29Sep13 Sunny 90 degrees. Movie: 'Silver Linings.' Didn't even see the opening credits. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My appointment was an hour later this morning. I had one treatment. My feet were red and painful before HBOT. The dive did the trick. I headed back to the hotel at a level 6. I rested the rest of the day. When we left this morning there was a Kenworth truck parked in front of the hotel. It was still there when we got back. :0/

30Sep13 Sunny and 89 degrees. No HBOT today. Mondays are off days. Gram and I had dinner at Denny's then went on down to Target for soft shoes. I used their motorized cart. By time we were done my left foot was pretty swollen. My left leg is pink and both feet are still red much of the time. My hip and ankle feel like the tissues are tearing. My knees are sore too. These pain sensations are different than the normal CRPS pain I usually feel. I have that too. My overall pain level was a 6 most of the day; at bedtime it was a 7. I don't feel as weak as I did coming out of the HBOT yesterday, but I do black out when I stand up too quickly. Water, water, water! I must start drinking more water. Even so, my walking is getting better. I'm not going to be walking any distances for a long time yet, if ever.

Frank is still sick. He had a few good days after his Vet visit. He was given pain meds and sent home to Grandma/pa Hasty's house. Now, the meds don't seem to be working as well. For one thing he can't keep them down. He has been vomiting and is lethargic.

01Oct13 Sunny and 82 degrees. Overall pain is a 6 with a few spikes into the 7s. The tearing pain in my right ankle and left hip remains. The itching remains too. My soars continue to heal but I do have a few new ones popping up on my left arm and right leg. I woke at 12:00 am, but slept most of the day. Only one dive. Today's movie was 'Silver Linings.' It was limited to one hour because I was nauseous. On the way home we got a little confused and had to make a few Uies. I missed calls from Darrell (2), Ri, Kelly and the concierge yesterday. I didn't even check my phone till today. I don't know what planet I was on but it wasn't earth. I'm still trying to push the water.

02Oct13 Overcast in am. Partly cloudy in Afternoon. 76 degrees. I didn't know they had clouds in sunny Southern California. We could not see the mountains all day. Their presence was missed. I felt nauseous again this am when I woke up. It improved with breakfast. Only one treatment today. Movie: 'The Water Horse.' I slept through entire movie. My overall pain level in the morning was a 6. After the dive it improved to a 5. I'm really feeling good. Better than I have felt in a long time. I still have the pins and needles in my feet coupled with the numbness. I had splotchy redness on my feet before this morning's dive that practically went away afterwards. The burning and aching still nibbles at my pelvis, leg and left foot. I have shooting pain that runs up and down my leg into my pelvis. Again it nibbles at me from the background. I could almost ignore it. Almost. The tearing sensation in my right knee and ankle stops when I sit down. It is from use. It is my body complaining about me walking again after taking years off from the sport. It was suggested that I use a wheelchair for a few days to let the knee and ankle rest. I am thinking about it. I borrowed a walker to improve my stability. I don't know if it is the weather or constant sunshine, but it seems I am always hungry unless I am nauseous. We are hoping to fix my bladder problem too. I've been cathing for 5 years because the nerve damage makes it difficult for me to urinate. I have a neurogenic bladder with hematuria. I have frequent bladder infections. The problem has been tied to my CRPS. Hopefully my bladder will wake up too with these treatments. That would be fantastic.

Gram is doing great. She has the trip between the hotel and clinic down already. She is still a bit nervous driving, especially at night. That would be me too if it were me driving. We went to Walgreens to pick up several of my prescriptions after my morning treatment. I did take a rest while at the pharmacy but otherwise walked while shopping. It felt good to walk for a change. I expected cramping as a result, however it was confined to my right calf and improved with medication and sleep. The spasticity has been much worse in the past; my Dystonia takes over my forearms, hands, legs, and feet leaving me in a painful contorted posture.

03Oct13 Partly cloudy and 73 degrees. No mountains again. I woke at 2:30 am.
Two treatments today. Movie: 'The Hunger Games.' Watched the movie plus all the documentary after. Awesome movie. Managed to stay awake during both dives. 4! That's a FOUR! Yep. A four. I still have CRPS pain that gnaws at me, but it is so much improved. I am ready to go dancing or cycling, but I remain cautious. Not today. My overall morning pain was a 5, it was brought down to a 4 with the magical HBOT machine. My afternoon and evening pain levels fluctuated between a 4 to a 5 to a 6 and back to a 4. I call the pain in my feet 'the three sizes too small lead boots' pain. Too small because my feet feel like they are being squeezed very tightly. Lead boots because they become heavier and heavier the longer I am on my feet. Sometimes I can barely lift them. Today the pain is 'one size too small lead boots' pain. I returned the walker; it made walking even more exhausting for me.

I'm told I need to separate the RSD pain from the original nerve injury pain. The pain that runs up and down my leg was initially caused by the accident when I fell. Having that pain now is good because it indicates that the nerves are waking up. It typically shoots through the bottom of my left foot up my leg and lands in my left hip and buttocks. After today's second treatment it is stopped at my knee some of the time rather than my hip. The pinkish redness in my leg and feet is all but gone. My sores are still improving. I have new sores though on my right leg and both upper arms, and I can feel others just below the skin. I'm told they are caused by high doses of opiates. I am still convinced they are from my skin breaking down due to the CRPS. Either way, I am ready for them to be over. I have scars that will likely be with me for life, but they tell a story about a disease and an incredible ride back to health.

My family stress level is high because I am here and Darrell is back home. This makes me feel as though life is rumbling just beneath the surface ready to explode. I understand the necessity but it brings me no comfort. Money talks; especially now. Darrell has to work. Frank. What can I say. I miss the furry little boy. He is sick again. I am unsure how much life he has left. Does he feel abandoned and alone at the Hasty house as he nears the end? My Mom is here; she eases my anxiety.

Tomorrow after my dive, I have another Medtronic baclofen refill. Hopefully I can find the place. It is a right and then another right. The Doctor's office is on the right. Sounds simple enough. We will see. It doesn't take much to make it a challenge. Then, to the airport to extend the car rental for two more weeks. Oh, and the hotel too. Busy, busy, busy.