Reply #43: That wound care which does not kill me surely will make me stronger.

[Systematic Chaos]

I went out to see my new wound care doctor at the Summerlin hospital, at the mercy of the bus system the whole while. Jeanette and I left the apartment at 7:00 for a 10:00 appointment and when all was said and done I got to the correct office only minutes before I'd have been officially late. The hospital is literally the last stop on the 3rd bus we took, and because of a major construction project going on next to the main building, the bus does not stop any closer to the place than one long block away. The long block is made even longer because the construction has to be detoured around. The entire distance from the street to the hospital entrance is uphill. Most of this is not even very steep but with the shape I'm in at this point it feels like climbing a mountain. It was about 103 degrees when I went up the hill and when I finally made it into the hospital I was worried I was going to pass out. Fortunately I didn't anyway. The wound care center was located near the opposite end of the building. I was too proud to ask for a ride there in a wheelchair so I walked that too and by the time I had a seat in the wound care office I felt like I'd been run over by a truck.

The good news out of all this is that my condition seems to be improving, but almost too slowly to gauge. This doctor is using a 4-layer bandaging system on my left leg and is also giving me a debreiding (sp?) ointment for my toes. I think I'm going to be okay as long as I stick to watching what I eat and work to regain my stamina. By the time we finally made it home it was 4:30 and very hot. We each grabbed a hot dog out of sheer desperation at a transfer point on the way home as neither of us had eaten yet that day. When I finally made it in and sat down I realized just how much that little bit of walking and bike riding had taken out of me, and it took until Sunday for the pain that I felt pretty much all over to subside.

By now it should be apparent that I couldn't make it to the casting call for The Biggest Loser the following day. I was just too sore to go out on the buses again. I'm still mad at myself for not going but I can live with it. It's not the end of the world by any means, and I am continuing to try very hard to do the right things concerning my diet. I'm keeping my focus on making it to my wound care appointments and knowing that at least it won't be as hot out soon. The nurse in the waiting room promised to find out where a scale was that I could use to weigh myself on and would direct me there when I come in this Friday so I will also finally know what I weigh again. I'm going to have to continue to do what must be done without the potential benefits of being on the show, but my resolve is very high right now. I just hope nobody here is too upset with me for not making it.