04Oct13 Overcast and 86 degrees. Santa Ana Winds. Winds whipping around at 20-25 mph. I woke at 1:00 am. One dive today. Movie: 'True Grit.' The day started out at about a 6 on the pain scale with pain shooting up to the 7-8 range. The burning and aching were back in my feet and left leg/hip. After the morning dive my pain remained at about a 6 but the shooting pain improved considerably. My red feet turned to almost a flesh color. They were not as tender to the touch either. I was so tired after the dive that we had to return to the hotel for a quick nap before going on to the pain clinic. Recalculating. We had planed to go out for lunch but those plans were squashed; Gram had to fend for herself. After, we headed to the pain clinic for my pump refill. The directions were simple enough. Make a right onto Holt and a right onto Euclid, and the pain clinic was on the right about 2 miles down. We found it but there was no parking lot, only a residence. Recalculating. Parking and access was from the rear. After the Doctor filled my pump we headed to the airport. Again, it should have been simple enough. Get back on Euclid, make a left onto Holt, make a right on Vineyard. Vineyard becomes Airport Drive. Follow the signs to the rental car 'pick ups.' I insisted not the returns. Recalculating. A few turn-arounds later we found Enterprise Rental Car. I tried to help Gram pull the scooter from trunk. We assembled it and headed in except we were told to go to the returns instead. Recalculating. We headed back to the car, took apart the scooter, and shoved it back into trunk. Frustrated, I carelessly spilled the contents of my wallet onto the pavement behind the car. Remember the Santa Ana Winds? Yeah. My stuff went flying and Gram went chasing. Convinced we found all my cards: credit, insurance, license, etc. we headed to the car returns and took care of extending the rental contract. Exhausted we headed back to the hotel for dinner and rest after a very busy day. My pain levels while at the airport escalated to an 8 with pains shooting to 9 even 10. I had cramping in my legs too. I took my afternoon pain meds and a nap, but the pain continued at an 8. Because my numbers were so high, I was told to come in for another dive in the afternoon, but I was too tired to leave the hotel again. I chose not to go but stayed in bed instead. My pain continued all evening and night at an 8 even 9 now and again. Rethinking it, I probably should have gone back in for another dive.

05Oct13 Sunny and 90 degrees. Two dives today. Movies: 'True Grit' again and 'Iron Man 3.' My overall pain level was a 7 with shooting pains in to the 8-9 range. I felt as though I might spontaneously combust, feet first. My feet were not red but more pinkish instead. Regardless, they burned and were painful to the touch. After the first dive my pain remained at 7 but the burning pain in/on my feet had eased considerably. My left arm pain was back, and both hands ached. My left hand and arm cramped and curled in the afternoon. By bedtime my pain level remained a 7 but the shooting pain and cramping was back to 8-9. I heard and felt a loud snap in my left hip as I was getting ready for bed. I am worried that the RSD pain has come back in a vengeance. The increased inflammation was caused from the stressful trip to the airport. I need to keep my stress levels down. Gram reminds me that the day, especially the time at the airport, was really not all that stressful. The next time my pain dramatically increases like that, I need to head to the HBOT clinic for a dive to take care of the inflammation right away.

Waiting room factoids: Gram learned today that in winter there is snow on the tops of the mountains here in sunny Southern California, and the lows can reach into the 30s.

Surprise! Darrell showed up here this afternoon. When he spoke to me on Friday he thought that I sounded down. He rushed to buy a ticket and flew out to Cali on Saturday morning. :0) Gram and I had just arrived at the hotel. We didn't even have time to set down our Frosties when the bell rang. Cool! The man was here and I had to admit I felt a whole lot better. We three had a nice dinner out.

06Oct13 Sunny and 91 degrees. 2 dives. I woke at 12:00 am. Movies: end of 'Iron Man 3' and 'Juno,' with some 'Hunger Games' thrown into the mix. My pain level was a 7 going in. With the first dive it was brought down to a 6, but it went right back to a 7 by time we got to the hotel. I had shooting pain and cramping in my hands and stabbing pains in my left eye. My left foot felt like it was broken. I was wobbly when I walked and pretty hard for Gram to handle. Darrell purchased a transport chair that was lighter and easier to pick up and put in the trunk. My scooter was too heavy for Gram so I started using the chair to get around due to the increased pain.

We took Darrell to the airport at about 3:30 pm. for his flight back to Omaha. Then it was back to the clinic for my second dive. Gram and I were back on our own. I rested for the rest of the evening.

07Oct13 Overcast in morning/mostly cloudy rest of day. High of 86 degrees. I woke at 1:00 am. Being Monday, it was an off day for HBOT. I started the day with an overall pain level of 7. I had pink feet, but they still burned and were sensitive to the touch. There was some swelling of my left foot. I was able to get it in my shoe anyway. I had periodic pain stabbing me in my left eye too. The pain and cramping was back in my forearms, hands, and back. Gram wheeled me in the transport chair any time we left the hotel room. I've been in sunny Southern California for a full month. I have 2-3 weeks left to go. The diving is going well. I no longer need to have the Ativan in my pocket to keep me in the tank.

Gram and I made a quick trip to the Stater's market after having dinner out. I used the motorized shopping cart. Getting into the car after the market, I had a loud pop in my left foot. In the evening I had fierce cramping in my calves. I took 2 magnesium (combo mag, cal, d3, zinc) to help ease the cramps along with my evening meds, which include 2 tizanidine. Of course, the baclofen pump runs constantly into my spine, but sometimes the spasticity is too much for it to handle.

08Oct13 Overcast and 75 degrees. Two dives. Movies: 1) 'Iron Man 3,' 2) 'The Time Traveler's Wife.' I woke with a pain level of 6 at 1:30 am. My morning was fairly good. I did have a couple loud pops in my left foot. My pain level rose to a 7 in the afternoon. By evening I was at 9 with severe cramping taking me up into the 10 range. I had cramps in both legs, arms, back, pelvis, ribs, and chin. I had a raging bladder infection that peeked at about 8:00 pm in the evening, coupled with constipation that only made it worse. I was in misery. I took a ciprofloxacine, phenazopyridine, and 2 magnesium multi in addition to my regular meds and tried to rest.

09Oct13 Rainy and 63 degrees. Yes; it does rain in the high dessert after all. Two dives. Movies: 'Ironman 3,' and 'Mrs Doubtfire.' I woke at 4:00 am with a pain level of 8 after a night of broken sleep. My first dive helped bring me down to a 7 on the pain scale. Other than the dives I spent the day trying to rest. I was back in the transport chair with Gram pushing. My bladder infection raged on. I had cramps nagging me in my calves and left arm. My muscles and left wrist were sore after the night of severe cramping. I had a couple loud pops in my left foot and hip again. I continued with the mag multi, cipro and phenazo on top of my daily meds.

10Oct13 Sunny and 77 degrees. One dive. Movie: 'The King's Speech.' Susan gave me some magnesium/potassium powder to help with the cramping. I'm still using cipro and phenazo too. Feeling adventuresome, Gram and I opted for Marie Callender's for lunch. This is normally not a big deal, but we were in a foreign place and our pallets were starting to grow bored of the Denny's menu. I used my handy map app and we ventured out. Satisfied after lunch we fueled the car and headed back to the hotel for rest.

11Oct13 Sunny and 67 degrees. One dive. Movie: 'Life of Pi' again. I was at a 7 all day. Exhausted after the previous few days of cramping and infection, I slept in missing my morning dive. Day 3 of cipro, phenazo, along with the mag/potassium powder. I decided I will head home after next week. The dives have helped to bring my overall pain level down but also seemed to have topped-out pain wise. What treatments left will be once a day at a shallower depth to treat the remaining brain miscommunication.

Waiting room factoid: Gram read that Indonesians still throw sacrifices to their gods into the flaming volcanic calderas. Because the islands are made up entirely of volcanos, the residents depend on the volcano gods to protect them from explosions and fiery lava flows.