So this is how it ends.
About 8 years ago, I had an Electromyography link, EMG, done after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The test results stated that I would lose the use of both legs, the right one first within ten years.
My partner at the time was with me as the test was administrated and told later the tech had a smirk on his face and seemed to enjoy what he was doing.
That was a little unnerving.
Within the last 5-6 months, I’ve notice unusual difficulty in walking, I was wondering if it was related to the cramping that had been going on in both legs. Then it hit me, the electromyography test! The legs are getting worse sooner than I expected.
So it appears I’ll be in a wheelchair sooner than expected.
But that just the beginning.
The real fun started off with the cardiologist wanted to do the carotid ultrasound and his office called me November 2018 to try and set it up for early January 2019.
Having been born with a congenital heart defect, I try to keep on top of my cardiovascular health.
It had been close to 18 months since I had the carotid ultrasound done and every time I tried to have it done, either I was sick or he was. January cane and his office called to cancel on me. I should have billed him for my lost time.
Finally, in February, they called and wanted an EKG first, then possibly a nuclear stress test.
I had the EKG done, but the sine wave on the EKG did not look right to a couple on his staff and this was the second time the sine wave didn’t look right.
So the cardiologist wanted a nuclear stress test.
I had the stress test on February 12th and during it started having chest pains.
The cardiologist did not like that I had chest pains during the stress test and opted to have a cardiac catheterization done in Syracuse, about 50 miles (80 km), from Utica after the stress test.
I called my friend Bridget in Columbus Ohio, and asked her if she would come and help take me to the hospital and stay with me during the recovery after the procedure, Bridget gladly accept my offer and I sent her the money she needed to travel here.
We rented a car and went to the St. Joseph’s in Syracuse on February 26th.
We arrived on time and when I got to my “room” -curtained off area on the cardiovascular section of the hospital- we turned on the television to CNN.
The nurse came in to go over the details and put in a saline line in my left arm. That went in with no trouble, however, putting in line in for the sedation was a different story.
The nurse blew putting that line in the first time, but managed to put it in the second time.
As I was laying in the bed, listening to to CNN, I gave Bridget my cell phone and told her to in case the surgeon decided to take me immediately into bypass surgery to call my brother Kevin first then our friend Linda in Maine who is the executor of my estate.
I was a Boy Scout, so I’m always prepared.
As I’m laying there, I kept waiting for the sedative to kick in. Of course it did and I was knocked out without realizing it.
Since St. Joseph’s where I had the procedure was a Catholic hospital, a priest cane in to give me a blessing. Since I was unconscious for most of it, I managed to woke up long enough when the priest anointed my forehead to say, “God bless CNN.” Then I paused long enough to say “God bless pizza.”
The priest asked me what I liked in my pizza, I replied green peppers and onions. Bridget reminded me what I said later, I interrupted her and said, “That’s wasn’t a dream, I actually said that?!”
About 11:30 they were going to move me to the operating room, the nurse cane in and asked me if I could get up and climb onto the gurney under my own power and do the same to get on the operating table. At that point I was sedated enough I could only manage one word answers, which was “No”.
When they moved me from the gurney to the operating table, it was at that point that I had the urge to urinate. Laying there I’m started debating; should I urinate on the operating table or hold it in.
At the same time I’m trying to stay cognizant of my surroundings in case later I have to tell my lawyer what happened. Again, thinking ahead.
The right wrist is where the put the line in for the catheterization, while the line is being put in, I thought the guy putting it in was trying to shake my hand, so I tried to shake his hand. Finally the tech putting the line in tells me, “No, no, stop, I’m not trying to shake your hand Mr. Judge!”
After I stopped trying to shake his hand, he inserted the line and the procedure began. It lasted about twenty minutes, ending with the words, “There’s no blockage, your hearts fine.”
So, after I’m in recovery, the surgeon comes in confirms that everything is is good and my heart is in great shape and asks if I have any questions.
I only had one; when can I have a Guinness?
The doctor asked how often I drank, Bridget replied rarely.
The surgeon said Friday. That was on Tuesday. Bridget and I each had steak and a Guinness Friday night. She left Saturday and I have never been more grateful to anyone in my life.
So, that was February. October for the first time in 5 years, the shingles returned. Outside of that I’ve remained healthy.
Then on 20 December I was told I have prostate cancer.