feel like a zombie. Maybe look like one but done feel like one. Perhaps this lack of Jardiance is helping me recover some of my energy and decreasing my fatigue! Fingers crossed.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood and I wish I were better able to walk so I could begin my morning walks again. Soon I hope.

I may or may not make a post tomorrow. If I don’t, Happy Thanksgiving!

Stay tuned!

Everything Fred – Part 163

21 November 2023

The difference between this morning and yesterday morning is remarkable. Yesterday, I could barely get out of bed. This morning, I was in much better shape. Not perfect, but better.

Today Wade flies in from San Francisco. If I feel up to it, I’ll pick him up at Fort Lauderdale International Airport and we’ll meet Joel and Keith at Outback Steakhouse just off 17th Street. It’s kind of traditional for us. If I’m not up to it, Joel and Keith will pick him up and after dinner at Outback, deliver him to the house. It’ll be good to see Wade. He’s loads of fun and keeps you entertained. He’s also generous and kind and giving.

On Instagram today, there was a post that said if you go to someone’s house for Thanksgiving, be sure to compliment them on their baseboards because they spent the week cleaning them. DO NOT COMPLIMENT ME ON MY BASEBOARDS. I have not cleaned them. As a matter of fact, I’ve done very little that I normally do to clean up for Thanksgiving. I normally use the time before TG to do my “spring cleaning,” something Mother instilled in me – I just don’t do it in the spring.

As I’ve mentioned before, Mother not only believed in deep cleaning the house each spring, she also believed in deep cleaning Archie and me – with laxatives. I don’t miss that aspect.

We are up to nine people for Thanksgiving. I suggested everyone show up around 4ish for cocktails and noshes and we’ll have dinner around 6 or 6:30. The day looks great and by then the sun will be setting and the predicted temperature is 76°F. We will be able to eat outside!

I know I’ve written about the Friendship House on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was a favorite place of mine when my grandmother Ruby used to take me to Gulfport and Biloxi. They had the best fried oysters I’ve ever had. The only ones comparable are at Kelly’s Landing in Fort Lauderdale.

Facebook has a group post called Mississippi Memories that my cousin Jimmie cued me into. Yesterday, the posted a photo of the Friendship House, exactly as I remembered it.

They provided a history of the place and you can read it here if you have Facebook.

If you like fried oysters, next time you visit me, I’ll take you to Kelly’s Landing so you can see what they are supposed to taste like.

Stay tuned!