I found this video to be of great help.
How to Put on Compression Socks
I’ve been away for a bit, but I watched that video and a few others and it is amazing how much a good technique can help. Thanks and I hope you continue to improve! I seem to have hit a plateau on my recovery, but I’m still kicking so that’s okay.
Just an update. I’m down to 3 days a week of TPN and eating pretty much what I want (just finished a 12 inch cheese steak).
I had my brother drive me to my apartment. I got up the stairs fine. I’m not ready to move back in yet but I picked up a few things. I have my laptop now and I may try to get some remote development contracts, that could help with my boredom as well as bringing some money in.
I’m really starting to believe that I may get back to a normal life, albeit one burdened with some large medical bills.
Sorry to hear that you’ve been having problems. I hope you can get past that plateau!
It sounds like you’re making steady progress. I hope you’ll be home soon. 
Good news for a change, davidm! It’s wonderful how much you’ve improved after getting out of the hospital and other places that were trying to kill you. Keep up the good work.
I’m glad things are better, David. and I’m sorry about the medical bills - can I ask, were you insured?
because I feel like a lot of people in this country don’t get how a person can have “insurance” and yet once something goes wrong… somehow, they aren’t covered.
ETA: I don’t think they should be allowed to call it “insurance” is you can have it, and yet you are still left with bills, maybe huge life-changing bills.
I had, and have, insurance.
Thanks for the update! Glad you’re still improving.
Today I went in to the short procedure unit to have my PEG tube (stomach tube) changed. The old one was long, heavy, thick, unwieldy, and painful; and it literally had fungus growing in it.
I now have a short, skinny, light, clean tube which will be flushed regularly and kept clean. Hopefully it will eventually be removed completely.
When the doctor who did the replacement explained the procedure to me he said that he wanted to be honest and emphasized that the removal of the old one would be extremely painful for 10 or 15 seconds. The way he described it made me feel like saying the hell with this and getting up and leaving.
It was over in a fraction of a second and wasn’t nearly as bad as he made it sound. The anxiety he caused was worse than the procedure!
I will soon be starting a new “miracle” medication which should help my remaining bowel absorb nutrition better and hopefully get me off of the TPN.
It’s very expensive but they are putting me on a “copay assistance program” which should eliminate any out of pocket costs.
Sounds like you’re developing a super-human resistance to pain…
Unbreakable 2 in theaters 2019!
I hope the new meds do an even better job than you hope.
Didn’t see this earlier, but that is great news! Sorry about the bills, but great news about your health.
Enjoy the weekend.
Have you gotten a lawyer? You shouldn’t have to pay for anything. In fact, they need to compensate you! :mad:
I’m glad you got a new tube. Sorry the dr. used scare tactics but on the other hand it’s better to expect major pain and get none than the reverse. I hope the news continues to be good. Thanks for coming by to update us; we do worry about you, you know.
It sounds like things are continuing to improve. I’m glad to hear it. Any word on when you can lose the TPN entirely? Is it if the new medication works? Will you have to take the medication indefinitely?
Good to hear things seem to be improving!
That’s something I probably shouldn’t discuss.
They’re slowly cutting back on the TPN but I don’t know when it will be stopped. I don’t think anybody knows.
I think it depends on what the weekly blood tests show. As they slowly reduce the weekly amount of TPN they check my blood to see if my food intake is making up for it. So far it seems to be.
The new medicine should help with that. One of the things the medicine supposedly does is increase the amount of bowel surface area. To me that sounds like you would only take it till the necessary changes have occurred, but who knows? That’s one question I’m planning to ask.
I’m going to go broke if I pay all of the medical bills I’m receiving.
Don’t you have a lawyer working to get this paid by the idiots that damaged you? If not, maybe it’s time!
Of course but that can take years and there’s no guarantee I’ll win and I’m not even working right now. This sucks.