all things burkenbine postponed

Some of the insanity of this blog is explained.  Just some...
After realizing i have had a pressure in my head  for quite some time, a heck of a lot of erratic behavior and the pain and noise was getting worse....I finally told my wife and we were off to the hospital.     After telling the ER that my mom died of sudden brain tumors, I got a battery of tests.    Blood pressure was 192/132....and they did ct scans of my head and chest to find I have a  Thoracic  Aortic Aneurysm .  Supposedly the blood pressure pounding in my head can effect a lot of things.... Tests continue.         So no bungie jumping, no caffeine.  No bacon and oreos.   .   oh well. Happy to be alive.      


Guess I am a little Ill.
I am off the computer indefinitely.

If you enjoy any of the posts, thank you. If not...change the channel.


updates......I am officially old and rode hard.   46 years old, but aorta is about 68.   During my multiple stints in the ER, I now realize this is like going to an auto mechanic.

 I have put a lot of miles on cars through the years. When I have gone into the mechanic, I usually want a specific problem fixed, but they try to tell me my old car also needs brakes, belts, transmission fluid changed,  hoses and plugs....even though I just wanted a vacuum line leak found and fixed.

After going to the ER, I went from a headache  ( high blood pressure) to a possible cataract, a 5. Thoracic
aortic aneurysm, a hernia ( knew I had this, but it is confirmed now) and some other borderline issues confirmed by tests.       I consider the Aneurysm the main course, and everything else is overkill.   I also found my only known allergy....the ct scan contrast material.  When I had my 3rd ct in a week, they injected my blood for the second time in a week with the contrast....that night bright red, itchy hives and rash appeared across my neck and chest.    That became another night in the ER, because supposedly this can turn into some difficult breathing and worse scenarios.  I really didn't think it was a big deal, but Amy was more than a little concerned about what we would do if  the problem escalated, and worse yet, raised my blood pressure and I popped the hose off my heart.     ( that is really kind of the threat of my little aneurysm. They operate when it gets to 5.5, I am at 5....if it were to dissect or rupture I guess I am dead in seconds. Only a 20 percent fluke chance of living through that. ).   I can't lift much either. Dr just said don't lift anything....did some checking and some doctors will limit you to 10 pounds( gallon of milk is 8 pounds)   or 20 pounds....some sixty.

I assure you, if they keep poking around, they will find more wrong.   My worry is my body will react to fixing and new parts like the old cars do.      Many times, the old car was running fine til you put a new part on it or cleaned something.   How many times did the old caked on dirt and oil plug a leak you didn't know you had,  until you cleaned it.   Old things sometimes reject the New.  

Apparently I am now at that stage of life where you are supposed to live each day as well as you can.   I actually read this as advice for someone who asked a dr on a website for a guestimation on  how long he would live. The man was in a similar situation as myself....he was 20 years younger than the usual suspect with this affliction.   " you should live each day as well as you can.  Who is to say you won't live a long and full life?  Numbers and life expectancy are for insurance actuaries. "

and I said *@&^......That is not the answer you give to someone with a good prognosis.  

and I again say *@&^.....I have now used the word affliction and prognosis and got in trouble for shoveling snow.      ( Our dog won't go outside unless the path is clear and I have shoveled a clear space in the grass for her. What was I  supposed to do? )
Jeez, maybe I can write a good book with all this time I will get to spend at the homeless shelter doin   nothing :)

Update.February 15....after a month plus of tests, the results say I have no other problems and blood pressure meds fixed high blood pressure a little to well, so they are backing up the dosage.     No damage to anything from the high bp. Cholesterol ok. No diabetes threat. Veins are good. Nothing. I changed my diet anyway, better safe than sorry.     The odd thing is there is no lift restriction to speak of.   Everything I had read said 10-30 pound limits, and those recommendations were on various hospital web sites.   My guy says half your body weight.   So I am off to fill out those applications for package delivery and my wife doesn't think that is a good idea at all.    

What would you do?  I have to work. The bills are piling up and perfect job offers are not exactly filling up my voicemail or email inbox.    My wife says heavy lifting jobs seems like a bad idea and she would like me around for as long as possible.