More Decisions about what to take in the Duchess

Easter Sunday:

Connie and I hosted some family for Easter Sunday. Guests included Connie's sister Debbie, Debbie's daughter Lisa and her husband Gabe and Debbie's grandson Josh. The weather ended up being overcast with a light mist, so we ended up eating in the barn. Connie had stuffed a chicken on Saturday that we cooked in our NuWave oven along with cooking some pulled pork in the slow cooker. Both turned out to be delicious. After everyone had taken a "tour" of The Duchess, we visited for several hours before our guests returned to Austin.

Monday:

Connie spend most of the day trying to organize the kitchen. She went through all of her spices and moved a lot of them from bottles to small plastic bags. She also rearranged where several items were stored in the cabinets and got the last of our "groceries/food" put up.

We discovered that the drain line from the kitchen sink had come loose so we ended up having to take everything out of the cabinet under the sink, use towels to get rid of the water, re-connect and test the drain lines, run a fan for several hours to make sure everything was dried out and then put everything back. I don't know if this was loose from the time we bought the motorhome or if it came loose in transit from Dallas to Austin. We will try and remember to look at this during our next several moves.

I spent the day trying to decide which plastic bins will fit in the basement (bay) storage. After several attempts at arranging bins, I finally came up with a plan that will maximize the storage capability we have in The Duchess.

Tuesday:

Another day trying to get organized. I was able to "test" our small tripod mounted 18" satellite dish to see if I could find the satellite and get the DirectTV receiver to work with this dish. After a number of attempts, I finally figured out that I have to unplug the receiver from power to be able to reprogram it for a different dish. Also found out that the flat cable the company we bought the dish from doesn't work (this is used to go through the window so that you can fully closed it). I will have to get a replacement for this part of the cable.

We made a lot of progress going through more stuff in the barn. We made a few changes in where the plastic bins are located and started to put more of our items in the motorhome. Put our winter clothes in large plastic bags to store in the bays and brought the last of our clothes into the motorhome. By the end of the day we were able to see a "light at the end of the tunnel" at this part of getting ready to start.

Connie's back continues to get better although she has to take it easy. She tries to walk several times a day and has found out that ice packs are her friends.

Still have several things we need to accomplish before we leave Rosanky:

• Sale of Connie's Toyota Solara convertible
• Take Connie's family photos and family financial paperwork to her sister
• Get rid of all of our trash and boxes from the downsizing here in Rosanky
• Connie wants to have some jewelry re-done (stones from one ring to another, etc.)
• Few more items that need to be donated
• Clean up the garage and put all stored items on shelves

We are hoping to be able to head out on the road by the end of next week. I would like to take The Duchess to the Escapees campground in Livingston Texas and go through their Smart Weigh program.

Slow week in Rosanky

Connie and I have been taking it easy this week since we have returned to The Duchess here in Rosanky. Connie continues her recovery from back surgery while I have tried to sort through our belongings to see what will fit into the motorhome. Connie is very limited in her activities during this two week initial recovery period. Today was the first day she felt like going through anything and we spend the afternoon deciding where to put stuff in the kitchen. I'm sure we will change things over the next few months as we settle into The Duchess. Not much else to report. We both are looking forward to being able to get "on the road".

Follow-Up Day at LSI/Recovery Day

Yesterday Connie had an her follow-up appointment at the Laser Spine Institute. The clinic personnel checked her incision and then changed her bandages. We then met with a physician assistant who reviewed her case and gave her these instructions for the next two weeks: Walk, ice, rest, Walk, ice, rest, Walk, ice, rest (repeat again and again for the next two weeks). The best advice he told us is to allow the body to heal and not to overdo it. He also reviewed once again the medication that Connie will be on for the next few days (antibiotic, pain medication & muscle relaxer) and how to take them. We were able to get a copy of the pictures taken during Connie's surgery that shows the before and after results of the procedure.

Connie bandage over incision showing time and date of the end of her procedure along with a "smiley face" for the good result

Connie incision for procedure (about 1.5") and where Dr. Mark Flood indicated where the procedure would take place (the OR crew made his writing into the figure you see above)

We then met with a Patient Case Review worker to go through the week Connie experienced at the Laser Spine Institute. They wanted to know what Connie liked and did not like about the interaction she had with LSI. Connie gave them positive feed-back on almost everything at the clinic and her experience through out the week. They asked her if she would like to be on the clinic "Wall of Fame" and she agreed. So they took her picture and will post it with some of the comments she made during the feed back interview. Connie also agreed to be available by phone to answer any questions a prospective patient might have about the Laser Spine Institute and about her experience with the clinic and the personnel at LSI.

Connie and I have found the clinic and personnel at LSI to be very professional yet also very caring with their patients. We found that the clinic schedule ran on time and we rarely waited more than a few minutes for the next appointment through out the week. The procedure was a great success and the hardest part will be not overdoing it during the recovery phase.

Saturday is a Walk, Ice, Rest day here at the hotel. We have a flight back to Texas in the morning and then a return to the Duchess. Then two weeks of Walk, Ice, Rest for Connie to continue her recovery. Hopefully next week this blog will return to it's original purpose of writing about our preparation for full-timing and then our start on the journey. As with everyone who has ever started on this journey, life interrupts us when we least expect it.

Big Day at Laser Spine Institute (LSI)

Connie had her surgical procedure this morning at the Laser Spine Institute. The easy name for the procedure is "Minimally Invasive Decompression", I will not try to spell the actual medical term for the surgery. We arrived at the institute around 7:30 AM and were taken up to the Pre-Op area. Connie had to go through another series of questions after which we spent a few minutes with Dr. Flood who would perform the procedure. Then we met with anesthesia and one of the operating room nurses and they explained the process that would get Connie ready for the procedure. IV's were started and a few minutes later Connie was off to surgery.

Connie was in surgery for about an hour. Dr. Flood found that there was a rubbery like mass that had formed in the area between her L4 and L5 that was compressing her nerve. The odd thing is that this mass did not show up on either of the MRI's that Connie had done over the last few months. Dr. Flood was able to clean this out and then did some smoothing of the bones. Once he was finished there was a clear channel for the nerve to pass out of the spinal column. From the operating room, Connie went into a recovery room for about 45 minutes. From the recovery room she then moved to the post-op area where I was able to join her. The post-op nurse went through all of Connie's medications and how they were to be taken along with reviewing the restrictions on her physical activities. Dr. Flood came out and reviewed the procedure with us. He had taken a series of pictures that showed the before and after area that he had worked on. It was amazing the difference in the first and last pictures that showed how the nerve was free of any compression one the procedure was completed. We are extremely grateful that Connie chose to have the less aggressive procedure performed rather than the more aggressive disk fusion. Dr. Flood also reported that even though there are some alignment issues with Connie's back, everything is stable and this procedure will give her the results she wanted.

After the surgery, Connie has no back pain, no hip pain and no pain in her foot. She has a slight sensation down her right thigh, but Dr. Flood told us this was expected and will disappear in a couple of days. It is the normal result of the compression being removed from the nerve (he described it as the nerve is beginning to wake up). We returned to the hotel and ate lunch after which Connie took a long nap. She was able to take a couple of 10 minute walks inside the hotel this afternoon and evening with no pain.

Connie has a follow-up appointment with the surgeon tomorrow and with a physical therapist to go over her recovery exercise program. The hardest part according to Dr. Flood is to not overdo things since she is now pain free. The body still needs time to heal. We are thankful to all of the personnel at LSI who have been wonderful and very supportive throughout Connie's workup and procedure. We are also grateful to all of our friends and family for their prayers, thoughts and support during this week.

Another Day at the Laser Spine Institute (LSI)

Connie at the enterance to the Laser Spine Institute

Connie had her first appointment of the day this morning at 10:30 AM. We arrived at the clinic early and both of us had the complimentary breakfast provided for patients and families. We then went into an appointment with a surgeon (not the one who will actually do the procedure) and a physician assistant. The surgeon and the PA discussed the problems with Connie lower back and the options that were available at LSI. The less aggressive procedure was to remove the pressure from the nerves between Connie's L4 and L5 by trimming some of the bone and smoothing out any spurs and pits. The more aggressive procedure would be to fuse the L4 and L5 bones. We went through all of the pros and cons with each of the options. If Connie did the less aggressive procedure now, the more aggressive (fusion) would still be available down the road. The results from the last 11 years at LSI have shown a 70-80% success rate with the less aggressive procedure in relieving back pain. So, after much thought and discussion Connie decided to have the less aggressive procedure with the surgery occurring tomorrow morning. If Connie had decided to go ahead with the disk fusion, we would have had to reschedule the procedure later in the year along with her having to go through a lot of hoops with the insurance company. There was also a shadow on her MRI that the radiologist thought might be a cyst in her kidney. So Connie had to go to a local imaging center to have her kidney scanned.

After a quick lunch at LSI (yes they also provide lunch as well as breakfast for their patients and families), we met with Dr. Flood who is one of the founders of LSI and will be Connie's surgeon. We again discussed Connie's lower back and the two options available. After this discussion with Dr. Flood, Connie did not change her mind and she will go with the less aggressive procedure.

Raymond James Stadium - Home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We went through all of the "money" issues with Serena Tamayo who is a Spine Care Coordinator at LSI and she started the process to get Connie on the schedule for tomorrow. We also had to get three prescriptions filled at a local pharmacy for her post-op recovery. After a drive through Tampa to get the the radiology center for Connie's kidney scan, we then travelled on to the pharmacy where we were picked up the prescriptions . Everything turned out OK with the kidney scan. If there had been a cyst (the MRI was several weeks old), it has now disappeared. During our travels between the radiology center and the pharmacy, we drove past the New York Yankees spring training facility and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football stadium. As the afternoon spring training game at George Steinbrenner Field was just ending, we got caught in an afternoon traffic jam.


It was a long day for Connie with a lot of information thrown at her. We are hopeful she made the right decision and the procedure tomorrow will be successful in getting rid of her back pain. We walked over to the Bahama Breeze restaurant and ate dinner. While at dinner, LSI called and told Connie that she needs to be there at 7:45 AM in the morning for her procedure. Please continue to keep Connie in your thoughts and prayers.

Laser Spine Institute/Time in Florida

The DoubleTree Hotel that we are staying at is only a 5 minute walk from the Laser Spine Institute. On Monday morning we made the short walk from the hotel and Connie checked in with the Laser Spine Institute and was told her first appointment would be on Tuesday morning at 7:15 AM. We walked around the facility and visited with a couple of the staff members at the institute. Since we had the rest of the day "free", we decided to take a trip over to Clearwater Beach which is suppose to be the nicest beach in this area of Florida. We drove over to the beach and the rain followed us. As we started to walk down the beach, the rain started falling so we ended up walking around the shops along the beach. We called it an early day after driving from Clearwater to St. Petersburg then back to Tampa.

Mike and Connie on Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach

Tuesday morning rolled around early for us. Since we had to be at the Laser Spine Institute (LSI) for Connie's first appointment by 7 AM, we got up at 5:30 AM to get ready for the day. The LSI provides a complimentary breakfast for their patients and families, so we ate a quick breakfast before going up to the 3rd floor to get started. We did not know how long we would be at the clinic on Tuesday since it would depend on how many tests Connie would need to have done. Connie had appointments with:

• Patient Experience Coordinator that went through the process for the week and gave us additional information.We were given an information packet that included information about LSI and pre-op/post-op directions. There is also information for me as the Care Giver for Connie after the procedure.
• Then we met with another Patient Advisor that went over all of the paperwork that Connie had completed and sent to LSI last week.
• On to have a History & Physical, blood drawn for tests, EKG to check Connie's heart along with answering another set of questions about her lower back pain and symptoms. A physician assistant then did a physical examination of Connie and an evaluation of her pain and symptoms. Since Connie had already had two MRI scans down in the last few months, the only additional diagnostic items were some x-rays of Connie's lower back in different positions.
• Connie then had a consultation regarding the anesthesia used during the procedure and completed another set of computer questions about her back pain and symptoms.Connie will be using a device called a Neuro-Stim System after the procedure has been done that is attached behind her ear. The therapy generates a low frequency and continual pulse that is suppose in increase the release of endorphines and help to reduce the amount of pain medication that is needed. It can be used for up to five days post procedure.
• Down to the Diagnostic Area where Connie had a set of x-rays taken of her back.

The LSI is a very efficient organization. There was never a long wait for us in any of the different areas of the clinic we visited during the morning. All of the personnel at LSI were very professional but also very patient friendly. Connie's appointments on Wednesday start at 10:30 AM with the surgeon where we will find out their recommendations.

Since Connie's day at LSI finished up by lunch time, we decided to take a trip to see my uncle/aunt (Harry and Carol Johnson) that live in Sebring Florida which is about 90 miles from Tampa. We drove over to their house and spent several hours visiting with them. One of my cousins, Scott Johnson and his wife Julie, dropped by and we all had an early dinner. After a nice visit, we made the drive back to our hotel in Tampa.

On to Tampa FL/Laser Spine Institute

Connie waving good-bye to The Duchess

After spending one night in The Duchess, Sunday morning Connie and I packed our bags for a flight to Tampa Florida. We ate breakfast at a local restaurant in Bastrop Texas called the The Coffee Dog Roastery. The food was delicious and the coffee was wonderful. They serve a number of their own blends of coffee so we were able to try out several during our meal. Then on the Austin airport to catch our Southwest Airlines flight. With the South by Southwest festival going on in Austin, we did not know how busy the airport would be. We arrived early and had no problems or long waits in line going through security. The plane ended up being one-half hour late, but once everyone was on board the airplane the flight was uneventful (thankfully we had a direct flight).

We are now here in Tampa so that Connie can have a procedure done on her back to relieve the pain caused by a car wreck in 2013. Connie will be having the procedure done at the Laser Spine Institute here in Tampa. We know of several individuals who have come here to this medical group with excellent results. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent seeing doctors and other personnel at the Laser Spine Institute with the procedure currently scheduled for Thursday. We are hoping that the medical procedure done here will allow Connie to be pain free and more active in our travels around the USA and Canada. Keep Connie in your thoughts and prayers throughout this week.

Rain has followed us here in Tampa. When we awoke this morning, the rain was coming down so hard we could not see across the parking lot at our hotel.