Several people have asked me if Eddie has noticed a difference yet. The simple answer is no, not yet. Eddie did lots of research on this procedure (and lots of other offerings out there) long before we made this trip.
He says results won't be noticed for, at least, 12 weeks. I suppose it takes that long for the stem cells to make any affective "repairs".
We will keep you posted from time to time.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Home, at last!!
We arrived safely at Tulsa International Airport about 11:30 this morning. I told Eddie that astronauts returning from space could not have been happier than I was when our plane touched down.
We had quite a morning though, before we began our final flight home. We stayed at the nice Chicago Sheraton last night (wonderful king size bed, tons of pillows and fluffy comforters) though it was mostly wasted. We didn't get to bed until after ten, and Eddie didn't sleep much. He woke me at 1:30 this morning and wanted to sit up for a while. I didn't find out until later, on the plane, that he stayed up the rest of the night watching TV, couldn't sleep! I slept off and on, but was up plenty early. The plane was scheduled to leave at 9:05.
I went to the front dest at 6:45 (keep that time in mind now....) and requested the shuttle, with wheel chair lift, be available at 7:30. We'd checked our bags on through to Tulsa so we wouldn't have to handle them all again, and got our morning boarding passes before we left the airport Monday night so we could move through the airport pretty quickly. We got our few things all packed up and I rolled him to the lobby at 7:25, thinking this is going to work perfectly and we might have time to grab a little something for breakfast at the airport. I inquired at the front desk again about the shuttle and was met with a blank look...seems they somehow (in the past 40 minutes) misplaced my request for the "special" shuttle, and the driver had just pulled out for the airport. They radioed, and he told them he would get it for us when he returned from that trip. So we waited, and waited.
The driver didn't arrive until almost 8am, and then chatted for several minutes in the lobby with another (regular) guest before finally disappearing (to get the keys?), and shortly the shuttle pulled in. Now I was getting a little anxious, but we only had to make it through security and to our gate by about 8:30, so I was making myself stay calm.
We arrived at the airport about 8:15. I was ripping off shoes and earrings, Eddie's jacket and shoes, unveiling the laptop, getting boarding passes and IDs... a great flurry of activity, then reversing the process, of course. Off we go at a brisk pace to gate K15 (remember that number now....) We found the (huge, long) corridor for K gates, and moved a little quicker. Poor Eddie, I had piled some of the carry-on stuff onto his lap, so he was holding those and just plain holding on.
Finally, K15. I hurried up to the counter, apologizing for running late and requesting an onboard wheelchair. Well guess what? K15 was loading up for Rio, Spain, Central America... I don't remember THEIR destination, but it was not in this country, and certainly not Tulsa, Oklahoma. What??? I showed her the boarding passes, clearly marked with gate K15. Nope, sorry, Tulsa was leaving from H11b! Holy Cow. That means back to the hub (think of it like a bicycle wheel... hub, then spokes radiating out), then finding the corridor (huge, long, yet again) for H gates. I was really sweating then (literally and physically).
Off we go again. (I may have lied earlier when I said I'm always up for an adventure). Thank God the H corridor was not way on the other side of the airport. I just kept thinking that the next direct flight from Chicago was not until 4:15pm...and I wanted to go home. I almost got a little emotional at that point, but sucked it up.
I never broke out into a full run (mainly because I was too tired by then..and it was too crowded) but we made pretty good time. We came flying up to the counter (H11b), yes it was the Tulsa gate and, of course, they still had to radio for the aisle wheelchair (I debated asking for two..one for me), and they were beginning to board. I didn't care at that point...we were going to make it. And on this flight, thank goodness, we were seated in the front row (bulkhead) seats. This time I let the two guys with the wheelchair handle Eddie. They had to ask one (First Class, no less) passenger to move out of his seat for a few minutes in order to get Eddie lifted in, but otherwise it was done pretty swiftly and not too undignified. After that it was smooth sailing.
We were met at the Tulsa plane by the on board wheel chair and transfer was made for the last time. The fellow who helped there, then wheeled Eddie through the airport, to the baggage carousel, even lifted the luggage to the curb for me ... nice tip for him. One phone call to airport parking and their special shuttle was there quickly.
Again, I can't say enough nice things about American Parking at Tulsa International. They told me they'd only gotten the new shuttle bus, with wheel chair lift, about two months ago so most of the drivers are still training. We were more than happy to assist in their training...they are very cautious and considerate.
They unloaded us at the vehicle (nice tip) and I told them I could take it from there... mostly so I could catch my breath and assess how I was going to load everything up. Eddie and I were both hungry so we stopped to get BBQ (we are back in Oklahoma, right?) and carry it home.
I unloaded the luggage and got Eddie's walker out (tons of plastic and tape off) so he can be all indepedent again.
Home again finally. It doesn't appear Eddie has suffered any ill affects from the procedures. He's taking Ibuprophen and Tylenol a couple of times a day. We'll just wait and see now.
Me? I arrived home still standing upright and with a sense of humor, so my goal was accomplished.
Karen and Russ phoned that Miz Izzy was spanking clean, toenails clipped and ready to come home. Izzy rode with me to the bank, and the post office, behaving herself. When we got home she woofed down some food, a pig ear treat, tried to drink from every available toilet on the premises, sniffed all the new scents (including Eddie) and has settled in pretty well, not being resentful at all...it appears she liked her country vacation.
Thanks to all, for the prayers and well wishes!
We had quite a morning though, before we began our final flight home. We stayed at the nice Chicago Sheraton last night (wonderful king size bed, tons of pillows and fluffy comforters) though it was mostly wasted. We didn't get to bed until after ten, and Eddie didn't sleep much. He woke me at 1:30 this morning and wanted to sit up for a while. I didn't find out until later, on the plane, that he stayed up the rest of the night watching TV, couldn't sleep! I slept off and on, but was up plenty early. The plane was scheduled to leave at 9:05.
I went to the front dest at 6:45 (keep that time in mind now....) and requested the shuttle, with wheel chair lift, be available at 7:30. We'd checked our bags on through to Tulsa so we wouldn't have to handle them all again, and got our morning boarding passes before we left the airport Monday night so we could move through the airport pretty quickly. We got our few things all packed up and I rolled him to the lobby at 7:25, thinking this is going to work perfectly and we might have time to grab a little something for breakfast at the airport. I inquired at the front desk again about the shuttle and was met with a blank look...seems they somehow (in the past 40 minutes) misplaced my request for the "special" shuttle, and the driver had just pulled out for the airport. They radioed, and he told them he would get it for us when he returned from that trip. So we waited, and waited.
The driver didn't arrive until almost 8am, and then chatted for several minutes in the lobby with another (regular) guest before finally disappearing (to get the keys?), and shortly the shuttle pulled in. Now I was getting a little anxious, but we only had to make it through security and to our gate by about 8:30, so I was making myself stay calm.
We arrived at the airport about 8:15. I was ripping off shoes and earrings, Eddie's jacket and shoes, unveiling the laptop, getting boarding passes and IDs... a great flurry of activity, then reversing the process, of course. Off we go at a brisk pace to gate K15 (remember that number now....) We found the (huge, long) corridor for K gates, and moved a little quicker. Poor Eddie, I had piled some of the carry-on stuff onto his lap, so he was holding those and just plain holding on.
Finally, K15. I hurried up to the counter, apologizing for running late and requesting an onboard wheelchair. Well guess what? K15 was loading up for Rio, Spain, Central America... I don't remember THEIR destination, but it was not in this country, and certainly not Tulsa, Oklahoma. What??? I showed her the boarding passes, clearly marked with gate K15. Nope, sorry, Tulsa was leaving from H11b! Holy Cow. That means back to the hub (think of it like a bicycle wheel... hub, then spokes radiating out), then finding the corridor (huge, long, yet again) for H gates. I was really sweating then (literally and physically).
Off we go again. (I may have lied earlier when I said I'm always up for an adventure). Thank God the H corridor was not way on the other side of the airport. I just kept thinking that the next direct flight from Chicago was not until 4:15pm...and I wanted to go home. I almost got a little emotional at that point, but sucked it up.
I never broke out into a full run (mainly because I was too tired by then..and it was too crowded) but we made pretty good time. We came flying up to the counter (H11b), yes it was the Tulsa gate and, of course, they still had to radio for the aisle wheelchair (I debated asking for two..one for me), and they were beginning to board. I didn't care at that point...we were going to make it. And on this flight, thank goodness, we were seated in the front row (bulkhead) seats. This time I let the two guys with the wheelchair handle Eddie. They had to ask one (First Class, no less) passenger to move out of his seat for a few minutes in order to get Eddie lifted in, but otherwise it was done pretty swiftly and not too undignified. After that it was smooth sailing.
We were met at the Tulsa plane by the on board wheel chair and transfer was made for the last time. The fellow who helped there, then wheeled Eddie through the airport, to the baggage carousel, even lifted the luggage to the curb for me ... nice tip for him. One phone call to airport parking and their special shuttle was there quickly.
Again, I can't say enough nice things about American Parking at Tulsa International. They told me they'd only gotten the new shuttle bus, with wheel chair lift, about two months ago so most of the drivers are still training. We were more than happy to assist in their training...they are very cautious and considerate.
They unloaded us at the vehicle (nice tip) and I told them I could take it from there... mostly so I could catch my breath and assess how I was going to load everything up. Eddie and I were both hungry so we stopped to get BBQ (we are back in Oklahoma, right?) and carry it home.
I unloaded the luggage and got Eddie's walker out (tons of plastic and tape off) so he can be all indepedent again.
Home again finally. It doesn't appear Eddie has suffered any ill affects from the procedures. He's taking Ibuprophen and Tylenol a couple of times a day. We'll just wait and see now.
Me? I arrived home still standing upright and with a sense of humor, so my goal was accomplished.
Karen and Russ phoned that Miz Izzy was spanking clean, toenails clipped and ready to come home. Izzy rode with me to the bank, and the post office, behaving herself. When we got home she woofed down some food, a pig ear treat, tried to drink from every available toilet on the premises, sniffed all the new scents (including Eddie) and has settled in pretty well, not being resentful at all...it appears she liked her country vacation.
Thanks to all, for the prayers and well wishes!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Final post from Germany!
Eddie said this was the first morning in a long time that he hasn't gotten up aching all over. That's great news, just doesn't last long enough. I think that's normal for him, not caused by the procedure... though he had a couple of days of real discomfort (more so than usual).
He insisted I get out for a while today, so about 2pm I took a taxi several kilometers to the Chocolate Museum. It is located on the Rhine River. Toured the museum. Interesting, but not worth the 7.50 Euro entrance fee. Then I planned to get a taxi back, but didn't see one nearby so just strolled along the Rhine walkway with many, many others on a nice fall, Sunday afternoon. I stopped and got a coffee (very strong coffee here) at a vendor cart, sat and watched people, then strolled all the way back to the Dom Cathedral. This time I got to go inside. They were having Sunday evening services. The cathedral is amazing... I stayed for about an hour. Then strolled back to the rail station, picked up a few things and got back about 6pm. I may have overdone the walking a bit, but will recover.
It's now eight p.m. here. We're all cleaned up and most everything is packed, just a few last minute items remaining. We're turning in early and hope to sleep well. We are looking forward to going home, but dreading the very long trip back.
We leave Cologne at 1:05pm, arrive at Munich at 2:10pm, then depart for Chicago at 3:25pm, arriving at 7:25pm (I think that's a 9 hr flight to Chicago).
We will be spending the night at Chicago, but a short night since we leave for Tulsa Tuesday at 9am.
Get to the house, pick up the mail, pick up the dog, then probably collapse the rest of the day.
I'm looking forward to getting back to work on Wednesday.
He insisted I get out for a while today, so about 2pm I took a taxi several kilometers to the Chocolate Museum. It is located on the Rhine River. Toured the museum. Interesting, but not worth the 7.50 Euro entrance fee. Then I planned to get a taxi back, but didn't see one nearby so just strolled along the Rhine walkway with many, many others on a nice fall, Sunday afternoon. I stopped and got a coffee (very strong coffee here) at a vendor cart, sat and watched people, then strolled all the way back to the Dom Cathedral. This time I got to go inside. They were having Sunday evening services. The cathedral is amazing... I stayed for about an hour. Then strolled back to the rail station, picked up a few things and got back about 6pm. I may have overdone the walking a bit, but will recover.
It's now eight p.m. here. We're all cleaned up and most everything is packed, just a few last minute items remaining. We're turning in early and hope to sleep well. We are looking forward to going home, but dreading the very long trip back.
We leave Cologne at 1:05pm, arrive at Munich at 2:10pm, then depart for Chicago at 3:25pm, arriving at 7:25pm (I think that's a 9 hr flight to Chicago).
We will be spending the night at Chicago, but a short night since we leave for Tulsa Tuesday at 9am.
Get to the house, pick up the mail, pick up the dog, then probably collapse the rest of the day.
I'm looking forward to getting back to work on Wednesday.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Lufthasana Business Class Flight
I wanted to tell you about the business class travel on Lufthansa, on the way over (and back) because it was awesome. We paid a big price tag for that, but with 9 hrs in the air I wanted to make sure Eddie was somewhat comfortable. My boss had told me how great it is, and he is right.
The individual seats recline every which way, without one lying in the passenger's lap behind you. One can lean the seat back, lift the footrest, adjust the lumbar support. Each seat has a new pillow and blanket waiting, and a small 'kit' (toothpaste, toothbrush, earplugs, a pair of socks, blindfold, and lip balm). I purchased headphones before leaving, but used theirs instead. There is even a place to put your eyeglasses while you sleep. Each seat has it's own TV monitor built into the back of the seat in front of you...and you select what you want to watch.
On the way over we were so tired that I thought we would fall asleep right away, but we were too busy investigating all the options. Before they brought us a nice meal, the hostess came around with a tray of steaming hot washcloths, offering each of us one (using tongs) so you can wash up before eating... very civilized.
Eddie and I selected different movies to watch (thus wasting 2 hrs of valuable sleep).
I thought about it later and it all seemed a bit surreal. After takeoff, I hadn't given a second thought about actually being in an airplane (at 35,000'), just enjoying ourselves and resting. And, for the first time ever, I was able to sleep on a plane.
That's the good news. The bad news is that I was very upset with the ground crew, both Lufthansa and O'Hare services. I spent some time the other day, composing a complaint using their online form. Probably won't matter to them, but it made me feel better.
When we were in Chicago at the gate, I asked the Lufthansa crew about pre-boarding with the on-board wheelchair. They weren't aware of the request, tho it had been confirmed at reservation, and confirmed again when we got our boarding passes. So she phoned for the little chair from hell. A fellow showed up with it, and then Lufthansa wouldn't let us pre-board. Seems the lady who phoned for the chair, and gave us the go-ahead wasn't "in charge". I truly think they were trying to let me know who the boss was, and it certainly wasn't this old American woman standing in front of them.
Finally, they let us through. It takes a good 5-10 minutes to get someone out of their wheelchair, and all strapped into the little one. So, two guys manuvered Eddie down the aisle, and figured out they were on the wrong aisle. They had to lug him all the way back up front to the galley, and come down the other aisle. By then, passengers were arriving in droves! All of us were being inconvenienced, and Eddie the star of the show. It burned me up! BUT the worse part was still to come. I was nearby, but didn't hear the ground crew fellow grumbling about how he was supposed to get off at 9:30 and they called him for this. He was obviously going to be late getting off work, etc. I say, if he'd been paying attention instead of grumbling, he would have gone down the correct aisle in the first place and be out of there. Eddie may be disabled, but he can hear just fine. How very insensitive! If I had heard it, there would have been a scene, not just an inconvenience.
So, firmly worded complaint to Lufthansa giving them all the information (and our return flight info too), and letting them know how very disappointed we are with Lufthansa and O'Hare. You can be certain that I will be right beside Eddie (or lugging that chair myself) on the way back...any comments, I'll hear about firsthand! I felt I let Edddie down, but he wasn't really upset about it.
The individual seats recline every which way, without one lying in the passenger's lap behind you. One can lean the seat back, lift the footrest, adjust the lumbar support. Each seat has a new pillow and blanket waiting, and a small 'kit' (toothpaste, toothbrush, earplugs, a pair of socks, blindfold, and lip balm). I purchased headphones before leaving, but used theirs instead. There is even a place to put your eyeglasses while you sleep. Each seat has it's own TV monitor built into the back of the seat in front of you...and you select what you want to watch.
On the way over we were so tired that I thought we would fall asleep right away, but we were too busy investigating all the options. Before they brought us a nice meal, the hostess came around with a tray of steaming hot washcloths, offering each of us one (using tongs) so you can wash up before eating... very civilized.
Eddie and I selected different movies to watch (thus wasting 2 hrs of valuable sleep).
I thought about it later and it all seemed a bit surreal. After takeoff, I hadn't given a second thought about actually being in an airplane (at 35,000'), just enjoying ourselves and resting. And, for the first time ever, I was able to sleep on a plane.
That's the good news. The bad news is that I was very upset with the ground crew, both Lufthansa and O'Hare services. I spent some time the other day, composing a complaint using their online form. Probably won't matter to them, but it made me feel better.
When we were in Chicago at the gate, I asked the Lufthansa crew about pre-boarding with the on-board wheelchair. They weren't aware of the request, tho it had been confirmed at reservation, and confirmed again when we got our boarding passes. So she phoned for the little chair from hell. A fellow showed up with it, and then Lufthansa wouldn't let us pre-board. Seems the lady who phoned for the chair, and gave us the go-ahead wasn't "in charge". I truly think they were trying to let me know who the boss was, and it certainly wasn't this old American woman standing in front of them.
Finally, they let us through. It takes a good 5-10 minutes to get someone out of their wheelchair, and all strapped into the little one. So, two guys manuvered Eddie down the aisle, and figured out they were on the wrong aisle. They had to lug him all the way back up front to the galley, and come down the other aisle. By then, passengers were arriving in droves! All of us were being inconvenienced, and Eddie the star of the show. It burned me up! BUT the worse part was still to come. I was nearby, but didn't hear the ground crew fellow grumbling about how he was supposed to get off at 9:30 and they called him for this. He was obviously going to be late getting off work, etc. I say, if he'd been paying attention instead of grumbling, he would have gone down the correct aisle in the first place and be out of there. Eddie may be disabled, but he can hear just fine. How very insensitive! If I had heard it, there would have been a scene, not just an inconvenience.
So, firmly worded complaint to Lufthansa giving them all the information (and our return flight info too), and letting them know how very disappointed we are with Lufthansa and O'Hare. You can be certain that I will be right beside Eddie (or lugging that chair myself) on the way back...any comments, I'll hear about firsthand! I felt I let Edddie down, but he wasn't really upset about it.
Daylight Savings Time
We just discovered that tonight Germany sets their clocks back one hour for 'end of summer'. Many of you know how much I like to sleep, so ... lucky me, I get an extra hour's sleep tonight AND an extra hour when I return home (November this year in the U.S.).
Cologne and the Dom
We got out today, briefly. Eddie let me choose and I wanted to see the Dom Cathedral. I had emailed and they responded that there was no accessibility problem at the Dom, unfortunaely not so. The large open plaza to get to the Dom is surrounded by steps on the two sides we saw, but we got close anyway...and it is amazing.
This the second time I've had a smart-mouth taxi driver here. So much for the friendly people of Cologne, or possibly it's just the nature of taxi drivers everywhere... who knows? I didn't know exactly the location of the Dom from our hotel, but did know it was on the other side of the huge rail station, and thought it was a few miles. It's actually about 7 blks away, and one can cut through the rail station to get there (we figured that out on the way back!). I had the hotel phone for a taxi, and the driver acted like he didn't understand English, but Dom Cathedral is the same in either language. When we got loaded he turned to me (in the back seat) and shook his finger at me, telling me (in very good English) how he had waited for two hours (two hours he repeated) for a fare before getting our call...and it being such a short distance.
Eddie and I laughed about it later because I was wanting to learn the driver's true grasp of our language with some coarse Oklahoma terminology. Eddie and I came up with some colorful examples...of course we didn't actually do it.
I think the driver was messing with me (and the meter) by going in a large circle around the site before actually arriving there, but not really sure. I do know that when we arrived, and Eddie was comfortably seated in his wheelchair, I told the driver that I would be fair with him, but not because (wagging my finger at him now) of his scolding. He grinned rather sheepishly and took the 11 Euros I offered.
No good luck with our sightseeing expedition. There was physically no way to get the wheelchair safely up the 4-5 steps to the entrance, and within minutes of our arriving, it began to drizzle! I got him under the shelter of a nearby canopy, packed with other people getting out of the rain. I told him we were lucky it was nowhere near what we've had in Oklahoma the past few months with the huge downpours ... he had to agree with me. It can always be worse, right?
After a bit of back and forth discussion, should we wait, will it rain harder, etc. I left him for a few minutes to dash across the street to a souvenir stand and buy an umbrella, and warned him not to put my eye out with it, since the driver (that's me) is about eyeball/umbrella height! His jacket was damp and he was getting chilled. I saw a McDonalds (yep, German McD) about a block away and scouted out the terrain (curbs) to see if we could get there okay. Well, McD's entrance has a step, as do most buildings in the city, so that was a no-go. In one direction was the tunnel the taxi took to bring us there, but we couldn't tell if it had sidewalks or not. I'm always up for an adventure, but wasn't sure about Eddie. I don't mind getting wet but he was uncomfortable. So we chose a different route, keeping the (very tall, imposing) rail station in sight.
I was really angry with myself for not thinking about possible rain. Part of the "stuff" I'd packed included my very ugly yellow rain jacket, a new rain poncho for him, and a brand new, large umbrella...all back at the hotel. It's always that way when it rains though, isn't it?
We stopped into a smaller souvenier shop (no steps) along the way (out of the rain) and picked up a few things, then continued onward. That's when we discovered that the Dom is located just on the other side of the rail station and we could have walked, I suppose. Eddie hasn't been to the rail station since we arrived and was whisked through with the porter and luggage. So we meandered around the rail station mall looking at all the shops and food choices. He let me stop at a bookstore. We discovered they have an English section, so I have reading material for the trip home. Then I let him decide what we would eat. He chose baked chicken served with french fries (they seem to serve everything with french fries. I decided to try the curry wurst that I've seen everywhere here (with fries, no less). It's wurst (like a large hot dog weiner), cut in sections, covered with a sauce (sweetened ketchup, sort of) and sprinkled with curry powder. Hummm, I wasn't sure about that at first, but it wasn't too bad. I won't be craving that when I get home (like the pastries...LOL). Eddie said the chicken was very good.
I had my first experience with a pay toilet there. I followed the WC (water closet) sign...and came to a large group of people all paying to use the toilet! It costs 1 Euro (about $1.50). And, of course, me with no 1 Euro coin in my pocket. We needed water and soda, so I left him working on the chicken, and picked those up at a nearby store (like a mini supermarket)... requesting one Euro coins in change. The toilet is very different than anything I've seen before...there is no crawling under the door (like I remember as a very small child, when there were pay toilets on the Turnpike.... yep, I'm old!) I watched for a while to see how it worked. One troops down a flight of stairs to arrive at a turnstile, drop your coin into the slot, a light turns green and you push through. A few more feet, there is a hallway running left to right (no door, no wall between), women go left, men go right. There are individual restroom stalls (with doors) with a light above each. If the light is green, it's unoccupied. Do your business, wash your hands and off you go. So now I'm thinking that 2.50 Euro coffee (kaffe) actually cost me 3.50 Euros.... I'll have to remember that in the future.
So we got to see the Dom. Eddie was so tired when we got back, laughing because he said he didn't actually do anything to exert himself. I told him that me pushing him on those bumpy sidewalks, and hauling him backwards up all the curbs was probably stressful. Not really..but then he doesn't get stressed when someone else is "driving" like I do... Ms. control freak here. He decided early in the marriage that it was easier to let me drive the car than listen to me talk him through it....LOL.
This the second time I've had a smart-mouth taxi driver here. So much for the friendly people of Cologne, or possibly it's just the nature of taxi drivers everywhere... who knows? I didn't know exactly the location of the Dom from our hotel, but did know it was on the other side of the huge rail station, and thought it was a few miles. It's actually about 7 blks away, and one can cut through the rail station to get there (we figured that out on the way back!). I had the hotel phone for a taxi, and the driver acted like he didn't understand English, but Dom Cathedral is the same in either language. When we got loaded he turned to me (in the back seat) and shook his finger at me, telling me (in very good English) how he had waited for two hours (two hours he repeated) for a fare before getting our call...and it being such a short distance.
Eddie and I laughed about it later because I was wanting to learn the driver's true grasp of our language with some coarse Oklahoma terminology. Eddie and I came up with some colorful examples...of course we didn't actually do it.
I think the driver was messing with me (and the meter) by going in a large circle around the site before actually arriving there, but not really sure. I do know that when we arrived, and Eddie was comfortably seated in his wheelchair, I told the driver that I would be fair with him, but not because (wagging my finger at him now) of his scolding. He grinned rather sheepishly and took the 11 Euros I offered.
No good luck with our sightseeing expedition. There was physically no way to get the wheelchair safely up the 4-5 steps to the entrance, and within minutes of our arriving, it began to drizzle! I got him under the shelter of a nearby canopy, packed with other people getting out of the rain. I told him we were lucky it was nowhere near what we've had in Oklahoma the past few months with the huge downpours ... he had to agree with me. It can always be worse, right?
After a bit of back and forth discussion, should we wait, will it rain harder, etc. I left him for a few minutes to dash across the street to a souvenir stand and buy an umbrella, and warned him not to put my eye out with it, since the driver (that's me) is about eyeball/umbrella height! His jacket was damp and he was getting chilled. I saw a McDonalds (yep, German McD) about a block away and scouted out the terrain (curbs) to see if we could get there okay. Well, McD's entrance has a step, as do most buildings in the city, so that was a no-go. In one direction was the tunnel the taxi took to bring us there, but we couldn't tell if it had sidewalks or not. I'm always up for an adventure, but wasn't sure about Eddie. I don't mind getting wet but he was uncomfortable. So we chose a different route, keeping the (very tall, imposing) rail station in sight.
I was really angry with myself for not thinking about possible rain. Part of the "stuff" I'd packed included my very ugly yellow rain jacket, a new rain poncho for him, and a brand new, large umbrella...all back at the hotel. It's always that way when it rains though, isn't it?
We stopped into a smaller souvenier shop (no steps) along the way (out of the rain) and picked up a few things, then continued onward. That's when we discovered that the Dom is located just on the other side of the rail station and we could have walked, I suppose. Eddie hasn't been to the rail station since we arrived and was whisked through with the porter and luggage. So we meandered around the rail station mall looking at all the shops and food choices. He let me stop at a bookstore. We discovered they have an English section, so I have reading material for the trip home. Then I let him decide what we would eat. He chose baked chicken served with french fries (they seem to serve everything with french fries. I decided to try the curry wurst that I've seen everywhere here (with fries, no less). It's wurst (like a large hot dog weiner), cut in sections, covered with a sauce (sweetened ketchup, sort of) and sprinkled with curry powder. Hummm, I wasn't sure about that at first, but it wasn't too bad. I won't be craving that when I get home (like the pastries...LOL). Eddie said the chicken was very good.
I had my first experience with a pay toilet there. I followed the WC (water closet) sign...and came to a large group of people all paying to use the toilet! It costs 1 Euro (about $1.50). And, of course, me with no 1 Euro coin in my pocket. We needed water and soda, so I left him working on the chicken, and picked those up at a nearby store (like a mini supermarket)... requesting one Euro coins in change. The toilet is very different than anything I've seen before...there is no crawling under the door (like I remember as a very small child, when there were pay toilets on the Turnpike.... yep, I'm old!) I watched for a while to see how it worked. One troops down a flight of stairs to arrive at a turnstile, drop your coin into the slot, a light turns green and you push through. A few more feet, there is a hallway running left to right (no door, no wall between), women go left, men go right. There are individual restroom stalls (with doors) with a light above each. If the light is green, it's unoccupied. Do your business, wash your hands and off you go. So now I'm thinking that 2.50 Euro coffee (kaffe) actually cost me 3.50 Euros.... I'll have to remember that in the future.
So we got to see the Dom. Eddie was so tired when we got back, laughing because he said he didn't actually do anything to exert himself. I told him that me pushing him on those bumpy sidewalks, and hauling him backwards up all the curbs was probably stressful. Not really..but then he doesn't get stressed when someone else is "driving" like I do... Ms. control freak here. He decided early in the marriage that it was easier to let me drive the car than listen to me talk him through it....LOL.
Saturday morning Oct 24, 2009
Our son contacted us yesterday to make sure everything was okay, since I hadn't posted anything. It was just a lazy day hanging around the hotel since Eddie was supposed to rest for, at least, two days. So we huddled together around the laptop, last night, and watched two of the DVD movies I brought. He has complained for the past two days of joints aching. More than usual I asked, he's not sure. But Steve, who traveled here in Sept, also mentioned aching joint pain. We're treating it with Aleve, Ibuprophen, and Tylenol. That's about all I can do to help. He's used to physical therapy 3/week, and that may have a part in it... no PT here.
Eddie says he likes 'Mama Mia' better every time he sees it. It's really upbeat too, and great ABBA music. Pierce Bronson sings about as well as I do (badly). One of the things I've repeated over and over (so it's an old story for most) is that I enjoyed attending the deaf church, because I could sing enthusiastically and loudly and nobody minded how badly...LOL (that's Laughing Out Loud -- Eddie keeps forgetting the "shorthand"). FYI, deaf mostly "sign" the songs and it's amazing to watch. When they "applaud" they raise hands in the air and flutter them about...since they don't hear clapping of hands, of course ... everything is very visual for the deaf.
We are going to attempt to do some sightseeing today after he takes a short nap. If he becomes fatigued, we'll return to the hotel right away. He thinks it's a waste not to do/see something touristy on this trip. And I am going to taxi to a used (English) book store later, I've run out of reading material...and not much else to do here at the hotel (I only brought three movies!).
I'm just ready to go home. I'm already making a list of things I need to do when I get back...and it's a long one. I have repairs to schedule for two of the rental properties, plus guttering installed to one, and have a housing inspection coming up on another. I love renovating the properties, but not crazy about the landlord part of it. But they are an investment for the future, and so far, a good one. I also have duties that I put aside at the job, so need to hustle there. I like to say busy.
Very soon after returning, we will also be appealing the VA denial for disability benefits. There is only a one-year deadline after we receive the initial denial, and that was last November or December. Just FYI, the Secry of VA announced Sept 23, 2008 that ALS is a presumptive service-connected disability regardless of when/where service took place. There are a few other minor restrictions, but those are not a concern for Eddie's case. They denied him last year due to the change in diagnosis by one of the neurologists, from ALS to PLS (that's primary lateral schlerosis). Just for the record, there is no definitive test to positively identify and diagnose ALS (same with Parkinsons and some other disorders), the doctors just keep eliminating things until there is only one possibility remaining.
Many of you may not know that it took about 2 yrs of tests, four neurologists (one at the Mayo in Scottsdale), to come up with a diagnosis. Many times they just have to wait until the disorder progresses and presents more symptoms. (Very sad that Eddie was wishing early-on that it was a stoke. Can you imagine wishing for a stroke as the better outcome?)
Two neurologists noted it was an "undetermined" neurological disorder (that was early in the process), another gave a definitive diagnosis of ALS (2007) and the MDA changed their opinion to PLS last year (because it was not progessing as rapidly as ALS normally does). The MDA says that is all in the wording, and does not rule out ALS, only stating the present condition. Dr. B has agreed to write a letter to the VA on Eddie's behalf. Also, we will be seeing the local neurologist in mid-November, so we'll see what Dr. D says. If we get firm diagnosis of ALS from these last two, there is no way VA can deny Eddie's benefits. But I just can't miss the deadline for appeal.
VA offers disability compensation, but we are more interested in the other benefits available. Relief from property and sales tax, and the chance to apply for grants to renovate our home entrance and shower to make them handicapped accessible. There is also a grant available to convert (or buy) a vehicle to transport a wheelchair.. but we'll have to wait and see. We will ask for representation from the VFW this time, or an attorney who specializes in VA (if there is such a thing).
We have been encouraged by the MDA to apply for Medicare part B too. He has part A, and I thought that, along with my employer insurance was sufficient. But, apparently Medicare B pays for things that private insurance does not. For an addl $100 a month, I figure better safe than sorry. With the state of the economy and unemployment, I want to be certain that he has great medical coverage if I should ever lose my job and benefits. I can worry about me later.
I mentioned in an earlier post (at least I think I did) that Eddie's speech has declined a great deal. He is very difficult to understand now, especially on the phone. So, he went for evaluation by a Speech Pathologist at TU before we left. His Dynavox V was ordered and should arrive shortly after we get home. It's very, very cool! Eddie loved the one he tried out. It's about the size of an old Etch-a-Sketch (and very durable) and it runs on Windows O/S. It has an, easy to use, keyboard at the bottom (for fingertip use or a stylus). It also is pre-programmed with categories of "phrases" (greetings, food/drink, etc) that he can select from. Also it has predictive spelling, so when he starts typing it predicts the next word(s) so he doesn't have to type every letter in. Then the unit speaks, the selected phrase or sentence, out loud. He can also add to the programmed phrases (and that will be fun/interesting to see what he selects...I'm going to suggest "you did good, Patti"...LOL). Most likely he'll program some political points of view..but that's a whole different story, and up for debate...just not by me!
The thing I like the most about this unit (he tried out several) was it has a selection for "formal" or "casual" language. Guess which one he liked?! So it will say, Hi, instead of Hello. How's it going? and things like that. Plus a few mild cuss words. I'm afraid he'll wear those buttons out.
Since it is a medical device, (mostly paid for by Medicare part A, and our own money, not private insurance) it cannot arrive with computer capibilities. Purely medical purposes only, i.e. speech. BUT, we can pay an additional $200 (I think that was the amount) and have it adapted for WiFi, after we receive it, of course. That will be a great convenience to Eddie, since Son already set up a wireless router at the house (thank you Mike, that college education is paying itself back).
We also heard from the durable med equipment place (unfortunately, the day before we left) so they will deliver Eddie's cough assist machine, and BiPap in early November.
See what I mean about a long list of things?
So I'll end with more info than you ever want to know about ALS. My wish is that anybody reading will ONLY ever read about it, and never experience the heartache of it personally.
I took this from one of the resources listed on Steve (and Fran's) blog called
MSAJourney.blogspot.com
Steve has MSA, not ALS but they appear to be similar in many aspects. He has loads of resources listed there, so feel free to view their blog as well. Steve and Fran traveled to the same XCell clinic in Sept 2009.
What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away, and twitch. Eventually the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost. Individuals with ALS lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, individuals lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. The disease does not affect a person's ability to see, smell, taste, hear, or recognize touch, and it does not usually impair a person’s thinking or other cognitive abilities. However, several recent studies suggest that a small percentage of patients may experience problems with memory or decision-making, and there is growing evidence that some may even develop a form of dementia. The cause of ALS is not known, and scientists do not yet know why ALS strikes some people and not others.
I'll close now and get him ready for traveling. The weather is nice crisp Fall weather, similar to Oklahoma right now... the leaves are just beginning to change since we've been here. So it is pleasant.
Love to all!
Eddie says he likes 'Mama Mia' better every time he sees it. It's really upbeat too, and great ABBA music. Pierce Bronson sings about as well as I do (badly). One of the things I've repeated over and over (so it's an old story for most) is that I enjoyed attending the deaf church, because I could sing enthusiastically and loudly and nobody minded how badly...LOL (that's Laughing Out Loud -- Eddie keeps forgetting the "shorthand"). FYI, deaf mostly "sign" the songs and it's amazing to watch. When they "applaud" they raise hands in the air and flutter them about...since they don't hear clapping of hands, of course ... everything is very visual for the deaf.
We are going to attempt to do some sightseeing today after he takes a short nap. If he becomes fatigued, we'll return to the hotel right away. He thinks it's a waste not to do/see something touristy on this trip. And I am going to taxi to a used (English) book store later, I've run out of reading material...and not much else to do here at the hotel (I only brought three movies!).
I'm just ready to go home. I'm already making a list of things I need to do when I get back...and it's a long one. I have repairs to schedule for two of the rental properties, plus guttering installed to one, and have a housing inspection coming up on another. I love renovating the properties, but not crazy about the landlord part of it. But they are an investment for the future, and so far, a good one. I also have duties that I put aside at the job, so need to hustle there. I like to say busy.
Very soon after returning, we will also be appealing the VA denial for disability benefits. There is only a one-year deadline after we receive the initial denial, and that was last November or December. Just FYI, the Secry of VA announced Sept 23, 2008 that ALS is a presumptive service-connected disability regardless of when/where service took place. There are a few other minor restrictions, but those are not a concern for Eddie's case. They denied him last year due to the change in diagnosis by one of the neurologists, from ALS to PLS (that's primary lateral schlerosis). Just for the record, there is no definitive test to positively identify and diagnose ALS (same with Parkinsons and some other disorders), the doctors just keep eliminating things until there is only one possibility remaining.
Many of you may not know that it took about 2 yrs of tests, four neurologists (one at the Mayo in Scottsdale), to come up with a diagnosis. Many times they just have to wait until the disorder progresses and presents more symptoms. (Very sad that Eddie was wishing early-on that it was a stoke. Can you imagine wishing for a stroke as the better outcome?)
Two neurologists noted it was an "undetermined" neurological disorder (that was early in the process), another gave a definitive diagnosis of ALS (2007) and the MDA changed their opinion to PLS last year (because it was not progessing as rapidly as ALS normally does). The MDA says that is all in the wording, and does not rule out ALS, only stating the present condition. Dr. B has agreed to write a letter to the VA on Eddie's behalf. Also, we will be seeing the local neurologist in mid-November, so we'll see what Dr. D says. If we get firm diagnosis of ALS from these last two, there is no way VA can deny Eddie's benefits. But I just can't miss the deadline for appeal.
VA offers disability compensation, but we are more interested in the other benefits available. Relief from property and sales tax, and the chance to apply for grants to renovate our home entrance and shower to make them handicapped accessible. There is also a grant available to convert (or buy) a vehicle to transport a wheelchair.. but we'll have to wait and see. We will ask for representation from the VFW this time, or an attorney who specializes in VA (if there is such a thing).
We have been encouraged by the MDA to apply for Medicare part B too. He has part A, and I thought that, along with my employer insurance was sufficient. But, apparently Medicare B pays for things that private insurance does not. For an addl $100 a month, I figure better safe than sorry. With the state of the economy and unemployment, I want to be certain that he has great medical coverage if I should ever lose my job and benefits. I can worry about me later.
I mentioned in an earlier post (at least I think I did) that Eddie's speech has declined a great deal. He is very difficult to understand now, especially on the phone. So, he went for evaluation by a Speech Pathologist at TU before we left. His Dynavox V was ordered and should arrive shortly after we get home. It's very, very cool! Eddie loved the one he tried out. It's about the size of an old Etch-a-Sketch (and very durable) and it runs on Windows O/S. It has an, easy to use, keyboard at the bottom (for fingertip use or a stylus). It also is pre-programmed with categories of "phrases" (greetings, food/drink, etc) that he can select from. Also it has predictive spelling, so when he starts typing it predicts the next word(s) so he doesn't have to type every letter in. Then the unit speaks, the selected phrase or sentence, out loud. He can also add to the programmed phrases (and that will be fun/interesting to see what he selects...I'm going to suggest "you did good, Patti"...LOL). Most likely he'll program some political points of view..but that's a whole different story, and up for debate...just not by me!
The thing I like the most about this unit (he tried out several) was it has a selection for "formal" or "casual" language. Guess which one he liked?! So it will say, Hi, instead of Hello. How's it going? and things like that. Plus a few mild cuss words. I'm afraid he'll wear those buttons out.
Since it is a medical device, (mostly paid for by Medicare part A, and our own money, not private insurance) it cannot arrive with computer capibilities. Purely medical purposes only, i.e. speech. BUT, we can pay an additional $200 (I think that was the amount) and have it adapted for WiFi, after we receive it, of course. That will be a great convenience to Eddie, since Son already set up a wireless router at the house (thank you Mike, that college education is paying itself back).
We also heard from the durable med equipment place (unfortunately, the day before we left) so they will deliver Eddie's cough assist machine, and BiPap in early November.
See what I mean about a long list of things?
So I'll end with more info than you ever want to know about ALS. My wish is that anybody reading will ONLY ever read about it, and never experience the heartache of it personally.
I took this from one of the resources listed on Steve (and Fran's) blog called
MSAJourney.blogspot.com
Steve has MSA, not ALS but they appear to be similar in many aspects. He has loads of resources listed there, so feel free to view their blog as well. Steve and Fran traveled to the same XCell clinic in Sept 2009.
What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, ceasing to send messages to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken, waste away, and twitch. Eventually the ability of the brain to start and control voluntary movement is lost. Individuals with ALS lose their strength and the ability to move their arms, legs, and body. When muscles in the diaphragm and chest wall fail, individuals lose the ability to breathe without ventilatory support. The disease does not affect a person's ability to see, smell, taste, hear, or recognize touch, and it does not usually impair a person’s thinking or other cognitive abilities. However, several recent studies suggest that a small percentage of patients may experience problems with memory or decision-making, and there is growing evidence that some may even develop a form of dementia. The cause of ALS is not known, and scientists do not yet know why ALS strikes some people and not others.
I'll close now and get him ready for traveling. The weather is nice crisp Fall weather, similar to Oklahoma right now... the leaves are just beginning to change since we've been here. So it is pleasant.
Love to all!
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