The Hip Is Not All The Issue

I knew when I went to bed at 4:30pm Wednesday I was following orders from my body telling me to. I had a lot of steps vacuuming and doing laundry. The first two days home I was close to 900 steps per day and when the dust settled Wednesday at midnight I had 2,286 for the day. I was glad that my plan was to cut back a little, rest and sleep more. I had pushed myself a little but that is okay in this process. Pushing yourself is getting up and out of bed when you think it might hurt. Mother Nature and the Hounds are a huge motivating factor pushing the limits.

I sleep very good between the periods I get up. Mostly for me and toward the end of the morning, for the  hounds. It is more stiffness than soreness than anything else. I have not had any kind of severe pain since my wreck on Saturday morning.

Stella woke me up at 4am with the nose nudge to my hand. Heidi was 'lights out' and probably didn't hear us the whole time we were up. She did her job I did mine but when she came back inside she had that smile that dogs get ... she thought she was back to normal routine of eating breakfast as soon as she woke up.

You can see by 7am she figured out that was not going to happen. She waited outside on the patio all morning before MJ would show up to feed them. She is very busy but very conscientious. She washes the dog dishes after each meal. She talks to them although her stay is short now that I am home and gives them a treat before she leaves. So it's good to know the hounds are taken care of from this point forward if something were to happen.

Heidi decided to sleep until the food was served .. her new bed does not arrive until September 16th ... Chewy had to go all the way to their warehouse in Indiana to find one.

Stella followed our routine as much as possible but boy has that changed. First she could not walk for two weeks, now I can't take her for a walk for who knows how long. MJ will take her for the walk if I add a few bucks to my discounted rate she is giving me.

Even though I could get up out of bed the first time they asked me to on Monday morning and all the times I have had to get up at all hours of the night here ... there is always a slight hesitation making that first move. Luckily my arms and my left (non surgical) leg are stronger. I can lift my butt up off the bed a little higher to make swing the bad leg to the left or edge of the bed a little easier. I have to keep it straight at all times and rotate slowly not to put any added stress on the hip joint as I turn.

I then sit on the side of the bed and slowly raise my lower leg to the level of my knee ... both legs. I've been doing the "ankle push" as they suggested for PT to not only strengthen the calf and hamstring but also for circulation to prevent blood clots.

When I stand if I can feel my left heel dig into the carpet that lets me know that I have all my weight on my good leg as I position myself within the walker in front of me. Then away we go, one foot in front of another slowly gliding down the hallway.  I keep telling myself how good it will feel five days from now, each time I am walking. I sit in hard straight back chairs slowly and can't wait until I can sit on the couch again ... but I sink back into that so much I would never be able to get back on my feet at this point in time.

I have three different places with gauze covering holes where they either took blood or put my two different IVs. I would like to take them off but I remember how fast and hard they bled with the nurse took them off. I have gauze but I don't have that brown wrap they use but almost bought a few weeks ago with my cut finger. Believe me, although I think and others do to, that I am doing great so far, there is still hesitation at times to make that first step or move ... there is fear at times.

As far as those past insertion points, they have classified me as a bleeder now. I'm not in the mood to be chasing blood all over the bathroom because I wanted to take off the 4 day old gauze pad. So they will stay until I find out what to do. all three bandages came off without blood shooting all over the monitor ... that's good.  LOL

I try not to dwell on much. It is what it is. Life is constantly in motion and this is what we are riding right now, only to get better. I was pissed off Saturday morning in the ER but got rid of that feeling soon after and thought about nothing but a plan to feel better and what I had to do. As much as I want to I am NOT going to rush this healing/rehab process. I am going to do what the doctors tell me and when to do them.

Different friends of mine and even the surgeon know of other bicyclists that have had a "total" hip replacement and are back in Spinning Class or riding on the road competitively. My friend that is a bicyclist and PT tells me I will have no problem getting back on the bike feeling good enough to ride.

But there's a big elephant sitting in the room with me and the hounds.

My Electrocardiogram Saturday showed that I have a heart murmur. From what friends have told me  the past few days, everyone seems to have one or knows someone that does. But ....... In my case ...

My heart murmur is caused by a genetic deficiency and something called Aortic Valve Stenosis. The aorta valve that opens and closes for blood to leave the heart is not working smoothly and is partially blocked. The valve will not open and close all the way. With a family history of heart disease I always thought I'd have by-pass surgery first not this.

From what the doctor told me again on Monday before I left, my physical condition is a big factor in my fast recovery from the hip surgery and also makes the treatment options for the valve much less severe. Of course I will not know the recommendation until I talk to a cardiologist and I can't see one until a General Practitioner recommends one. In the meantime the doctor says I need to see one fairly soon but with my active life and diet that I eat ... things should be fine until then.

Those last few paragraphs should be a sign that this blog is going to get more truthful or giving out more information than I want to give. I wasn't going to say anything about the heart situation but after a few emails and a comment or two here, I agreed with them. The more honest I am with what is going on with my health might help someone else or others that have the same situations.

Al at BayfieldBunch.com said from the first of his health issues he was going to lay it out for all to see in case it helped someone else. I agree now that I am sitting in a similar lobby that he is. That is hard for someone that has lived alone for decades by choice ... I like it. I like the freedom. I like being single. So now instead of "me me me" my life is heading towards spilling my guts with hopes of not only improving my own health but maybe helping someone else that has similar issues.

Or cannot seem to get a straight answer from a doctor.

So stay tuned I guess.

The hounds have slept most of the morning and I can hear the small voice in my head telling me it's time for a siesta ... so that's what I'll do.

Never fear ... it's great living in the Wild West.

Stella Wants To Walk !!

The hounds have changed their routines lately that is causing havoc for me getting a good nights sleep. For some strange reason Heidi decided last week that she wanted to get up between 2:30am-3:00am to go outside. This is after she goes outside before sleeping around 9pm. Of course that wakes up Stella and her first thought is "it's time for breakfast I GET TO EAT" ... you would be amazed how much excitement that makes her. So I anxiously wait for that routine to change as soon as possible.

I guess the excitement yesterday was after almost three months living here, I pulled my small speakers out of their box and hooked them to the computer. After giving my old Epson printer/scanner away when I moved, I picked up a new Epson printer/scanner when I got here on sale for $45. It has been in the box since I bought it so it was time to get that thing running. I had a couple of things I needed to print out so it was time.

It was not hard setting up the wireless printer.

Nothing much was planned for today. I wanted to get back on the bike for the first time in a week and I did that. I saw afterward that my cut finger is healing better with just washing it and pouring hydrogen peroxide over it instead of adding the #1 recommended ointment on afterwords. I've been keeping a bandaid on it.

A trip to Walmart was almost a mistake. The place was packed and it is one of the largest Walmart stores I have ever seen. I only needed three things ... a spool of black upholstery thread, a package of two CR2032 batteries and a Krups Coffee Bean/Spices grinder. Luckily that self-checkout worked out well and I was out the door, out of the parking lot before I could even feel the million people in the area.

Since I had maintained my weight this past week when I didn't ride a mile or a minute I figured that I deserved a small amount of Mexican food. I knew right where I was going. It's a 'hole in the wall' type of place, in the old part of town but I always see a line of cars in the drive-thru when I drive buy.

I wanted to eat inside. I could tell by the size of the tortillas that were being warmed on the grill in the kitchen these were going to be HUGE burritos ... so I ordered two. One for lunch, one for dinner. Chicken burrito for lunch, carnitas burrito for dinner. Not only was it great tasting it was cheap. $6 and change for a two fisted burrito ... I WILL return ... plus the sign said "Open Late" ... I can live with that.

The first bite into my chicken burrito I thought I was back in south Oceanside California on Hill St. eating at Roberto's. I don't know if it is still there today but it was in the early 1980's and this burrito I was eating today was taking back 35 years with just one bite. It was just that good.

Although this was great food, the BEST Mexican food I have had so far is at La Casita Mexican Restaurant & Cantina just a few blocks west from where I was. But the BEST food had the MOST EXPENSIVE bill. I'll visit both on a regular basis though.

Oh the name ??? Filibertos. Trip Advisor ranks them #5 out of 10 Mexican restaurants in town.

I still have MANY restaurants that are family owned and/or hole in the wall places around here to try out. I don't think I will ever go hungry in this town but I might go broke based on how expensive a basic meal can be.

It was an expensive 10 days here in the Wild West. With Stella's unexpected surgery last Monday added to my previous dental work the weeks before and the final wrap-up the day after her surgery ... ended up taking thousands of dollars out of my billfold. I'll not tell the total amount but it would make you cringe if you saw the final tally. I need to find a hot craps table a the casino to replenish my savings for that amount of money spent.

Just a few observations to add to the ones I blog about before.

Someone asked me about the daily temps ... assuming its 90-100° every hour and every day of the week. It isn't and the mountains you see in the photos play a big factor in that, plus the monsoons that pass through. Starting in the morning when we get up it is usually 62-66°. It will slowly climb to the mid-80's by 10am and then turns the heat on ... it's like an oven soon after and before I know it, it's in the mid-90s or near a hundred.

Yet by 7 or 8pm I can sit outside to enjoy the sky, the mountains, the sounds as the sun goes down. Most nights I can turn off the AC by then and sleep with the windows open. Each day is a repeat of that and this is the last of two months of monsoons so there is heavy rain in the afternoon and/or nights but not always here at the house.

** This is strange ** -- fruits and veggies are better quality in Indiana than what I buy here in Arizona. I have tried three different stores here and they are all the same quality, although the Walmart fruits and veggies are pretty close to the quality I bought in Indiana.

My monthly grocery bill has increased about $80 to $100 per month since the move but that also may have something to do with any new tariffs with Mexico, I'm not sure. I'm told due to water rights, we are getting our avocados from Mexico and they are about half the size that we get from California.

For a town of this size I don't read or hear about a lot of crime. It's very quiet here in the neighborhood all the time and at night you hear almost nothing, even from town. No sirens, no gunshots (not expected).  I don't see a lot of crime headlines in the local online newspaper that I don't have a subscription to.

Holiday today ... I hear a knock at the door. I glance through the peep hole in the door and see two young boys at the door so I answer it since they most likely are not going to try to sell me water filtration systems, meat, or want to control my pests. One has a rake in hand, the other a broom and they almost shocked me with their question ... "do you have any chores we can do?"  I told them I didn't right now but to be sure to come back because I will eventually. I want to help them make some money with motivation like they showed.

The pest control companies, the water filter companies and meat selling companies ... oh yes, the security companies must have finally taken my address off their boards. I haven't had them knock on my door in weeks. I can live in peace now.

The move has affected Stella just a tiny bit. She still follows me from room to room unless she is in a deep sleep and doesn't hear me leave the room. If I move from the living room to the computer room, she will wake up and follow me, then lay down and sleep ... and vise versa. My bedroom and master bathroom is in back of the house ... yep ... she will wake up and follow me then lay down outside the bathroom doorway on the bedroom carpet while I shower.

On occasion she will sneak off into the dark big walk-in closet for a short siesta or the living room.

Heidi on the other hand is in her own world and sleeps in different rooms in her favorite spots depending what day or night it is. Like I said in a comment the other day, she has been having some problems not knowing where she is exactly. It's not because we moved because she was doing the same thing before we moved. I first I thought she was going blind but the vets have said that is not the case.

Due to a change in coat texture and a little more itching by Stella ... I have changed from a dog food we have used since February 2017 back to Fromm Gold for Large Breeds. I found a Fromm retailer downtown and the same deal as I had in Indiana years ago .. buy 12 bags get one free. Their biggest bag is only 33 pounds so that will not last long and it averages out to a $3 savings per bag after 12 bags are bought. I have always liked Fromm dog food's quality. Plus it's family owned.

Just like I knew before I moved here, I really like all the different business the town has to offer. I was just on the outside SE edge of Tucson on Friday and couldn't wait to get back home where there are fewer people and a lot less traffic.

I'm sure I am forgetting something that I was going to blog about today but this is about it for the day. It's been a very nice weekend here in the Wild West.

The Urge To Blog Is Gone

Just like the change in weather, things change in life, in daily activities or thoughts. That is the case here in June 2019. I am practically forcing myself to sit in front of my computer to write even this post. Words are not there and as I scrolled though photos to post on this blog, I couldn't decide what to post.

Blogging about the hounds and I in a public format is over.

Yes, I have done it before a couple of times since I started in October 2011. For various reasons I came back but those reasons have also disappeared. At this point in this post I am not sure I can finish this ... the words are just not there.


I will say that I really got tired of this type of weather this spring and into the early summer months. I have emailed a few readers, ones I have kept in touch with over the years via emails, what the current situation is. For those wondering, I am fine and the hounds are even better. None of us have any crisis going on in our lives. So that's not the reason for the lack of blog posts.

I no longer want to stand down by the highway passing out current updates to our lives with photos to every car that passes the house, whether I know them or not. That is how I described blogging years ago. Sure, friends are made and have been made through blogging but the "privacy thing" as always been big with me. It's always lingered in the background of my thoughts.

I found out this spring that the more time I spent away from the computer the more I enjoyed life. Even when I was doing things I didn't want to do, it was still better than spending time in front of my computer. I found it harder and harder to grasp that hour or two it takes to put a post together with 12-25 photos in the post.

An ex-friend told me once some of the best photos you will ever take, will be those you don't.

Whether you want it to or not and other bloggers may feel the same way ... blogging gets into your thought process, your photo taking process and your daily life ... if you blog that often. You find yourself taking your camera not to capture possibly the best photo of the hounds but to get photos for the blog post that day.

That is no way to take photos.

I could be sitting outside battling the bugs, the gnats or mosquitoes and enjoy watching the day come to an end but battled within myself to get up, go inside and post something on the blog when I had not blogged in days. A feeling of 'obligation' sneaks into my daily routine ... and I've never wanted any kind of obligations.

It brings back that time I had an ex-girlfriend screaming at me "you have made a commitment ... not to make any" ... for the first time in our relationship we had agreed on something. LOL

I will say that my life and daily routine has changed drastically from what you have read on this blog and my old blog over on Blogger. I am back to bicycling again. I am back to loading the hounds into the car for local drives and exploring new interests. I no longer sit my first cup of coffee down in front of my computer in the morning and spend the first 2-3 hours of the day in front of my iMac. I'm outside enjoying the sights and sounds of another day getting it's start.

My time in front of a computer has decreased drastically and I like that ... a lot.

The hounds have had a slight change to their routines but all for the better. They still eat twice per day. Heidi still goes right back to sleep after her breakfast but a HUGE DIFFERENCE, she now goes to the door every morning around 10am expecting me to take her for 'her' walk.

Stella is now whining to go on her morning walk, if we are not outside by 6am. She is not only walking further than we use to but breaks into a fast trot and shows more activity than she has in many months.

Both hounds are looking better than they ever have and have done more activity than before. They are good.

The words reluctance and privacy seem to go hand in hand anymore when it comes to me being open on a blog. I gave it a gallant effort of being more open on the blog back in December. I cannot say I liked it but I did it anyway. Then I caught myself falling back into that privacy mode of mine of writing less about my thoughts and more about what the hounds were doing.

The urge to blog was disappearing even while I posted the past few times.

So where does the word reluctance come into play?

If I were to post like I did every day for a few years or many months, the possibility of unexpected visitors would be more possible than ever before. If I were to post current photos of the hounds, there would be a few keen readers that could figure out what was going on and might even go as far as knocking on my door to see the hounds.

Just like the strange lady I found one day a few years ago ... looking into the back bedroom window because she wanted to see the hounds. It didn't matter that I wasn't home at the time, she was there to see the hounds no matter what. I had been too open in my blog posts and the photos I took ... she figured out where I lived.

Over the years I have read more times than I wanted to, about blog readers showing up on the doorstep or knocking on an RV door of people that blogged, to see the people and dogs they were reading about. I don't want that to ever happen to me and the hounds.

Some might think that would never happen here but I have always leaned more toward preventing that one in a million chance.

I was careless before in my photo taking and blogging and thus the strange crazy lady looking in my windows, for the hounds. I'll not make that mistake again.

So combined with the the lack of words to type, the lack of interest for sharing my life and the hounds to the world, and the big reluctance to post photos that would blow our cover ... I cannot see anyway I can continue blogging in a public platform.

For some, this announcement might bother them or as in the past, in a few it will anger them. I'll hear from them since I have not changed my email address nor do I plan to. Some readers are bloggers and will understand what I have spoken about and others that don't blog will think that I am selfish, possibly crazy or even lazy ... I mean it can't take that much time to put a blog post together.

After all it only takes a few minutes to read one of my posts and only seconds to scroll through the photos. So it can't take that much time to blog.

To those readers I suggest you start your own blog and write about every little thing in your life and what you are doing. Take a million photos per day, download them, edit them and post the ones you like and open your door to any blog reader that wishes to stop by to visit you or see your dog, cat, reptile or plants.

For those readers that stopped by my blogs to take a look at the photos over the years, made comments or sent emails ... thank you for taking your time to stop by the blog. I found an enjoyment in taking photos and blogging then ... I don't now.

As each hound passed, things changed. The blog changed, I changed. I know that is just part of life but as I get older I find it harder to lose a hound. Sometimes those walks through the field were not as enjoyable as they once were because past memories overtook the walk Stella and I were on.

When she started losing interest in taking the 2 walks per day through the field, I did too. The window of finding things to blog about and to take photos of got smaller and smaller. Activities outside called life ... became more important than blogging. I cannot even find time to blog privately in my journal and the urge to do so is also evaporating.

So there it is ... it's the best I can do in trying to explain ... still a poor job of doing so.

Add me to the list of other bloggers that have stopped blogging for one reason or another. Some made an announcement and others just drifted out into the black space called the internet.

The hounds and I are more than happy with the change in our lives.