I'm home from the hospital. Thanks for all the messages of support and album purchases while I was bedridden. I have Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease, per the hospital doctor. Got a kidney doctor appointment early next week.

#cosomedical #kidney

My swelling & redness in my legs has gone down a decent bit - not gone, but lessened. Still on antibiotics. Looking at a Thursday hospital discharge date. Would've been Wed. if not for the ice storm in the D/FW area.

Thanks to anyone who bought my music to cheer me up while I've been hospitalized. There's still time - https://leejackson1.bandcamp.com has my stuff. Much obliged!

#cosomedical
#cosomusic

I've been hospitalized since Thursday the 26th. Went to a Wound Care Clinic with horribly swollen legs w/ulcers. Doctor admitted me straight from his office. Since then, I've been diagnosed w/Peripheral Artery Disease. No ETA on how long I'm going to be in here.

#cosomedical

ICYMI:

Had a bad fall this past Monday the 16th. Got a concussion, a 2" gash in my left butt cheek, knocked my left knee replacement out of whack. All because I got a bad cramp in my left calf that made me lose balance as I was stepping up onto the landing in front of my house entryway. Blood tests on cramping have since proved inconclusive. I have a nephrologist appointment to see if my kidneys are at fault, since my leg edema is back as well. Appointment is February 6th.

#cosomedical

I fell Tuesday coming back from getting blood work done. Stepped up onto my front door landing and my leg cramped up right as I put weight on it. I collapsed to the left, faceplanting into the wooden beam on the left of my door and slamming my knee into the concrete at the base. I cut my left wrist and my left butt. My left knee got knocked out of alignment. My wife had to call 911 to get me up. More details as I can remember them.

#cosomedical

Update #1:

I have my new hearing aids. They're clearer: less distorted, more focused. Maybe not as loud, but that's adjustable. Comfortable - no change there.

Update #2:

Finally had my CT scan w/contrast media. No reaction to the media noted, thanks to the pre-medication regimen. I'll get the results soon.

#cosomedical

Got the first half of my clearances - medical approval - for surgery to fix my torn right rotator cuff today. However, it comes with a referral to a nephrologist, since my kidney numbers are worse than they were last time. Still waiting on cardiac approval.

#cosomedical

Had a follow-up with my hematologist the other day. More blood work. Turns out my "iron stores" are back up in the normal range, but I'm still technically anemic since my hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are below normal. She's going to wait 6 weeks and test me again. If I'm still anemic, she's going to do a bone marrow biopsy on me to figure out what's going on. Fun!

#cosomedical

I don't understand what's going on, CoSo. My upper torso feels bruised, on my arms, back, and sides. My swelling (edema) in my legs has gone down drastically over the past few days, with me losing 10 pounds in water weight. I'm about to go to the doctor, but I'd like to know what is going on in the meantime. Ideas?

#cosomedical

My web page has been updated:

https://dleejackson.lbjackson.com/2022/12/heart-issues-under-investigation/

#cosomedical

Had a follow-up with the cardiologist about the echocardiogram. Turns out it didn't rule out heart failure - what he now suspects is something called "Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction," or HFpEF for short (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056204/). It's a tricky little deal where the heart builds up fluid, but also gets stiffer.

More tests are on order, including a nuclear chemical stress test. Until then, it's baby aspirin and watch the salt.

#cosomedical

Had my evaluation for the lymphedema pump - they're going to get me one and have someone come out to use it on me, starting in January. They'll also be putting something on me called "unna boots" to reduce the swelling.

#cosomedical

Getting evaluated for Home Health services today, specifically those related to a lymphedema pump for my legs. We're going to get medieval on my leg swelling, most likely. I'm not 100% sure what it'll entail - will report back.

#cosomedical

Had surgery today. Bilateral lumbar rhizotomy to kill lower back pain, done by my pain management doctor. Went well, except for the pre-and-post-op stuff (i.e., trying to get undressed and re-dressed). Couldn't have my wife in the room with me, and the nurses were reluctant to help me (and I'm too handicapped to do it myself). Finally got it done, though. Any surveys will reflect their helpfulness, or lack of same quality.

#cosomedical

Urgh.

Been in pain all day long. Knees, torn rotator cuff, carpal tunnel surgical scar, fused neck vertebrae, and now my right hip is in on the action so bad I can barely move it from side to side. My wife and I went to a Christmas breakfast party with my son at his wife's family's side today, and I needed help getting my right leg in & out of the car.

I've finally given up and taken a double dose of my pain medicine. It's helped, at last. No more double doses tonight, though.

#cosomedical

Got fitted for a new pair of hearing aids yesterday:

https://www.soundly.com/product/oticon-more-3

Can't wear 'em while writing music, since they distort sounds, but I wear them after to make sure I get the high freqs right. My low freq response is OK without them - maybe that explains my proclivity for writing bass lines. 😆

#cosomedical
#cosomusic

Latest medical news:

My wife and I are both getting new hearing aids.

https://www.soundly.com/product/oticon-more-3

#cosomedical

I've got another surgery scheduled, on Dec.27th. This is for a bilateral rhizotomy to relieve back pain that got really bad around the beginning of December, when my leg swelling really got to its worst. I've had this operation before, but not a bilateral one - wish me luck.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/rhizotomy

#cosomedical

Just got back from the vascular doctor's office. He's not 100% sure what's causing my edema trouble. He thinks I've got a combination of lymphedema and venous insufficiency, with some other stuff I can't describe thrown in for good measure. He's ordered a CT scan of my legs and lower abdomen to see what's going on. I've also got home health coming out to administer some wraps and some pumps of some kind to my legs. I'll follow up with the doctor at the end of January.

#cosomedical

I've finally heard from my doctor about my echocardiogram. The aorta and left atrium of my heart are enlarged, but not to the point where they're abnormal for someone of "my size." (336lbs/5'8") So, for my edema problems, he's checking me for vascular/circulation issues to see what's causing my swelling. It's apparently not heart related.

#cosomedical