Turning 75

 Reaching the ages of 60, 65 and 70 never really bothered me, but turning 75 has made me realize that I am now officially OLD! Today I visit the doctor to get an authorization to drive for another year. Since reflexes are an important part of driving, I found an online test that you can do to see how your reflexes are holding up. Click on this link.

My first try resulted in 38 years and the second was 18, so I think I am ok by that measure. Mental age is still 14.

Still, when I go to the hospital for my infusions, all patients are asked to say their name and date of birth so it can be checked against the name and DOB on the box of liquid that is to be infused. The seats are close together so there is little privacy. Sometimes, I try to guess how old the other patients are and sometimes I am shocked to hear some really old-looking person declare an age of about 65.

The 5th wave of Covid has arrived in Queensland so I suspect that in two days' time I will be doing a RAT test and wearing a mask. 

As usual, Marianne cooked a special dinner and I shocked her this year by asking for asparagus soup to start. Back in 1980, we drove around France and Spain for a month and one night stayed in an auberge outside Angers. The Michelin guide stated that their restaurant provided good food and reasonable prices and we duly had our dinner there. The outstanding dish was the asparagus soup and I have remembered it all this time.

So here it is.

Click here for the recipe. I asked M to add a little bacon and the result was wonderful. Try making it.

A seafood pancake followed which is basically a crepe with prawns, scallops, and Moreton Bay Bug (similar to lobster). We first discovered this bubbly back in 1985 and the local boozatorium (Weavers) was selling this for less than $4 a bottle. It comes from the Limoux region south of Carcassone and they claim to have been making this sparkling-style wine since 1581 well before the champagne region.

My favourite dessert is a souffle. As usual, it was all delicious.

In two weeks' time, Robin and I will travel from Sydney to Broken Hill by train so stay tuned.

A faun appears

It's the time of year when the deer allow their fauns to appear.

The mother did not appear to be too concerned,

The tenth anniversary of my retirement

It's hard to believe that it is ten years since I retired on my mother's birthday and started blogging about what I did in my retirement. This is entry number 1045 so I have been averaging about 100 blog entries per year. Mum would have been 102.

 Let me first say that this has been the crappiest year of my life due to my health problems. On the other hand, it has been one of the best years of my life since I am so lucky that I am well on the way to overcoming those problems. I remember talking to Marianne in the car one day in July when we were driving to physical therapy and saying if it were a choice between winning the half-billion-dollar lotto or walking properly again, the choice would be easy. 

Today I walked to the lighthouse and back and felt wonderful. It's a mile in each direction. I have been jogging back and forth in the house and can do 1000 steps. Yesterday I carried in a box of wine. Marianne correctly observes that I have been self-obsessed this year and it's understandable. It's unnerving and dispiriting when you can feel your body going downhill rapidly and you don't know the reason why. On the other hand now that the IV IG cure is taking effect, it's so uplifting to feel my body gradually improving with minor victories virtually every day. I keep a daily journal that I send off to a Resident at Johns Hopkins and it's interesting to go back and look at my gradual progress. Yes, I won the lottery of being able to walk and stand up again. 

Unfortunately, there are others with similar problems who are still struggling and don't know the reason why. I was lucky to have one of the top Neurology hospitals in the world about 90 minutes drive away. The doctor who specified my IV IG treatment was the co-author of the paper that recommended using Immuno Globulin for treating statin-induced myopathy. If you know somebody with walking issues who also takes statins, tell them to talk to their doctor. 

 Enough of the medical stuff! Let me talk about what's planned for the year ahead. Marianne has her permanent resident visa and we hope to move to Urangan in Australia by the middle of the year. We are already packing and will put the house on the market soon. No other travel is planned so there won't be too many blog entries for a while. 

 One of the things we are looking forward to in Oz is decent bacon. The US has the crappiest bacon on the planet since it only has the fatty streaky bit. It's only taken 35 years, but we finally discovered a solution. I bought a spiral cut ham for $12 just before Xmas and we had a special retirement celebration brekkie of ham and eggs instead of crappy bacon and eggs. Mind you, a similar ham in Australia would probably cost $100 more.

The cast-iron pan on the right will definitely make the trip to Oz in one of our suitcases.

Sunrise. We will definitely miss living here.

And finally, some photos of my walk to the lighthouse this rather warm day. No snow or ice when the temperatures are in the 50's and 60's.

Each time I do this walk, the climb up the hill becomes easier.

The loose stones on the path can be treacherous and a few weeks ago I walked on the grass at the side. Today my legs are stronger and my stability and agility are much improved. I walked on the stones without any concern.

A bird-watching site just before the approach to the lighthouse.

And there it is, at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. We will miss living here.

A bit over a week later, we had a visit from a huge flock of blackbirds that settled in the trees around our house. There were thousands of them. The temperature was about freezing so I did not linger outside after taking the following video.

Johns Hopkins Hospital

For the past year and a half, I have experienced increasing difficulty in walking. I described the feeling as 'walking in molasses'. By last Christmas, I could no longer do my regular three-mile walk and cut it back to two miles. When I went to Argentina, it was difficult to walk short distances and hills were a real problem. I started physical therapy and have also been doing aqua therapy.

Naturally, I had consulted doctors, specialists and anybody else who would listen. I have had MRIs and various scans and the results indicated that there was inflammation of the muscles in the pelvic area. I was eventually scheduled to visit a neurologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in mid-November and to have an EMG test performed. As a way to keep things straight in my mind, I created a document that described the history of what was going wrong with me. Fortunately, Marianne gave it to a friend who is a nurse and she advised me strongly not to wait any longer and go to the Johns Hopkins Emergency Room the following day. We got there at about 11 am.

Let's just say the Emergency room needs help. The seats are plastic and look uncomfortable for sitting in for long periods. I was in a wheelchair. I was triaged fairly quickly and saw somebody to whom I described my problems. Curiously, when it is your turn to have something done, somebody from the ER staff comes out and calls your name out loud. Often they have no idea of how to pronounce the names. There are TVs going as well as hard surfaces everywhere so it is definitely not a quiet, peaceful environment. It was a busy day and we waited and waited. About five pm somebody came and announced that the delay was due to a shortage of beds.

At 9 pm, after 10 hours waiting in the wheelchair, my name was finally called and we were taken back to a cubicle where we were seen by a doctor. Then, everything changed. I was admitted and wheeled off to a lovely hospital room in a separate building. I felt I had gone to heaven.

It was a lovely room, quite large and very quiet. I apologize for the poor quality photos which were taken using my cell phone.

By the window was a couch for visitors and a comfortable armchair which I used most of the time once I got out of bed. In the foreground is the movable table where I could put my things and meal tray. It was probably well after midnight when I could finally go to sleep and Marianne was able to sleep on the couch before going home the next morning.

The bed could fold in all sorts of mysterious ways as well as raise and lower. One of the indicators that I was making a rapid improvement was my being able to get out of the bed without help.

The sign was very helpful for me to remember the names of the nursing staff who were looking after me. Elizabeth told me I could call her Elizabeth or Beth or both. I replied that from then on, she would be known as Both.

Notice the measuring cup. Part of the monitoring service and one of the great joys of being a nurse. I am sure that is the prime reason why they get into the profession. I would have to say that for all three hospitals I have been in during the past few years, the nursing staff have been fabulous.

I was admitted on a Tuesday evening and on early Friday morning I managed to get out of bed by myself and walk down this corridor to the nursing station with my walker. This was the indicator that I had made a sudden and unexpected improvement and therefore became an object of real interest. I was re-measured and asked to do the same tests that I had performed on Wednesday. 

There was an improvement in most of them which became a puzzle for the doctors. Only one thing had changed and that was stopping the statin (Lipitor) I had been taking since my triple bypass at the end of 2015. My understanding is that JH takes an approach of changing just one variable at a time and seeing what happens and of course that approach is common in many fields.

So I am an outlier and my nursing friend reckons that somebody will make a career out of me if the removal of the statin solves the problem. Even the Grand Poobah of Neurology came over to take a look at me. Or gaze with rapt admiration, take your pick. He was a kind gentleman who took the time to answer a list of questions that Marianne had compiled. Over the years I have realized that the people who really know their stuff can condense complex issues to understandable answers for the lay person. He had that knack. 

One of my nurses and one of my clinical technicians. The young bloke has an amazing ability to toss waste objects into the bin. Never misses. People always surprise you with their talents. He can also play the French horn and the clarinet.

Dinner which in this case was meatloaf. It was not the best I have ever had but it was ok for hospital food. Only a couple of items I tried were awful. The biggest problem is that food loses heat while being transported from the kitchen to the room. And of course, I never got to eat my breakfast on the morning after my arrival because of constant inspections by yet another team of doctors as well as other tests performed on me. Johns Hopkins is one of the top three ranked hospitals in the USA and is a teaching hospital. I was a good subject for interns to see, poke and prod and they seemed to enjoy the poking and particularly the prodding. I was whacked so many times with small hammers that I am surprised my legs are not covered with bruises. Even tuning forks were used. I suspect over 40 people checked me out at various stages.

The menu. The salmon and ravioli were the best things I had. The lemon lime sherbet became my favourite. I was disappointed that champagne and caviar was not available.

The photo you have all been waiting for. My feet in the hospital socks. The XL rating is a bit optimistic for my size 10.5 feet.

One of the nurses finally went off and found me some XXXl socks. That yellow indicates that I am special, I'm sure.

A week ago I ordered an exercise bike from Amazon. It's too heavy for me to deal with so the husband of the nurse who sent me off to Hopkins volunteered to put it together for me when we went to another friends place for dinner last night. It is wonderful to have friends like these and here he is testing the bike.

So it has been a very interesting experience and I am so relieved that a possible solution is so simple. Of course, there is a long way to go in terms of restoring my strength, but it is a start.

By the way, I talked to one of the doctors about the ER situation and she told me that JH is well aware of the problem and is looking to make improvements. It's a great hospital. One of the things that impressed me most was the friendliness and respect that all of the employees showed to their fellow workers, no matter their position. That's very difficult to achieve in any organization.

Update October 2019

I thought I would let you know what happened since. My blood tests showed extremely high levels of Creatine Kinase (CK). Recommended level is between 39 and 108 I U/L and mine were approximately 8800. The level has gone down in subsequent tests but I am still above 7000. The doctors at JH are arranging for me to get a treatment called IV/IG. You can read about it here.

I will be given the antibody fluid in small doses over a period of four to five days since there is a possibility of blood clots if they do it all in two days. If you have had heart surgery they are more cautious. The procedure starts with a saline solution and then when my body is hydrated, they introduce the fluid. Each day takes three hours and the treatment will be done at the local hospital.

I should start to feel improvement after three or four days. I may need another course of treatment after three to four weeks if necessary.  As well as seeing the resident doctor, I was also seen by the doctor who invented the technique about 10 years ago. He was very friendly. 

My case is apparently quite rare but if you hear of somebody who takes a large statin dose and complains of heavy legs and difficulty walking, get the CK level checked.

Update - November 28.

I have now completed two week-long treatments and my improvement seems miraculous. Today I walked 2.5 miles around my community including quite a few hills. Getting up from seats (and toilet seats) is much easier. I can stand for much longer periods and my upper body strength is much improved. I can now reach up into our highest kitchen cabinets with my left arm which was not possible before with arthritis in my shoulder. I submit a daily journal to Johns Hopkins and it seems like every second day there is some noticable improvement to report.

Two weeks ago I went to aqua therapy and as part of the hour-long session I did the jogging on the spot exercise. When I first started aqua therapy a few months ago I could do twenty steps. That day I did 500 without any trouble. Incredible!

There is still a way to go, particularly with my agility, but I appear to be returning to normal.

The ninth anniversary of my retirement

Today my mother would have been 101. Every day I remember my parents for some reason or other and it usually brings a chuckle to my mind. I suspect they would be pleased to know that we are going to return to Australia later this year and live in Urangan. We have agreed on a price for the unit so all we have do is buy, pack and move and of course, arrange for a permanent resident visa for Marianne. Somehow we will get though it.

As usual, each of these anniversary blogs shows photos of the community and I sometimes refer back to them to see what was going on back then. This blog will feature the area behind our house.

In summer our house is usually not visible because of the leaves on the trees.  It sits beside the end of 'Rock Road' which is our drive way.

The marsh area behind our house. There is actually another property between us and the marsh but the owner is not allowed to build there because it is a protected area.

Our view towards the bay where we can see the water and the big ships that pass through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.

The English navy fleet sailed up the Elk River in 1777 carrying soldiers who took part in the Cooch's Bridge battle in nearby Delaware. It's reasonable to presume that some sailors landed in this location.

The remains of Rock Road going down the hill to the marsh.

Looking back up Rock Road. Curiously it is situated exactly on the 76th degree longitude.

The area by the marsh was initially used as a dump by the early inhabitants of the community. There were also plans to turn the marsh into a marina but they were scuttled.

Our round house off to left.

There is not much evidence of the dump left now and most of the objects have disintegrated over the years. There used to be a sofa, fridge and a tv set.

There are a couple of gullies that lead down to the water and the local deer often congregate there. It is not uncommon for us to see a dozen or so deer trotting past.

For many years we had this area to ourselves.

Many trees have fallen over during the 32 years we have lived here.

American Indians used to live in the local area. I could well imagine that they lived right here since it is well protected, close to the water and with abundant wild-life. By the way, Captain John Smith of Pocahontas fame explored this area.

Phragmites grow in the marsh.

They are an invasive species and don't serve as food for the local wildlife.

They are pretty however.

The deer have created this path beside the swamp. It's probably thousands of years old.

A beautiful winter's sky. 

The only trees with leaves at this time of year are the holly trees.

There are also thorn bushes.

If you go back to the satellite view of the area, this is the tip of the peninsula near the 'Google' word at the bottom of the map.

This tree with the large curved branch used to be a favourite of the local kids. A rope dangled from the branch and it served as a swing. It was exciting swinging out over the swamp.

The remains of the rope. Robin gave it plenty of use and I did plenty of pushing.

It has been years since I walked down into the area. It's not safe to walk here in summer because of the ticks and the various other biting insects. 

More holly.

This gully used to be popular with young boys who would construct forts among the roots of this tree.

I used to walk down to the area at least once a week and carved out an easy path which I name the Birdsville Track after a famous track in outback Australia. Eventually, houses appeared and I stopped walking in the area. It had lost its 'secret world' feel.

Daffodil shoots. It has been a warm winter so far but we are supposed to get some snow tomorrow.

And back to our house. It may well be the last time that I do the Track since we have agreed on a price for the unit we like in Urangan, Australia. If all goes well, we will move there permanently in the July / August time-frame. We have been privileged to have live in this beautiful location for over thirty years and we did not want to move to a place in Australia that was inferior to what we enjoyed here. We think we have found it. I have started the packing.

Our other travel plans are somewhat up in the air this year. I have detailed plans for Argentina and Scotland, but we will have to find opportune times.