Maybe it’s permanent. Grounding that is.

Baby steps forward is better than one step forward and two steps back.
Stay positive!


Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk
 
Nothing exciting to report. Blood work indicates methotrexate isn’t killing me (yet? Ha!) and other than feeling like crud for an hour or so, nothing on note other than...

Mixing second day, second shot Moderna vaccine side effects with same day methotrexate — not a recommended way to have a happy Friday night.

But I knew they were hitting the same day so... whatever.

Pretty much a guaranteed way to feel like crap.

After finally falling asleep around 4, woke up at 10 feeling fine. Went and had a bison burger for lunch.

Also less important but mildly interesting, the osteoporosis drug you aren’t supposed to have with food or lie down for an hour afterward, I assume because it supposedly triggers bad stomach acid in some folks... nothing. Barely a burp.

In all, reading about how intolerant of both drugs many are, both have been a non-event other than having to go get poked for weekly blood tests.

There’s some stories about that but I won’t embarrass my wife’s company too much. First time I’ve had a blood draw in a nurse’s break room at a hospital. And we’ll leave it at that. Ha. New building. They’re still sorting some stuff out. Ha. You probably also want functional chairs in your waiting area instead of modern furniture without backs... you know, for the guy with the broken back to sit in. Ha. Details. *Looks* nice. LOL. It’s not a day spa, folks. Ha.

Haven’t heard back from the GP on the updates or Mayo’s desire to stop the night O2 but I haven’t been using it forever. Just want to get their machine back and get it off the official record.

Judging by his schedule online I would make a guess he took off on a (deserved) vacation somewhere. I haven’t bothered his staff — will just book an appt in late May. That or he’s completely hammered, either way, no rush.
 
Looked further into his calendar. Dude definitely isn’t on vacation. Ha. Hammered. He had a cancellation tomorrow afternoon so... get Er done...
 
Just some “fun” in the continuing saga posted mostly for posterity...

Woke up today with super sharp pain the shoulder and my brain says...

“You broke a vertebrae and didn’t know it. That shoulder hasn’t been great for a while. Think maybe you broke that too?”

Of course that arm and hand waffle from fine to ouch fairly regularly with the neuro stuff — AND of course I’m not taking any pain meds and haven’t for a while, and can’t anyway... helping actors in this little ditty.

So the household nurse and I talk for a while and she says with my history and such, I better just go have it Xrayed.

Through vagaries of our medical insurance being thru a medical company, they prefer we go to their facilities anyway — and perhaps somewhat perversely incentivize us to do so, it’s ridiculously cheap to us...

So off to the ER I went. Hi Doc. My shoulder is killin me, I know I have a boatload of neuro issues on and off, and I also know they found a busted bone from mass prednisone recently — so I’m probably now stupidly paranoid but do ya wanna take a pic just in case?

He did.

Answer: There could be something wrong in there we can’t see with an X-ray but looks like “normal degeneration” to us.

It’s a good and bad news thing. I’m happy it isn’t a new symptom of the bigger problem. I laugh that I’m just falling apart at the standard rate for age and abusing my shoulders for a lifetime. Haha.

Anyway there’s the update. Shoulder feels better after a nap. Shoulda just done the Sunday nap first I guess. Ha.

Well at least I got to see the rest of the newly renovated ER the wifey’s company owns.

They even give you a specific button to push now if you need to use the toilet. Ha. Faaaaaancy.

Today I also learned there are positions of an electric reclining bed that don’t feel good on a cracked vertebrae. Important life lessons. Ha. I didn’t push the fancy pain button though, I just stood up. Ha.

If I didn’t have the busted back history so recently or a restriction on even taking an ibuprofen there’s no way I ever would have gone.

But better knowing it’s just a worn out shoulder than something worse with my tendency toward everything being worse lately! LOL.

Definitely felt “off” going. I at least wore my Star Trek Red Shirt that says “Red Shirt: I might not make it.” and three ER staff remarked that they liked it.

Medical people are all secret nerds. Haha.

Funniest thing was discharge. Normally the poor discharge nurse goes over instructions and such. There were none.

Or as the Doc said, “Yeah it looks a little messed up in there but it isn’t broken. Well, have a nice day!”

I suppose they could have said to ice it. Ha.

I’m just fascinated by the topic buttons on the call gadget. Does the software display a little toilet next to your room number if you push it? Ha. No, I didn’t ask.

7da9e95a80f5be99f1afd0e710cdcc1e.jpg
 
Interesting device to keep you company.

Next time, bring some round stickers to add functions like,
  • Feed me
  • Foot massage
  • Take over the world
 
I have a tshirt with “I flunked Torquemada U”.

Was going to give it to my physical therapist but covid hit and she left the practice and I haven’t been able to track her down.
 
Nothing exciting to update. Just saw the attached photo I took after a flight six years ago today and thought I’d update anyway.

The lab results say the methotrexate isn’t killing me, the hospital reception lady now knows me by first name and that I’m there for labs, the video follow up with Mayo last week was pretty much this...

I don’t feel like the methotrexate is super effective — not seeing the gains seen early on in the heavy prednisone dose levels.

Doc says we have to wait a couple of months.

So... there’s that. I think I preferred being much more aggressive but clearly it was bad for me, so... whatever. Everybody is super paranoid now after the fracture.

Frankly I’m like... ahh, break a couple more bones if it gets the crap out of the spinal cord, Doc.

But it’s probably best they’re not taking that path. Hahahaha.

Back seems to be healing up. Still can’t find a great sleeping position but the only day the back hurts is the day after the methotrexate. That stuff is obviously fairly nasty.

Doc said some of the hand pain may be small fiber neuropathy which is a common side manifestation in sarcoidosis. Didn’t recommend any tests for it though. Holler if it gets worse...

7ee442572f0fb7daf1c922ecaf15e10c.jpg
 
Well, sounds like one foot after the other.. two steps forward, less than one back. Ramping progress rather than spiking progress... Probably better in the long run...

Keep goin'.
 
denverpilot said:
Nothing exciting to update. Just saw the attached photo I took after a flight six years ago today and thought I’d update anyway.

The lab results say the methotrexate isn’t killing me, the hospital reception lady now knows me by first name and that I’m there for labs, the video follow up with Mayo last week was pretty much this...

I don’t feel like the methotrexate is super effective — not seeing the gains seen early on in the heavy prednisone dose levels.

Doc says we have to wait a couple of months.

So... there’s that. I think I preferred being much more aggressive but clearly it was bad for me, so... whatever. Everybody is super paranoid now after the fracture.

Frankly I’m like... ahh, break a couple more bones if it gets the crap out of the spinal cord, Doc.

But it’s probably best they’re not taking that path. Hahahaha.

Back seems to be healing up. Still can’t find a great sleeping position but the only day the back hurts is the day after the methotrexate. That stuff is obviously fairly nasty.

Doc said some of the hand pain may be small fiber neuropathy which is a common side manifestation in sarcoidosis. Didn’t recommend any tests for it though. Holler if it gets worse...

7ee442572f0fb7daf1c922ecaf15e10c.jpg
Click to expand...


Well......... the hand pain certainly isn't affecting your typing ability, lol. Glad you are feeling kind of better.
 
PaulS said:
Well......... the hand pain certainly isn't affecting your typing ability, lol. Glad you are feeling kind of better.
Click to expand...

Actually posts here are almost exclusively left handed from the phone.

I haven’t been able to touch type for well over a year. Kinda a bummer for an IT guy.

The first thing I had to do was figure out mouse stuff. Mousing right handed sucks. I can do it but it’s a distraction. Trackpads it depends on the trackpad. If it has a rough surface it feels like crap.

Realized that I always loved the Trackpoint on one employer’s Thinkpad fleet and bought a USB external Thinkpad keyboard long long ago. Left handed “nipple mousing” is great. LOL.

The right hand joins as needed when typing but it’s mostly with index and middle finger. Brain still knows how to touch type but doesn’t want light pressure on anything on right band. Ring finger and pinky don’t move normally.
 
Nate: Take a look at the Bigtrac trackball at Ablenet....It has some unique features that might be of help, especially the ability to grab an object, lock it to the ball and then move it and unlock, all without maintaining a button push.
 
denverpilot said:
Actually posts here are almost exclusively left handed from the phone.

I haven’t been able to touch type for well over a year. Kinda a bummer for an IT guy.

The first thing I had to do was figure out mouse stuff. Mousing right handed sucks. I can do it but it’s a distraction. Trackpads it depends on the trackpad. If it has a rough surface it feels like crap.

Realized that I always loved the Trackpoint on one employer’s Thinkpad fleet and bought a USB external Thinkpad keyboard long long ago. Left handed “nipple mousing” is great. LOL.

The right hand joins as needed when typing but it’s mostly with index and middle finger. Brain still knows how to touch type but doesn’t want light pressure on anything on right band. Ring finger and pinky don’t move normally.
Click to expand...

Figures, I try to be funny and you really can't use the hand. That sucks. You certainly compensate for it well, hopefully it will come back to usefulness for you.
 
Craig said:
Nate: Take a look at the Bigtrac trackball at Ablenet....It has some unique features that might be of help, especially the ability to grab an object, lock it to the ball and then move it and unlock, all without maintaining a button push.
Click to expand...

Ah yeah. No biggie. It’s not that bad. Ha. I can drag and drop fine with either hand. Just can’t touch type with the right one.

Might be something therapy would help, finding a neuro hand therapist while in the middle of a security audit and a phone system cut over is a whole different story. Ha.
 
denverpilot said:
Ah yeah. No biggie. It’s not that bad. Ha. I can drag and drop fine with either hand. Just can’t touch type with the right one.

Might be something therapy would help, finding a neuro hand therapist while in the middle of a security audit and a phone system cut over is a whole different story. Ha.
Click to expand...

Or typing might be the therapy...
 
Also, consider text to speech tools. I have setup and used Dragon Naturally Speaking for many people. Not sure they are the best anymore, but it works well.

Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk
 
tspear said:
Also, consider text to speech tools. I have setup and used Dragon Naturally Speaking for many people. Not sure they are the best anymore, but it works well.

Tim

Sent from my HD1907 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yeah it’s definitely not that bad. Lol.

Maybe if I had to write War and Peace a few times.
 
denverpilot said:
Funny funny dude but followed the pattern of drug abuse so many comedians seem to... love listening to his stuff though!
Click to expand...
I had no idea who he was back in ~2002 when a friend asked if I wanted to go see a comedian. This was in a college town, so you just assume that "comedian" == "hack making the dorm lunchroom circuit." It turned out to be front-row seats for Mitch at the height of his talent. And yes, he was a testament to the value of keeping a sense of humor longer than a drug habit.
 
denverpilot said:
Might be something therapy would help, finding a neuro hand therapist while in the middle of a security audit and a phone system cut over is a whole different story. Ha.
Click to expand...

Some folks noted I haven't been around here much and I figured I shld say hi.

Found the above post which I can add to... Which can passively aggressively explain why.

That same security audit and phone cut over still aren't done yet and the audit is now Nov 13 week and maybe, only if the department truly finds a way to get their poo in a pile... will the phone cut be... Thanksgiving week.

Yup. Two of the six companies decided to go into hyper growth in the same year without any standard process or procedure, including buying a smaller company with zero plan to integrate a single IT system a few months before Covid last year. Guess who's email just got moved two weekends ago.

I figure the rest of the IT systems will be fully integrated sometime after the next pandemic.

Supposedly I'm supposed to be finding local Docs to take over long term treatment. The GP sold his practice to Univ of Colo and retired, so I finally found a GP who's actually got ONE other sarc patient (pure luck via a referral) and will be talking to National Jewish's new Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence (good timing on them building that team, eh?) about taking over for Mayo.

Guess what also hasn't been happening while working 50+ hour weeks every week in a hideously understaffed IT department? Ha. Doctor shopping and hours of insurance bickering.

The good news is I still work from home. The bad news is, I work from home. Haha. Blessing and curse.

Have a freaking real vacation scheduled in the middle of all of this. Been on the books for close to two years now so as the rudderless ship pushed these projects further and further out, I made it clear I would NOT move it.

Scuttlebutt is they torched our profit margin growing this way (been there done that... gambling)...

... and announced yesterday our already mediocre benefits package went to the worst I've ever seen at a tech company.

Thankfully once again, the decision to work part time and do all that flying a few years ago that necessitated me switching to my wife's insurance, pays off again.

But you can imagine the motivation levels dropping into the toilet of everyone else on all teams around me.

Waiting to see how bad the bloodbath becomes.

Sadly they have good products, they just refuse to charge enough for them. IMHO.

Dunno. They don't ask me. All I know is they added a whole lot of staff, another timezone, opened on weekends, and didn't add any IT staff.

Lowering bennies during that? Well I've seen that movie before. Staff start giving exactly 40 a week and walking out on time. Whatever fails, or whoever needs help, doesn't find any.

We are supposedly hiring. Ha. Interviews are a whole different complete waste of time. LOL.

They'd where I've been. Wouldn't have been ae to fly anyway...

Been playing with the tractor. Ordered 14 semi loads of recycled concrete for the driveway. Should start arriving any day now. Ha.ohjt have over ordered. Working with a local trucking company who says they will stop showing up with trucks when I say stop.
 
Nate: Good to see you back on here again and glad you’re on the green side of the grass. Sounds like you need that vacation and absolutely don’t give in and let them force you to reschedule.
 
Been there done that on both the growth side as the exec, and as the peon stuck doing the work.
Not sure which is worse; but in any case, glad to see you still planning and doing projects.

Tim
 
tspear said:
Been there done that on both the growth side as the exec, and as the peon stuck doing the work.
Not sure which is worse; but in any case, glad to see you still planning and doing projects.

Tim
Click to expand...
Yeah. Same.

I've survived 3 of them. One destroyed the company, two were wins for the owners and destroyed the culture for everybody else, because they used the growth to make the places look delicious to new owners. So all three essentially failed the staff.

To be clear, they never asked me to move the vacation. Was just saying I won't, whether they want me to or not. Ha.

Sure is interesting that we were slow enough a few years ago to let me be a part timer doing the CFI stuff. Ha. Now we're bouncing everyone off of the rev limiter and expecting the engine not to grenade.

We signed some pretty big names. Will see if we can retain them all. Like all big to little company relationships, they expect we do things that we have never had staff for.

Change is inevitable. I always remind myself I said this gig was a 3 year thing when I started... Ha. 7 now... But we did get those initial things done in those first 3 years.

Have been talking to one of my mentors joking with him in retirement that it's fun to hear myself saying things he said 25 years ago, in meetings today. He joked he's available for consulting...

"They can't afford you. That's why I'm doing it!"
 
Good update, Nate.

And remember that it gets worse when they get sold and the new owners brin in "big consulting" to tell 'em how to fix it.
 
Nate, my brother from my never want to be known mother:

I had a great aviation day today, I hope the same for you soon. Truly. If I can facilitate it, so much the better.
 
Half Fast said:
Any new news to start the new year, Nate?
Click to expand...
Nothing really new. Just kinda chilling out until Marchish to see if I can do BasicMed. I figure the more screwing around at a Doc I do, the more likely they'll prescribe or do something silly.

Neuro symptoms are roughly the same. Right hand isn't great at either super fine things (numbness) or grabbing and yanking hard on things (atrophy) but is useable for normal stuff. Lately mostly it grabs coffee cups. Ha. I force myself to do stuff with it until it becomes annoying then switch to the left hand. Ha. Stuff like taking the nuts and lock washers off of the bolts on the tractor for things ... I'll do a few with the right hand until I drop one or the slowness pizzes me off then I'll switch. Ha.

Feet are still numbish but walking is fine. Won't be running any marathons or ice skating, but it's all just kinda ... "Fine" mixed with "meh". First snow had me choosing where to step carefully on icy patches but no big deal. Still glad I dumped the Yukon. Slick running boards on Karen's truck still aren't a good idea.

I seem to tolerate the methotrexate okay. Half a day of super mild nausea and a bit sleepy. I take it Friday midday as work dies down so it's over with by Saturday most weeks.

Work is beyond out of control with growth planned poorly and a tiny IT dept. I probably have enough projects to keep me busy into 2024, for whatever that's worth. They pay me, I roll my eyes at the state of the tech industry and save for retirement. Ha. Preferably an early one, although I'd find something else to do like dad did. Heh.

I got the tractor switched over to the snowblower and we finally got a tiny little snow so I pretended it was enough for it and kinda tore up the new crushed concrete a little bit. Ha. Thinking I might make a 2" PVC pipe to attach to the blade so it'll glide over the gravel. The shoes just dig a couple of ruts. It'll be great for the big dumps though.

Tempted to grab a rear angle blade and a hydraulic angle kit since I have the rear remotes instead of the box blade. Just scrape when it's light until we get a hard freeze that solidifies the road base. Anyway I have little ruts all over now and dug a little of the concrete up in two spots and threw it with the blower ha. It didn't care.

Airplane and co-owner are doing well. Had a very nitpicky annual this year but that's fine. Fixed a lot of little things. He's been flying her regularly.

Started working on giving away ham radio stuff related to the tower I wouldn't be climbing. Tower is gone, bunch of antennas still here. Plans to install some verticals in nicer weather. Realized a "sub-soiler" on the tractor set shallow would make a great way to lay tons of ground radials.

Beta test of the Starlink dish went great. Way better than the fixed microwave but I still have that as backup. Some psycho has decided to try to start a fiber optic ISP out here and is trenching in the fiber now, but I'm sure his business model relies on grants. So we'll see if he gets enough subscribers and how much he over-subscribes the system. He's claiming gigabit for roughly $100/mo plus $1000 install.

Nothing else too exciting. Karen's chorus is kinda back to singing. 1/3 of their original size.

Saw some dude doing about 50-60 mph across his lawn on a snowmobile today just screwing around, while the road had fully melted, so winter is kinda here. Ha. Took an old Simpson 260 VOM to a ham friend to play with since there's plenty of VOMs around here... Told him seriously to keep it, still have so much crap from dad and my collection that giving away even a "collectible" to someone I've known for decades just so it'll get used and enjoyed is totally fine. He texted after I dropped it off today that all functions seem to be working well on it.

The '17 Subaru sprung a CVT leak on the supposedly "sealed" CVT. I knew that thing was going to be a problem. New transmission under the warranty extension for drivetrain that Subaru has done on everything since the first CVTs in 2012. Clearly they have no idea how to build them yet, but they know the warranty extension will make it all look better. And they aren't as bad as Nissan. I joke there's a reason their new "Wilderness" edition is loaded with tow hooks. It's going to need them. Ha. Definitely not the Subaru of old that built our '00! Oh well.

Someone asked on an IT group I'm in how us old guys stay interested and motivated. Top answer was "memes". Hahaha.
32a2059275ba8ffa7ef44aede2009eb3.jpg
 
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