How to Lose Two Weeks and Gain Your Life

Initial report

A week ago Thursday (January 3rd) Arnold came down with a bad cold/flu. He felt fine in the morning but really punk by the end of the day. He spent most of several days in bed and had a raging sore throat, a fever on several days, lots of phlegm to cough up, and ragged breathing. The other symptoms seemed to get a little better but the breathing difficulties became worse. Last night he got up several times during the night, tipped up the bed more, turned on the fan to try to get more air, and finally got up for the day about 5:20 a.m. I talked him into letting me take him to the doctor. We went to the doctor's office an hour early because his breathing was so labored. I figured it was better to have a medical emergency at the doctors office rather than at home. Chest x-rays indicated pneumonia so I took him to Kaiser Morse to the emergency room where they admitted him immediately. At the beginning of the day I thought they would give him a nebulizer treatment, he would be better and we would come home. In the emergency they did the treatments you typically do to open the airways, that helped a little but not much, they did a constant stream of oxygen so his blood gas was good but he was still extremely labored in his breathing. The administered epinephrine and that didn't do much. The finally had to take him into surgery to put a tube down his throat. Even that didn't go easy - the first one they did through his nose came dislodged so they ended up taking him back into surgery and gave him a tracheotomy. He is now in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Morse Ave. 

Much to the surprise of all who saw me go into the hospital two weeks ago, I have returned, suffering but not defeated, hurt but not mortally wounded. I was so beat-up in this latest tussle with Mother Nature, (or archangel Gabriel if you prefer) that I'm seriously going to cut back my activities. I'm just now determining the extent of my damages. The worst problem I had was an obstructed airway from swelling and inflammation. The blockage of this airway led to one or more incidents where I was literally dying from lack of oxygen. To allow me to breathe the doctors put a tracheostomy into my neck. I also had pneumonia in my lungs.

Several days I drifted into and out of audio and visual hallucinations and confusion. This was exacerbated by being unable to talk because of the trache. Family members and medical staff took turns (and risks) to reduce my self-injurious behaviors. Even while Carolyn was cajoling my doctor to let me come home a week ago, I was trying to look into the merits and methods of patient compliance systems, a trick (had I succeeded) that almost certainly would have lengthened my hospital time.

At this point, I am gaining my physical strength and plan to be the healthiest I’ve been for years. The trache has been removed and the hole in my throat is healing rapidly. My blood pressure and blood chemistry are in good balance. Indeed, MY biggest complaint is that everything I eat tastes so bland or “off”.

I try to get outside 30 to 40 minutes each day, I try to talk and use the computer an hour a day, and hope to stay involved in groups that I have participated in. At least initially, I'll volunteer for times when my failure to show up won't mess up other people’s schedule.

Many of you have written letters which are greatly appreciated.  I'll probably not respond as quickly as I used to but I will try to respond.

Arnold

Computer Hard Drive Transplant

I've read several articles about disposing old computers and how necessary it is to disable the hard drive.  Even though you might have deleted all your files and even reformatted the disk, people with the right equipment can read the disk and get whatever information used to be on the disk.  The best solutions I've read advocate a violent physical attack on the hard drive, something like shooting a bullet through it or drilling a large hole.

We have an old computer that we stopped using 2 years ago.  We've left it intact so that we could retrieve any files we somehow missed in the transfer two years ago.  But the time has come to give it a decent farewell.  I moved the display units to our current computers giving us more virtual desktop space.  Then I removed the hard drive in preparation for some physical destruction.  At that point I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I could just turn this internal hard drive into an external USB-connected hard drive?"  Then I wouldn't have to destroy the drive and, in fact, it could still be available for finding that long lost file.

Guess what!  I'm not the first to think of this.  Frys, for example, sells what is called a Hard Drive Case for less than $20.  All the connections, cables, and electronics come with the relatively inexpensive kit and anyone who can twist a screwdriver can put it all together.

Steps to changing an internal hard drive to an external hard drive.

1.      Open the old computer case and remove the hard drive.  It will look something like this and be about 4" x 5.5" x 1".  It will have pins in one end to receive a large, flat ribbon cable and another socket with 4 pins for power.  There may be a mounting bracket or strip attached to the drive which you'll need to remove but don't try to open up the drive itself.
2.      Attach the data and power cables to the control end of the new case.
3.      Slide the hard drive into the case and secure it in place so it won't bounce around or slide out.
4.      Slide on the control end of the case and fasten it with the screws provided.
5.      You're now ready to plug in the power  unit and connect the USB cable between the case and  your computer.
6.       Turn on the unit and wait for your computer to recognize the new disk.

Your new external hard drive takes up much less space than your old computer.  You can even tuck it away in a cupboard.  You can now access all your old files or save new ones.  And you don't have to decide how to kill the drive for a few more years.

Fall Vacation 2012

Carolyn & Arnold's Reallllllly Lonnnng Vacation

September 2012

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t really that long but a 3 week vacation is longer than we’ve taken in several years.  And it was long enough to temporarily overwhelm us when we got home about all the things that had piled up during our absence – you know, the 1,452 email messages, the 10 pounds of mail, the strange growth in the cottage cheese container we had managed to overlook in the pre-vacation fridge cleanout.  We were also overwhelmed by the kindness of our daughter-in-law for shampooing all our carpets during our absence and for Ed’s promptness in picking us up at the airport.

We have been explaining to people that this vacation was based on trying to keep at least some of those “we’ll drop in and see you when we’re next in your part of the country” promises.  There must be at couple dozen such promises we’ve made knowing that we’d probably never be in “that part of the country”.  But we decided that we’d at least start making an effort.  We selected four families from Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Florida and sent a note to each asking if we’d be welcomed if we visited and when a visit would be possible.  To our delight, all four answered positively.  While we were waiting for their answers, Carolyn obtained a week’s reservation in a Branson, Missouri time-share that we could use to break-up our visits.

Amtrak Rules

Normally, the travelling part of a vacation is supposed to be so routine that it doesn’t merit its own section and hopefully nothing happens to make it noteworthy.  However, the first leg of our journey was certainly NOT normal. 

We elected to travel to Denver, Colorado by ay of the train, Amtrak’s historic California Zephyr.  Departing from the Downtown Sacramento train depot in the middle of the day on Saturday, we arrived at the Downtown Denver train depot some 30 hours later.  I would estimate there were less than 10 stops but I wasn’t counting.  The ride was slow and steady, more like a cruise than a flight or drive.  According to Google Maps the distance traveled, if done by car, would have been  886 miles, so we averaged just under 30 miles per hour.  The train conductor had informed us that through much of the erras, the speed limit for the train is 35 or 40 miles per hour.  This isn’t a bullet train.

Consistent with the train’s speed was its leisurely ambiance.  There are no TVs or background music, no Wi-Fi, or sports bars.  There were just a coach, a couple of sleeper cars, an observation car, a dinner car, and a lounge car.  The whole experience appeared to be designed for relaxation and leisure.  If your party had more or less than 4 members, you would be paired up with other passengers with different groupings at each meal which encourage the passengers to get acquainted with one another.  We found that a definite plus.  As there were no seat belts, you were encouraged to move about the train.  While a good thing, it didn’t necessarily make my experience more interesting because of my balance and walking problems. 

Family in Littleton and a surprise (visit to Eric)

Carolyn’s brother Ray and his wife Jeannie were at the depot to meet us.  They even made sure they brought along a large enough pickup to carry all our luggage as well as my scooter and upright walker.  Although they have a GPS, they preferred my using my iPhone GPS to navigate us out of town and toward their house in Littleton.  When one of your vacation objectives is to see the countryside, using a GPS all the time can be counterproductive anyway.

Besides driving us around the beautiful and interesting neighborhoods of Denver and Littleton, Ray and Jeannie introduced us to their local church congregation at a Labor Day picnic in the park and drove us about 5 miles from their house to where my nephew Eric has recently bought a house.  It was a bonus visit since Eric had just recently moved his family from the Washington, D.C. area and we hadn’t setup a visiting plan with Eric and Allison and their three darling children.                                                          

We had wanted to see the U.S. Mint in Denver but couldn’t get tour reservations that fit our available time.  Instead we spent several hours at the beautiful botanical gardens.  It is one of those “must see” spots that is so frustrating because you need several visits to really appreciate it.  Just spending more time won’t suffice as your head gets too full of facts and photographs.

But probably the capstone of our visit in Littleton for me was an evening of music.  Jeannie, who is a much better piano player than I, deigned to play several duets with me, something I really enjoy.  Then she pulled out a selection of Broadway and Movie Musical songs that were all in a good singing key.  She played through that music allowing me to sing solos as if I really knew what I was doing.  I’ve never been able to do that for a solid evening.

Flight to Oklahoma

Ray was generous enough to get excused from his morning assignments the next day and drive  us the 30 miles or so out to Aurora where the Denver airport is actually located.  From a distance it looks more like a settlement on Tatooine than an airport.  But we found it modern, functional and staffed with fully friendly, accommodating staff.  We had, of course let them know that we needed special accommodations for my equipment. They didn’t even blink.  Except for one carry-on bag, our luggage including my walker was checked through to Tulsa, Oklahoma, our next visit. I kept the scooter to use around the airport and checked it only as I reached the Jetway and entered our plane.  And it was waiting for me when we got off the plane in Tulsa.

To Barb & Ron’s

While a porter and I picked up all our luggage including the checked walker, Carolyn picked up the previously reserved mini-van.  We had hoped for a Dodge Caravan, we got a Chrysler Town &; Country; - fully loaded.  What a dream to drive.  The only hitch in our travel this time was that the airlines had busted out the decorative rear blinkers in the walker.   We could have stayed and filled out complaint forms but decided for the Local fish food in Tulsa

Acting on recommendations from the car rental agency, we dropped in at White River Fish Market for what was good, if not outstanding fish.  We were both hungry enough to enjoy it.  Barbara had asked us to call when we left the airport en route to their house.  That allowed her to park just outside the gates to their gated residential area and let us in without waiting.

Barbara and I had carpooled together an average of 4 days a week, 1.5 hours a day, for 12 to 13 years  then not seen or talked with each other for over 10 years.  But it didn’t take long to catch up.  Although we’ve both changed, the chemistry still works.  Of course she got along even better with Carolyn.  Getting to meet Barb’s sister who had been a silent member of our carpool conversations was another special treat for me.

Barbara drove us all around Collinsville taking different roads each time so we’d be thoroughly lost and never be able to find their home again.  She introduced us to Woolaroc, a private preserve that was developed by Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum.  Besides having areas for youth camping and mountain men youth competitions, Woolaroc has an impressive Native American museum.  A museum honoring the cowboy humorist Will Rogers is also in the area and one of our destinations.

Barbara is a crafter so a tour of the area with her wouldn’t have been complete without visiting 2 or 3 craft stores including one where she displays some of her own craftwork.  Ron & I spent some of our own craft energy putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle displaying a Periodic Table of the Elements.

The area around Collinsville is known for tornados so we watched the weather carefully.  Our next stop was a timeshare resort in Branson, Missouri which meant we didn’t HAVE to get their the first day we had rented.  If he weather had been worse or much better we likely would have stayed with Ron & Barbara another day.  But the rain was threatening and we wanted to get on our way before it threatened any more.  The road was great and the Town & Country van ran beautiful.  But the further we went, the heavier the rain came down.  By the time we hit Missouri and headed down toward Branson the “heavy weather” sirens were blaring, warning us to take cover.  What cover does one take hundreds of mile from one home or another.

We did make good use of a short break in the rain to stop for lunch at Lamberts where they literally throw the food at you. We had just been seated when I noticed a wait person sitting by a customer.  I thought it unusual enough to make eye contact with the waiter whereupon a large soft bread roll was soon heading my way.  Another feature of the restaurant was that while you were eating, your entre and sides, additional wait staff would circulate among the tables adding ‘giveaways’  to your plate.  No excuse to come away hungry from there.

A Week in Branson

I must to being a bit of a  sourpuss about Branson.   I  just couldn’t imagine a place with all the g-rated shows not being goody two-shoes.   But somehow they pull it off.  There are dozens of theaters and they use thousands of lights to advertise but it isn’t Vegas or Reno.  It’s more like beefed up Sacramento.

Carolyn counted 66 shows during the week we were in Branson.   We saw 9 and that was more than enough.  I won’t try to recreate the week; just tell enough about several of the shows to give you a taste:

1.      Marriott’s “Celebration” – We paid for a $10 meal and sampled acts from 10 to 12 shows currently running (see 9)

2.      Joseph – Biblical story of Joseph as a stage extravaganza with live animals and huge sets

3.      SIX – six brothers whose voices provide all the back up instrumentals they need

4.      The Duttons – First show we saw because everyone recommended it. It’s just one family but they do everything.

5.      Chinese Acrobats – Chinese teens & 20’s working their way through school.  Definitely a second team as they actually make mistakes.

6.      Dolly’s Dixie Stampede – a knock off of mediaeval times, Camelot – fake competition and eating with your hands.  I found digging up the Civil War offensive.

7.      Shoji Tabuchi – Great violinist but a little long in the tooth.  His show is a sampler of every other show in town.

Showboat Branson Belle – Vaudeville type show on a steam boat which chugs peacefully and uneventfully around the local wide river.  Much better meal than I expected.

9.      Delena Ditto Country Variety Show – I lucked out sitting in the front row of “Celebration” and again at Delena’s own show earning two chances to sing with the lady herself.  It’s a show, of course, but she is kind and oh so polite.

In addition to the commercialized tourist spots we also sought out nature spots and less commerce related areas like the following:

1. Table Rock Dam Visitor Center – dam was built by Army Corps of Engineers and is a buttoned down, well displayed operation
2. Table Rock Lake Nature Trail – jointly operated by Dam VC and local Parks & Rec
3. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.  In addition to wildlife stock in the upper meadows, the lower areas are stocked with fully grown and hu

 It is being maintained spotlessly.  We recommend the $20 tram tour.  It’s well worth it.

4.      Hard Work U (College of the Ozarks)  This private university is an excellent example of having students learn value of work while meeting the needs of College.  Has an excellent museum.  Easy to overlook the upper floors.

As you can tell we didn’t come anywhere close to “doing Branson” but it was enough for our first week there and we were ready to move on.

Lawrence isn’t your typical Kansas city

The  road to Kansas City was pretty if a little boring.  It looked like it might rain on us at any time but it   didn’t.  We stopped in Harrisonville, MO, and ate at Rooster’s Steak House, a local coffee house.  It looked like it would be an interesting place but talk about  plain!  I got a soup and sandwich where the soup was Hormel Chili from a can and the sandwich was a slice of Velveeta on Wonder Bread.  Since the place was packed we didn’t expect great service and that’s what we got. 

Lawrence, Kansas is a university town with  a liberal bent as one would expect.  Our friends Shannah , a Unity Minister, and Kathy, an elementary school specialist feel like they’ve died and gone to heaven.  While we were there, they drove us all around the area, letting us see just how wonderful it was. They introduced us to Shannah’s congregation with a picnic following Sunday services, as well as the countryside where we saw some good heartland Americans.  Unfortunately, I picked up a head cold so I stayed home with their dog Sebastian while the girls drove to the big town of Kansas City.

I guess driving around so much reminded us of our geocaching days in Sacramento.  There happened to be a geocache close by the park area where Shannah’s church was picnicking.  Carolyn and I first found and verified it then introduced Kathy to the game.  I’m only sorry we didn’t think about it in Colorado and Oklahoma. Like Jeannie, Kathy played some duets with me.  Unfortunately my head cold had gotten so bad that I couldn’t keep things together.

                                                                                                                                                             

Flying to Panama City

By now we were getting pretty familiar with the airport routine, at least with Southwest. 

  As long as we were there plenty early so we didn’t put undue pressure on them, and as long as we were courteous and reasonable in our requests, we were pleasantly accommodated.  In Panama City, Florida we got another Town & Country van.   We arrived in Florida according to schedule but unfortunately our luggage had gone missing.  The Southwest personnel did everything they could to assure us we’d get it the next morning.  They also promised to reimburse us for personal items we might need to buy until then.  Carolyn had thought ahead and packed a carry-on for just such a contingency.  By the time we picked up our minivan (another Town & Country) we and the security guard were the last ones in the parking lot.  He willingly helped load the scooter in the van. 

My cousin Marilyn and her husband Allyn had moved much of their household furniture around to accommodate our staying with them but the logistics of staying at a local motel was so much easier.  Allyn helped us as much as Google Maps.  And Marilyn surprised us by arranging for our cousin Jeannette (Bessie’s youngest) to join us at the Golden Corral for supper. 

It was difficult to get out to see the area.  Between the inertia of disability and familiarity with the area, it was difficult to get out and really see things.  It was hard to say which of the couples was the more reluctant to get out of comfortable seats.   We did manage to stop and see their almost brand new city library where I found an unusual geocache that I’d like to duplicate in Carmichael.

Flying home

Well, actually we flew first to Long Beach so it was like flying home in stages.  Not sure why we did it except that it’s always nice to see the grandkids.  The real flight home to Sacramento two days later was just as sweet, especially to be met and picked  up by Edward and to find that in our absence Tiffany had deep-cleaned our carpet and the two of them together with the three boys had kept a watch on our precious memories.

With many thanks to all of you who made our loooonnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggggg vacation so memorable and enjoyable..                                                                                       

Carolyn & Arnold Loveridge

GOP says more NO; Dems say "More dough"

It may just be the way the media is carrying it or it may be real.  It seems like the presidential race has devolved into a simple fund raising exercise rather than any serious politicking.  The Republicans, having proven that they can prevent any meaningful action by congress is now expecting AND PROMISING 4 more years of gridlock  unless Obama is defeated.  And Democrats are promising they'll go down in defeat unless we give them tons more money.  No one is proposing a serious plan to improve our economy, reduce taxes, or increase benefits.  No one is really running on his accomplishments - because there haven't been many!!  What a bummer year.

More transportation need or less?

More disabled than ever but trying to move back up the scale of assistive devices.

Like many other diseases and disabilities, Parkinson's Disease usually involves, at some point, a significant loss of mobility.  My first indication of this was actually when I tried to keep up with a grandson at the park and I discovered I wasn't coordinated enough to jog or run.  Even walking a little faster than usual made me feel more prone to stumble..  As time goes on, I've found that life has been easier through the use of mobility aids.  First it was a cane, then a really simple walker, then a more complex walker, then a power wheelchair, and finally a power scooter. Notice that I said, "Life has been made easier" not "I needed..."  Big difference.  Many insurance programs and HMO organizations fail to recognize this difference or choose to ignore it for the purpose of saving money.  But I have been so much more productive with transportation than I would have been otherwise

Actually in my case, more intensive transportation assistance has not only kept me healthier and more involved with life, but it has tended to be self-limiting and therefore cost effective.  I started using a cane sooner than I needed to.  Likewise, I was regularly using a walker when a cane was really sufficient.  But once I knew what I could do with a walker, I tried using a cane as much as possible because a cane could be more easily transported in a car, through doors, up stairs, etc.  And I always knew that the walker was available.

When a walker wasn't providing enough mobility support, we looked for and bought a power wheel chair.  Suddenly my decreasing mobility was reversed and I could go places again.  Negotiating the large Sac State campus to attend Renaissance (senior student) classes was once again possible and even enjoyable.  But the chair is cumbersome and requires special transport equipment itself.  Think that I would be using the power chair more and more, we began widening doorways in our house and installing ramps.  I had started to resign myself to the idea that there would be places I'd never visit again, especially family homes.

 

Then we discovered the Dashaway walker and my use of the power chair has decreased to almost nothing.  For the past year and a half, I have been able to reduce usage (transporting) of the heavy, cumbersome power chair.  I know that eventually I will need to go back to the chair and having it around has made it possible for me to get along with the Dashaway.  I feel that health care organizations are being short sighted by not broadening the definition of transportation equipment needs.

The future is already here with my power scooter.  We purchased it because it can be taken apart and transported in pieces.  On our upcoming cross country trip we anticipate that we'll need to do that when we have a rental car.  But already Mom and I are finding areas where it is still easier to use the Dashaway so we'll have to take it on vacation, too.

Isn't "Dancing for Persons with PD" an oxymoron?

If nothing else, the past 56 years has made me more open to experiences that as a teenager I would have run from with my life. For example, a few weeks ago an advertisement made the rounds of the local Parkinson's Disease Support Groups promoting a class called Dancing for Persons with Parkinsons. Now for someone who needs a support structure when I walk anywhere, dancing seemed out of the question.  But I went and signed up.  

The number of attendees varied from 20 to 24 and all but 3 or 4 had a diagnosis of Parkinsons.  The instructors were affiliated with the Mondavi Center at UCDavis and seemed to have a good grounding in modern or interpretive dancing.  Now when I think of such dancing, the image that flashes in front of my eyes is that of Hippos in tutus dancing to Waltz of the Flowers.  And no one looked more like that image than me. 

Fortunately, Kathi & Joy, two classmates who carpooled with me, were slender and graceful so watching them dispelled the image a little.

I was successful in dancing clumsily but never confidently.  Three-fourths the way through the class I would invariably get a very sore, very tight back.  This hippo decided he could pass up re-enrollment when it came around.

Purchasing DellieMay 12

Our lap was three years old in March of this year.  The computer was getting slower and slower when booting up and accessing the Internet.  We had  purchased a 3-year warranty on the machine and had reached that point so we were optimistic.  Besides, our System Mechanic software always seemed to be able to repair the problems it found.  So at the middle of May when the laptop refused to boot up, it didn't take much to convince us it was dead.  And not replacing it was not an option.  There were just too many times when a second computer was needed.  When we thought it over, though, we realized that the "laptop" part of the equation was not one of the important variables.  In fact, with iPads and iPhones, a laptop is beginning to look like a dinosaur.

I knew what I wanted for a computer - have known for several months when I saw the Dell Inspiron One, a touch screen All In One computer, at Sam's Club several months ago.  The hard drive, DVD drive, and computer innards are all in the back of the screen which is 23" diagonal screen.  It is such a cool gimmick that we dropped into Sam's Club and bought the last one they had except for the floor model. It felt so good to have a backup computer again.





Footnote: Dellie May 12, purchased May 30, 2012.  Pavlov purchased July 2010.  Lazurus brought back from the dead 6/11/2012.

What good is a reunion anyway?

Now that it is over a month since we held our 50th High School reunion, I feel that it is time to do a post mortem, an autopsy if you will.

Of course in deciding whether the reunion was a success or not, one has to set out some criteria for judging. Which brings me to the question: "What good is a reunion anyway?"  As I tried to encourage classmates to attend I got lots of opinions on this topic ranging all the way from "No good" to "a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with former friends and classmates."  I don't think I met anyone who felt that a reunion was essential to life and there were certainly a number of classmates who weren't at all interested in maintaining any kind of connection with the school.  The scar tissue was still tender.

As I mentioned to many of my classmates, I have only good memories of high school because I have forgotten all the bad experiences.  I was worried that seeing some of my old classmates would trigger old emotions of resentment, exclusion, or hurt feelings.  After all, there are still "in" groups among those who still live in Springville and still communicate regularly.  But I didn't see it.  Everyone seemed to truly accept everyone else.

On the other hand, I don't see many long term friendships being formed or changed as a result of the reunion.  Maybe one or two.  After all, we're all getting on in age and pretty set in our ways.  While retirement might free some people for more travel or less restriction, church missions, health, and family responsibilities will make some less able to travel and visit as much as they say they'd like to.

The one comment I did NOT hear at or since the reunion is "I sure am glad _______ didn't make it here."  Even if only to extend a short greeting and thanking the person for being part of my life, I appreciated every person who made it there.  That goes for the spouses, too, who made it easier or more pleasant for the class member to attend.

If you'd like to see pictures of some of the happy people who attended the reunion, check out our Class of 1962 Website.