While I have posted about the cardiology consult, I haven’t posted a “real” update (though this is a bit of a tease of one) and gone into why I haven’t moved yet, etc. for a while now. By real, I mean a full system update, which should also answer some of the questions about moving, etc.
Let me start by repeating yet again, take lightning safety seriously! Keep in mind that the most common type of strike is indirect (hits tree or such, some or all comes over and gets you), while the most spectacular are direct hits. Not everyone gets the fancy burns, at least on the outside (inside may be a different matter) and the most common symptoms are the same as with a concussion. Know that, as your average ER doc likely does not.
Short version is that I was sitting on the porch, and lightning hit a tree just off the porch (no, no lightning within a mile before the strike). Part came over and got me, part got my car and fried the radio. Best guess is it hit just behind my right ear, though it is possible it could have hit in the ear (take that Chekov!) It then went down through my body spreading joy as it went, before exiting the ball of my right foot. The shoe got the fancy burns on its sole, no external burns on me. I’m very glad that it hit on the right and that the metal chair I was sitting in had arms. For the first, it means that it did not pass directly through the heart (likely fatal) but hit it a glancing blow. On the second, I locked up but did NOT fall over, which again might have been fatal since it would have changed the path to ground. I do regard both of these things as (not so) small miracles.
I had thought I retained consciousness throughout, but some doubts about that have come up. I remember my world going white, having my Buckley moment, my brain feeling like it was vibrating at a very high frequency, having things go black, some random thoughts as things went black, and being very relieved that when I could see again, was still on the porch, and alive. I had honestly wondered at one point during the black period if when the lights came back on (and I literally thought the power had gone out to the house) if I would see heaven, hell, or something else.
Let’s start at the top as it were (my sense of pun may be worse than ever). I lost pretty much all the higher frequency hearing in my right ear, and those nerves are dead, dead, dead. I qualify for a hearing aid in that ear, but with the nerves dead I just don’t see the point in getting one. My tinnitus is much worse, especially in the right ear. Which means not only do I have a hard time hearing (small children and voices in certain ranges are very hard to hear/understand), but I used to be very good at pinpointing the locations of a sound. Now, I’m about 90 degrees off on my original location though I am slowly getting a bit better.
Long term memory: they think most or all of the memories are still there, but the root directory is corrupted as it were, and the brain doesn’t know where/how to find them. I occasionally get a memory cascade, and have some things I do (including thanking whoever sparked it even if they don’t have a clue what they did) to try to set that connection.
Short term memory: Better than it was, but not all that good. I still live by lists, notes, and routines. Things that throw me off routine can make me a bit irritable as it generally means things don’t get done. That may be steps in a recipe or baking, or it can mean a major task doesn’t get done. The latter is very unwelcome and unappreciated, though it may be I need to learn more patience with others and myself.
Not Sure How To Describe It Memory: I do have trouble learning new things, and I blank on names and more all the time. Prayers I’ve said or things I’ve done literally hundreds (or even thousands) of time go blip and I can’t remember them/do them. Discovered recently that I had trouble with sheet music, which I used to be able to follow with ease. The guitar you all helped me get is an experiment, one I want to really dive into here soon. For the record, what little I have done has been fun and hasn’t tortured the landlord or the cats too badly. I will blank on what i am doing, what I am to do next, did I take my pills, etc. on a more regular basis than I would like. I would love to volunteer at the Church bookstore, but I don’t know how well that would go in terms of how you log things and ring people up. Again, there appear to be issues with how long it takes me to learn and how (if) I learn new things. Baking bread this week may have been the first time I actually followed all the steps in the recipe I’ve been using a few months now, and that’s because I used notes and lists to help. Oh, and the odd words/word choices, typos, and such here? Blame the brain blips as that’s one of the signs of such.
No, I do NOT need assisted living. A keeper might not be a bad idea, and if anyone knows a sweet young lady with poor eyesight and even worse judgement, let me know. Marriage required. However, my plans to move to the desert and become a bit of a hermit are being re-evaluated. Seems I need to be around people more than I might like. Seems I may need people to check up on me a bit, which is not a concept I particularly care for in some respects. For the record, I’m an introvert who can and does fake “normal” (badly I suspect) for short periods of time. My initial move plan would have given me that time via the job talking history to tourists. Right now, I get it via Church. Not thrilled with the idea of needing to be checked on, though right now if anything happened to me here I figure the cats will eat well for a week before the landlord notices and checks.
Cardiology issues are now getting a review and hopefully a lot more data and new or improved treatment. One issue that is bugging me is that the non-surgical/harvesting leg has developed rather bad edema, which affects how much I can walk and exercise. Trying something this weekend to see if it helps and maybe removes 3-5 pounds of fluid. May take a while, but at least the cardiology is getting handled and I’m more optimistic than I’ve been since I got hit.
There are some digestive issues and I have to be a bit more careful about what I eat, how much, and when. Not too bad, but yet one more reason I like routines.
I have had some balance and mobility issues, some of which have improved after my recent Baptism. The ball of my right foot still does a bit funny on occasion, both internally and in terms of the callus and how fast it can build up. My vision is still not great, but not apparently worse either.
The new shoulders are doing well, though I do miss not being able to get my hands back behind me. Makes it hard to tuck in, can’t go to parade rest, or do a few other things. Finding work-arounds for some, and continuing to stretch and do PT as I can. So much better than the almost 100% bone on bone before. Can’t blame the shoulders on the lightning, but they not only needed replacement, I probably waited a few years too long, which is why I had to get the reverse replacement.
There are a few other things, but this hits the high points.
So, I haven’t moved because I needed surgeries, PT, and we really don’t have all the issues dealt with. While my primary focus has been on the cardio issues, there is more than enough to go around and I have a good GP, ENT, and really like the new cardiologist. I also need to find comparable insurance where I move, and that’s going to be interesting. Right now, have decent insurance at a decent rate, and what I’m finding when I look is less coverage at a higher rate. Huge factor for me. Again, primary reason I haven’t already moved are the medical issues that keep/kept cropping up (not quite a cascade, but…) and insurance. It really did (and does) feel like every time I start to move something comes up to block me. May be a hint in there. Cough. I’m getting better at noticing those hints…
With my income limited to what it is via early retirement, insurance, rent/mortgage, and cost-of-living all have to be factored in. I would like to get a place of my own here if I could, but I’ve got a great deal price-wise where I am that makes it worth staying here for now. That may change, so looking at options.
So, for someone hit by lightning, I’m actually doing pretty good. Working on better and thankful that it is not (much, much) worse. It easily could have been/could be.
The cardio issues are the latest in a series of issues that have come up since the strike and the open-heart surgery. Seems like every time we got one thing dealt with, something else came up. Again, I suspect there is a reason for that. Not only was I in a good place and situation for getting those dealt with, I had the right coverage and right circumstances to do so. Also, several of the things led me to my new Church home, which has resulted in a number of other changes to my life. Good changes, and I like this new path more than I can say. Since dealing with the cardio and possibly related issues could take up to a year, this gives me much more time at that home and will put me on a much better footing if I do get to move out West, or if I stay here.
It has also caused me to re-evaluate plans and locations. Going to need to be nearer to people and good medical than originally thought. Can’t be three hours away from the right medical, need to be closer to an hour or so from one and with good emergency care within 20 or so minutes. May can stretch that a bit, but not a whole lot. So, recalculating.
If things go in such a way I can’t move from here, am going to be looking at options in this area. May be looking at such even on a temporary basis even if it looks like I can move in a year or so.
May go into some housing ideas on another post. Saw something done in the Texas panhandle where they used an old mine and came up with something that could have been in Architectural Digest. Bit more than I want, but have to admit it was fantastic. Been looking at using shipping containers to go underground and have a few ideas. Again, may do a post on some of the ideas I do wish I could pull off.
So, that’s what happened, what’s going on, and why I haven’t moved yet. As I said, I’m doing extremely well for someone hit by lightning and can’t complain. For all I wish I were out West, there are reasons I’m not and I’m glad for all that has come to me here. More soon.
Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.
