A Brief Scare, A YouTube Encounter and Veteran's Day Thoughts
That little fall I took off my bike in the video I posted last week proved to be more problematic than it may have looked. I suffered bruised ribs and the pain I experienced only worsened over the next few days to the point where I went to the ER at Ridges Hospital Sunday night out of concern that I had developed a clot and was experiencing another PE (pulmonary embolism). I wasn't. 
The nurse practitioner didn't think I had anything to worry about with respect to another PE because I'm anticoagulated so she ordered an x-ray to check for a punctured lung. The results were negative and as we were discussing the findings I mentioned my Factor V condition as being the reason for my increased concern. She said she didn't realize I was Factor V (I mentioned it to the person checking me in) and ordered a CT scan. She said a Factor V situation changes her protocol. The CT scan was clear and I was relieved. I texted Tammy to put her mind at ease. A little after midnight (4 hours later) I was on my way home with some quality meds to give me some relief from the pain so I could get through that night and a few more if needed.
I'd never experienced a bruised rib that got worse a few days later but it dawned on me that all of the sneezing and coughing I'd been doing from my head cold was stressing the injury. It makes sense but I needed to eliminate a PE as the cause. I just can't afford to be too careful when it comes to this sort of thing.
I received the following comment on a YouTube video I had posted in September which showed me getting a shot of steroid in my inner ear for my hearing loss:
"I'm having this procedure done tomorrow and then two other times. Thank you for sharing this video as I was very nervous about having this done. However at this point, with little to no hearing in my left ear I'm ready to try anything! Friday morning I woke up with a ringing in my ear and then within 4 hours I have no hearing in the ear. Was able to get into an ENT that day and he started me on antibiotics that very day. Time is very important when it comes to SSHL."
I love this sort of thing about the net—how we can connect with people in ways we never could before. I left her a reply to help allay any fears she may have about the procedure and also offer some encouragement.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I'm no longer the patriotic guy I once was but I do look back on those 4 years with fondness as they were some of the most carefree and enjoyable years of my life. I grew up a lot through that experience and learned more than ever that for all of the similarities I shared with my shipmates, I had just as many differences. It was quietly, internally focusing on the differences that allowed me to get in touch with the real me and experience some self-respect that I had been lacking to that point. No doubt the many hours I spent in the saddle in the Southern California sun in the hills east of San Diego was a great backdrop for those reflective moments.
I'm still winding my way through this life and learning about myself. I never want to get to the point where I feel I'm so set in my ways that any additional searching is a waste of time. That's the beauty of this life. Hopefully, we never stop evolving and learning and being curious. I promise not to stop. Ever.
I'll leave you with this from David Baerwald: Stranger
The nurse practitioner didn't think I had anything to worry about with respect to another PE because I'm anticoagulated so she ordered an x-ray to check for a punctured lung. The results were negative and as we were discussing the findings I mentioned my Factor V condition as being the reason for my increased concern. She said she didn't realize I was Factor V (I mentioned it to the person checking me in) and ordered a CT scan. She said a Factor V situation changes her protocol. The CT scan was clear and I was relieved. I texted Tammy to put her mind at ease. A little after midnight (4 hours later) I was on my way home with some quality meds to give me some relief from the pain so I could get through that night and a few more if needed.
I'd never experienced a bruised rib that got worse a few days later but it dawned on me that all of the sneezing and coughing I'd been doing from my head cold was stressing the injury. It makes sense but I needed to eliminate a PE as the cause. I just can't afford to be too careful when it comes to this sort of thing.
I received the following comment on a YouTube video I had posted in September which showed me getting a shot of steroid in my inner ear for my hearing loss:
"I'm having this procedure done tomorrow and then two other times. Thank you for sharing this video as I was very nervous about having this done. However at this point, with little to no hearing in my left ear I'm ready to try anything! Friday morning I woke up with a ringing in my ear and then within 4 hours I have no hearing in the ear. Was able to get into an ENT that day and he started me on antibiotics that very day. Time is very important when it comes to SSHL."
I love this sort of thing about the net—how we can connect with people in ways we never could before. I left her a reply to help allay any fears she may have about the procedure and also offer some encouragement.Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I'm no longer the patriotic guy I once was but I do look back on those 4 years with fondness as they were some of the most carefree and enjoyable years of my life. I grew up a lot through that experience and learned more than ever that for all of the similarities I shared with my shipmates, I had just as many differences. It was quietly, internally focusing on the differences that allowed me to get in touch with the real me and experience some self-respect that I had been lacking to that point. No doubt the many hours I spent in the saddle in the Southern California sun in the hills east of San Diego was a great backdrop for those reflective moments.
I'm still winding my way through this life and learning about myself. I never want to get to the point where I feel I'm so set in my ways that any additional searching is a waste of time. That's the beauty of this life. Hopefully, we never stop evolving and learning and being curious. I promise not to stop. Ever.
I'll leave you with this from David Baerwald: Stranger
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