My Return To Storytelling: The Hand

Surprise surprise, it has been a while since last we spoke and I'm not exactly shocked to read the last time I posted was back in September and it is now late December.

The sad part is that I have had an interesting set of experiences since then. The good news for those of you reading is that now you get to hear about them. And again, the bad news is that I will only be able to talk about one event during this post. I originally planned to only skim over this topic but as you can see I went to into more detail than expected.

So to start my timeline I will begin with an interesting story. At the same time as my last two posts (my birthday and dog passing away) I had something else happen but felt it was trumped by the other posts.

At that time I was really getting into the habit of riding my bicycle around the neighborhood. Since I was doing it two to three times a week I felt confident and was going a bit faster than I should have been. One day after a short rainy spell I decided to go biking. On the final straightaway for the ride there were a lot of bushes and branches over the path that were being weighed down by water. To avoid them I decided to duck down and ride under them. By doing this I lost balance and ran into a chain-linked fence effectively dislocating my right pinky at the knuckle.

This might sound like it was a bad situation but it could have been worse. I was spared serious injury because of two things. One, because it was the end of the ride my body was effectively warmed up and loose. I was able to pull my finger back into place easily. It actually popped out twice since I wasn't sure at the time that it had in fact popped out of the socket. The second time, however, I figured it wasn't normal to make a fist with the pinky being out of line with the rest of the fingers. The second thing that saved me is a bit of an unsafe statement. My handlebars were loose and were pushed to an awkward angle as I hit the fence. So it looks like my finger was spared to a degree. If the handlebars had been tightly secured I could have easily had something worse happen like losing my finger entirely.

I made it home without anything else happening but I made a mistake by not securing my finger into place. After taking a shower I felt a very distinct pop in my hand and I knew instantly that it wasn't a good thing. I got dressed and approached my family for advice. They were not sure what to think and asked if I could try and pull my finger back into place. I tried a few times but my body had cooled down and it was beginning to be painful. It came as a surprise to me to see my mother, who at one point was a nurse, become a bit uneasy with the situation. Everyone decided that I should probably go to the ER and have a professional put it back in place.

All the while I had been texting two friends in the medical field asking them their opinion. At first they thought it funny. Once they realized I was telling the truth they told me I should avoid wasting time and money by going to the ER and just have someone at home pull my finger. Yeah, funny statement but it worked.

As I stood in my living room with my mother and sister watching anxiously I had my father brace my wrist and pull my pinky. It all happened within two seconds but it stays sharp in my mind. One moment I feel a quick sharp pain in my pinky knuckle and the next moment I feel a distinct pop again. This time I know it's a good pop and I scream out, "That's it!". My mother gets a bandage and we quickly wrap my hand up so the pinky doesn't have a chance to dislocate again.

In the end I was fortunate that there wasn't any significant damage to any tendons and that I didn't break any bones. The first month my hand felt really uncomfortable and I wrapped it up to limit the motion. After a few weeks I tried go without any support but I still felt a bit of pain. I should have kept the support but by that time my pinky had gone completely stiff and it was difficult to bend on its own. So in my mind I wanted to start the rehabilitation process.

My hand is not at 100% even now but I have full range of motion in my pinky. If I try to make a tight fist I feel weakness in the knuckle and there is still a bit of pain. I foolishly tried exercising on a punching bag to test my hand and I could feel any progress in the healing process step back at least two weeks. I think it's just a matter of time and smart exercise to regain the strength in my hand.

One of the things I learned from this experience is to appreciate a healthy body free of injuries. Try to be smart when doing anything active. I also learned that using one hand instead of two is difficult for even the simplest of day to day things.

Why Not?

I figured there aren't many days when you can really enjoy celebrating much in your own honor so I wanted to say this:  
Happy Birthday to me!
Yeah, I said it. Why not? I plan on making this an interesting year once again. Now all I have to do is figure out how. Have a good day everyone.

A Sad Day For The Family

There have been few times within this blog's history that I have posted something within a quick time frame of an event happening. Today I felt compelled to post a topic that is very dear to my heart and to my family's as well.

On September 6, 2011 my family made the difficult decision to put our beloved dog Gordo to sleep. He was a loyal pet for over 14 years and will be greatly missed.

I don't think there is anything else I need to say.

How Did I Get Here?

To continue my story I will tell you about what happened next.

   I took medication the entire time I was on the Diamond. I reacted well to the treatment and near the end of the contract my kidneys were found to be healthy. Due to the type of medication I was taking (Prednisone; a type of steroid for those of you wondering) I could not simply stop taking it. The dose would be lowered gradually over time and it was expected for me to stop taking it within a matter of months. By the time I was supposed to finish with the medicine I would be on the Caribbean Princess.

    The day came and went and I was happy to say the least. It was a good time aboard that Caribbean Princess and I was glad to have one less thing to worry about. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. A week later I noticed there was a lot of bubbles in my urine again. It had been a long time since I had seen it like that. At first I played it off to not drinking enough water but it happened again the next few times I went to the bathroom. I finally went to the doctor and they confirmed my fears. The symptoms were not as severe as before but my problem was coming back. We caught it early so I was put on small dose of Prednisone and things seemed ok. By the time I went home my dose of medicine was almost done and I was scheduled to go see my doctor again.

   Around this time I was also up for a renewal of my medical certificate for working at sea. The certificate basically states that I am healthy and physically able to work on a ship. I knew that this was probably an issue and talked with the company. They told me to see my doctor first and then have him report back to them.

   When I spoke to my doctor he told me that my problem had in fact returned and that I would need to take a larger dose of medicine again for a few more months. Then, another blood test would determine if my kidneys were healthy again. If so, I would taper off the medication like before and eventually finish over time. I asked the doctor if I was cleared for work and he said that I should be as long as I took my medication.

   When I emailed the company about the situation they replied with a phone number to call. When I dialed the number I was connected to a person in the medical department. They proceeded to tell me in a polite manner that my medical certificate would not be renewed as long as I was taking medication. I was told that if I wanted to return to a ship that I needed to be done with my medication and show no signs of my condition returning. Considering I was supposed to take my medicine for another two months with a possible two to three months of tapering, at the very least, it would be about four to six months before I would be able to return. This was one of those times where things just didn’t seem real. I thanked them for their time and the phone call was over.

   This was at the end of May. I am still in good standings with the cruise company but technically speaking I am “unfit for sea”. It’s sort of like a leave of absence in a way. I have no negative feelings towards the people I talked to and was actually treated very well by the staff at corporate. It was just a situation out of my control. I honestly enjoyed my time working on cruise ships and would consider going back if I could but life has pushed me away and I’m thinking it’s for a reason.

   

   Since then I have been doing a bit freelance photography work. I don’t have a lot of gear but I’ve been making things work. I’ve been trying to find a steady gig but I was in denial about not having a job. Now I’m trying to be more proactive. I’ve been slowly updating my portfolio and trying to figure things out. It’s not going to be easy but I think it’s just a matter of time and effort before I bounce back.

   As for my health, my kidneys are officially healthy again and I am now tapering off medication. I am in the process of running again and also trying to eat better overall.

   I know this was a lot to read but if you made it all the way you now know me a little better. I’d like to mention that I’m still positive about things and that I look forward to what is ahead for me. I’d also like to say that my family and friends were a big part of my getting through all of this and even though I didn’t mention much of that they should know I appreciate them being there for me.

   And that I will end this post regarding the subject. Take Care

My Health: Kidneys

   What a lot of people don’t know and what a few aren’t fully informed about is the situation with my health. What I am referring to is my kidneys. Since November of 2009 I have been dealing with a relatively minor problem with my kidneys. Granted any problems with major organs should not be considered “minor” but seeing as things could be worse, I like to put things in perspective.

There are a few ways I can tell you what is going on but I decided to put it in story form. Not only do I let you know what is going on with my health but I can also describe what I went through while I was figuring it out. It will also help me inform you on what is going on right now with my life. So here goes.

   It all started while I was on my second cruise ship (the Island Princess) when I noticed I had swollen ankles. They had slowly grown over a few days but it had come to the point where putting on my shoes was painful. I went to the ship doctor and they did some blood work to figure things out. The results showed that my body chemistry was off. The protein levels in my blood were out of whack and not only had my kidneys been affected but my liver as well. At the time I was living a life where drinking at night was a common thing and people knew I liked to have a good time. I have to admit here that although I drank on a regular basis, it was not nearly as much as others were doing. Let’s just say I was a regular at the crew bar.

   The doctor on board assumed that this was the cause of my problem and cut me off from alcohol (to help my liver) and meat to help stabilize the balance of protein in my blood. For a while things got better and my liver recovered. Unfortunately, the problem with my kidneys was at a plateau. Protein was still consistently leaking through my urine. One visible sign of this was bubbles forming in the toilet like soap. I’m serious. It’s kinda weird but it did happen. Anyway, the ship doctor decided to schedule me an appointment with a specialist.

   Let me explain what happened next. Doctors on board cruise ships can only do so much on board to treat the passengers and crewmembers they see. When a situation arises that requires a higher degree of medical attention, the patient is referred to a doctor at one of the ports the ship will dock at. That is what happened to me. Out of sheer circumstance I happened to be going to a doctor located in Ft. Lauderdale, a city that is a four-hour drive from where I live. You will understand why I mention this in a moment.

   When I go see the specialist I am met with a little, dare I say, disdain. Immediately, the doctor assumes that I have no regard for my health and he takes it upon himself to lecture me about wasting it away for the sake of enjoying myself each night. I have to admit I was caught off guard and didn’t know how to react. Like I had mentioned earlier, I assumed myself to be a casual drinker but not anything to the degree this man seemed to think I was. I decided to take it all in and just go with it. To be honest, who was I to disagree with a specialist?

   Here is where I was starting to question this man’s intelligence. He did an initial exam that showed for the most part I had no major symptoms aside from the fact that fluid was collecting in my legs (the cause of my swelling ankles) and that protein was leaking from my kidneys through my urine (the cause of the fluid collecting in my legs). Yet when he looked at my chart he seemed confused and commented on the fact that the numbers for my blood tests seemed out of place. He then made the conclusion that if he switched things around that I was undergoing kidney failure.

   Initially, for lack of a better description, I crapped my pants. This scared the hell out of me and I was not expecting this at all. After some more lecturing, the specialist insisted I be sent to the local hospital for a biopsy. I was scared but then I wondered if I was in such a serious situation, why was I not in any pain or have any other more serious symptoms? I couldn’t explain it but I had no other options.

   So after all of that it was decided that I would be pulled off of my ship and I would be admitted to the local Ft. Lauderdale hospital for testing. It happened so fast that only my roommate and my manager knew what was going on. The photo team quickly realized I had gone but did not know why and friends on board the ship didn’t know I was missing until a few days passed and I was missing from the major events on board.

   While I was being shuttled back and forth from the specialist’s office to the ship to pick up my things the driver was on the phone with a contact from the company. They asked if I wanted to be flown back home to be closer to family since I was so close. I decided to go home and it was one of the worst decisions I made. What I didn’t know is that if I had decided to stay in Ft. Lauderdale I would have been admitted to the hospital, gone through with a biopsy and figured out was going on within a matter of two days. I estimate that I would have been back to work within two weeks (seeing as I would have needed time to recover from the biopsy). By making the decision of flying home I found out that I was required to organize everything myself and that turned out to be an ordeal in itself.

   There were no local contacts in Tampa and it was difficult to get things going. In the end it took me two months to find a doctor that would work with the company, schedule an appointment, have him see me and then have me admitted to a local hospital for a biopsy to figure out what was going on. I’d like to add here that when I met with my current kidney specialist he mentioned that the other guy must have been crazy to think I was having kidney failure. He mentioned that the only reason my chart seemed odd was because the measurements were in European standards and it shouldn’t have been that difficult to recognize.

   So here is the big conclusion. When it comes down to it, the problem with my kidneys is called Nephrotic Syndrome. What happens is that protein is lost from my kidneys into my bladder and then eventually into the toilet (thus causing the bubbles). This lowers the levels of protein in my blood and affects my health as well as the condition of my kidneys. What is not known is the cause for the problem. Little is known about how this happens and it is assumed that it is from a virus. The good news is that taking medication is all that is needed.

   Once this was determined I spoke with the cruise company and I was rescheduled for a new ship. It was a bit tricky to get back since I was on medication but overall I was physically able to do all the tasks required to work. All that was needed was constant communication with the specialist via email to keep him updated on my condition and I was good to go. This is when I went aboard the Diamond Princess.

Cruise Timeline

So I figured as part of the things that need to be explained I would post the timeline of my time on ships. It is basically a simple monthly overview of what ships I was on and what parts of the world they went to. So here goes:

June 2009 - September 2009: Star Princess - Alaskan Cruising

November 2009 - January 2010: Island Princess - Panama Canal

April 2010 - October 2010: Diamond Princess - Asia/Alaskan Cruising

December 2010 - May 2011: Caribbean Princess - Caribbean Islands

It's a bit strange to see two years worth of work put so simply but that is what I did. It was a great experience and I will always be better for it.

The Crazy Thing About Cars…

It’s amazing how things can happen so randomly but then turn out like it was meant to be. Well, this may not seem like one of those situations but it kind of makes sense to me. On the day I decide to start writing more about what’s happening my sister has a freak series of events happen to her that just throws us all for a loop and gives me something to talk about. What I say to this… let’s get typing. OK, so I need a better catchphrase. I’ll work on it.

The setup: So for some background let me explain what my sister (whose name is Claudia) does. For those of you that don’t know her she works at the corporate headquarters of Publix Supermarkets that is about a forty-minute drive from home, mostly on the freeway. It’s a long drive out that’s about a third of the way across the state.

That being said, for a while now she has been having trouble with the battery in her car and the connections with the positive wire. Sometimes the car would not start and she would have to pop the hood and wiggle it to establish the connection. What I have come to find out is that it has been tougher and tougher to wiggle the wire to make it work. About two days ago I overheard my brother-in-law (whose name is Jeff) mention he was going to take off the red plastic cap that protects the connection and tighten the bolt. Let’s just say that never happened.

So it’s a new day and I’m at the local library writing the other blog entries you might or might not have read already. It’s just after 6 p.m. and I happen to be taking a break reading a magazine when Claudia calls me. I figure she is calling to let me know she’s on her way home and wondering what we’re going to watch on TV. (Yes, Claudia, Jeff and I all hang out at home and watch TV together.) Anyhoo, it turns out that she is having a seriously tough time trying to get the connection on her car battery to work. She has been twisting the cap and it doesn’t seem to want to start. Because of this she wants me to drive all the way to her job site to help her.

Let me remind you this is all happening while I’m at the local library. I don’t like the idea of being the guy on the phone in a public setting talking about how to start a car, especially in a place that requires a certain degree of silence. I’m also not going to lie. I did not want to drive forty minutes just to help her establish a clean connection for her car battery. Of course I wasn’t going to just blow her off and hang up either. What I did was tell her to wiggle it some more. Then I remembered what my Jeff had said earlier. I told her to take off the plastic covering the connection and carefully wiggle the wire. She said she would try it and call me back.

A few minutes go by and I get the call. She’s on the freeway and all is well. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. So you’re sitting here and wondering, “What the… is that the whole point of the story?” No, actually it is not. Aren’t you glad you kept reading?

Within five minutes of the second call I get a third call and I don’t even know what to think. As soon as I picked up everything changes. There is a sound of terror in my sister’s voice that only comes when something has gone wrong. I instantly freak out and ask what’s happened. It turns out that when she was playing with the battery she forgot to close the hood of the car with enough force to catch the latch that keeps it closed. When she picked up speed on the freeway the wind caught the hood and caused it to crash against the windshield with enough force to shatter it and throw the rearview mirror off the glass.

Of course at this point I’m getting all of my stuff together and heading towards the exit of the library. Claudia tells me she’s going to call my mother and that I should go pick her up. When I get home, my mom tells me that Jeff is going to pick Claudia up and that they will both drive back together. After all of this I am a bit amped up and I need to let off some steam. I decide to lift some weights. It’s not important what I did but let’s say I had a good workout. OK, enough about that.

So when Jeff and Claudia come home I see the damage and I’m a bit surprised at how much was done. The windshield is not completely shattered but it has cracks going all across the left side. The hood of the car is dented upward in a degree that would resemble someone lifting up tinfoil to see what is inside leftover tupperware. The first thing that Jeff decides to do is go after the toolbox to try and fix the hood. So naturally he picks up the hammer and starts whacking the underside of the hood. After a few well-placed hit nothing happens except some new small dents pop out the other side. I try to reason with him and after some brainstorming we decide to take off the hood and try things differently.

Imagine this if you can. You’re driving down a popular two-lane road through a neighborhood that I live in at about eight in the evening. It’s fairly dark and you see two grown men jumping up and down in the front yard of a home while a third person is shining a flashlight on something you can’t really make out but looks shiny and metallic. That was Jeff and I trying stomp out the dents from the hood. After three trials of jumping up and down, bolting the hood back to the car, realizing it didn’t fit and taking it off again we finally got it to fit back on. Sure there were some odd dents here and there but for all intents and purposes we felt like the goal was accomplished.

If you’re wondering what’s going to happen next, the insurance company is sending a glass replacement company to replace the broken windshield. I’m not sure about the hood but it was mentioned that we could go to a junkyard and find a replacement hood.

I’m looking back at this entry and I wonder if it was a story worth mentioning. I admit this is a blog that I control but at the same time I do want to entertain readers. My goal is not to bore but to bring a few smiles while letting people get to know me a bit. So I guess what I’m saying is please respond and let me know what you think. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

My Current Situation

Something that I have discovered about myself is that I am a fairly reserved individual. This may not always be obvious to some but it is true. I know that I can be outgoing at times and also very friendly and inviting to people but one thing I don’t always do is let people in beyond the outer shell of who I am. That is why I enjoy this blog and also why I feel I need to keep it current. It allows me to open up in a casual way.

This discovery became more obvious to me as things in my life started happening. I recently had issues with my health and I realized not many people knew about it. I purposefully kept things to myself but now that things have been progressing I noticed more people were surprised that anything had been wrong at all. Let me state now that I am not dieing or have any serious injuries to speak of. I am talking more about the fact that no one knew what was going on. So as time went on I felt more and more compelled to write about it.

I reread the previous entries to my blog and noticed how little I wrote about what was going on with my health. I also noticed how embarrassing some of the entries are too. Either way, I’m going to try and be more dedicated to writing in more detail what is going on. I figure this is why I have the blog. It’s not a Facebook status update where I’m trying to keep things to one or two sentences. I shouldn’t care about what my content is because if you don’t want to read it then you won’t.

What I plan to do for the next few entries is to break things up into a few different posts, all dealing with what has been happening in my life. I hope that whatever is written here keeps you interested. I'm sure not writing this to bore you.

A Long Overdue Update

So I checked in to my blog and realized it has been about a year since the last time I wrote here. Not that anyone has really fallen into a deep depression over it but I am a little disappointed in myself for not being able to keep up with things. The last post is so old, it takes place two ships ago. I left that place, went to another ship and returned home and now I am close to returning to another ship.

Well, maybe I'm not that close to returning just yet. But I'm hopeful in writing in this blog again. I have a lot to do and many things to write about before I forget them but they will be posted here. So this is just a quick update and I will return with much more information.