Two More Days till Discharge Date

It is Tuesday morning and I’m outside smoking a cigarette in the courtyards of the San Francisco Nursing Center.  I’ll be discharging from the facility this Thursday afternoon.

I wrote about my discharge date yesterday on the this blog post.  And I wrote about my stay in General Hospital here.

Photo Credit: ricoramiro

I’m very excited to be going home soon.  It’s been a long three months and I’m ready to change my life for the better.  I had a lazy day yesterday because I was too tired to do a lot of work like I normally do on other days.

I hope you enjoy a productive Tuesday.  I plan to write a couple more blog posts and maybe even upload a few pictures to my background images blog which is doing well so far.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Charlie Sheen reveals he is HIV positive

I’ve always liked Charles Sheen and, in fact, I followed his crack cocaine antics online a few years ago.  I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him when he went online obviously high on crack. 

Photo Credit ABC 7

As a former crack addict myself, I thought that what he was doing was ridiculous.  He’d get high high then go online to say the words, “Winning!”,

The text below is from an ABC affiliate channel in San Francisco. 

Charlie’s real name is Carlos Estevez.  He is Hispanic.  His brother, Emelio Estevez, is also an actor, but not as outspoken as Charlie.

———

Charlie Sheen revealed that he’s HIV positive during an interview with Matt Lauer on the “Today Show” Tuesday morning.

“I am in fact HIV positive,” he told Lauer. “I have to put a stop on this onslaught, to this barrage of attacks, of sub-truths and very harmful and material stories (that say I was) threatening the health of so many others, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

http://abc7news.com/entertainment/charlie-sheen-reveals-he-is-hiv-positive/1087990/

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

I finally got a discharge date

My Skin Graft

from my podiatrist.  I’ll be leaving the San Francisco Nursing Center on Thursday, November 19th, in the morning.  I can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

The skin graft I received two weeks ago is healing well and the lengthened tendon feels strong.  In fact, I can already put weight on my right foot which us where the podiatrist performed four surgeries in order to save my foot.

I am so grateful I was assigned a good podiatrist.  She really went out of her way to save my foot.  She even performed the skin graft that should’ve been performed by the plastic surgery department.  I’ve written about my stay at San Francisco General Hospital and now I’m writing about my discharge date.  I’m really excited.

And I’m a little scared, nervous and apprehensive because I’ll be moving in to a new apartment on the same day I’m discharged.  I’ll be living in the heart of downtown San Francisco at 7th and Market streets.

I’m sure things will go well.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Getting Ready to Go Back to San Francisco Nursing Center

Image Credit: 4GIFS.com

I’m still on my bed here at San Francisco General Hospital waiting for social worker Amina to come with news of whether or not the San Francisco Nursing Center has accepted me again as a client/patient.  Last I heard the SFNC received the paperwork.

Amina should receive a decision by noon.  I hope.  In the meantime, I am snorting my morphine pills so they work faster.  I just finished snorting a pill and a little blood began dripping front my left nostril.  I’m sure it’s nothing serious.

I’ve been using that nostril to snort pills for the last couple months so I may begin using the right nostril later today.

As soon as I am discharged from the center, I plan to change my life starting with a trip to one of the harm reduction programs in San Francisco.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Going in for Surgery in Tomorrow

I have a surgery date set for this Thursday, October 29th and I have to admit I’m a little scared.  I’ve had surgeries in the past and I wasn’t scared, but this time it feels different somehow.

Maybe it was because I had to meet with the anesthesiologist last week.  Then they asked me to call the day before the surgery to confirm I’d be there as scheduled.  I hadn’t been through that in the past, but I was already in the hospital for those surgeries.

I hope I change my life for the better because I don’t want to go through this again.  I wouldn’t have to go through this if I went to see my doctor as soon as I became sick.  Live and learn 🙂

Six to Eight Weeks to Heal

I have a surgery date scheduled for 10/29/15 which is this coming Thursday.  My right leg is healing nicely, but surgery is needed so the wound heals faster.

The doctor performing the operation said she’s going to do a skin graft and lengthen my Achilles tendon.  The skin graft will heal fast, it’s the lengthening of the tendon that’s going to take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to heal.

While the tendon heals I’ll be confined to a wheelchair.  I’ve already been in a wheelchair for more than 30 days and another month or two will make me a pro at maneuvering on it. 

It’s going to be rough for the holidays, but I’m sure I’ll manage well.  In fact, I’m sure the surgery will go well.

I was kinda scared last week but after performing research I feel a lot better.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

I Had a Pretty Good Day Today

Blue Water

Photo Credit: ricoramiro

I had a great day today.  I talked to my mother and my social worker here at the San Francisco Nursing Center gave me good news. 

This Friday I go to San Francisco General Hospital for an appointment with an anesthesiologist.  It’s a preoperative consultation in which the doctor will tell me not to eat anything after midnight the day before the surgery.

Leg Injury

As you can see from the picture below, the wound is healing nicely.  It’s been about two months since the operation (second picture

down).

Before & After

The pictures immediately above are before and after shots of the injury (sort of).  The image on the right was taken immediately after the second operation while the image on the left was taken on approximately October 17th.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Picture of Ramiro Rodriguez aka ricoramiro

Ramiro Rodriguez

I just shot this selfie and chose the share to WordPress option on my phone and here we are 🙂

It’s Sunday here at the San Francisco Nursing Center.  And I’m still a patient.  I have an appointment on Wednesday where it will be determined whether or not I get a skin graft.  If I get the grat, I’ll be admitted to San Francisco General Hospital for a week then another 3 or 4 more weeks of skilled nursing.

Photo Credit: ricoramiro

The wound is healing nicely as you can see from the picture. The last time my doctor measured the width of the wound, it had closed one inch.  And the swelling is going down like clockwork.

I should be at 100 percent in 5 to 6 weeks.  At least that’s what I’m being told.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Human Beings are Hardwired to be Visual Creatures

Humans are hardwired to be visual.  It’s in our DNA and in our language.  Newspapers write of ‘visionary’ business leaders and people say, “I see” when they understand something completely. 

We respond to visual stimulus faster than when we hear or touch something and 90 percent of the information that comes to the brain arrives via our optic nerve.  In fact, visual data is processed 60,000 times faster than what our brain receives in text form. 

It’s nothing new, and it’s something we all know, but it is worth a second look if we are trying to change our lives.

You can create a new life by visualizing it on a regular basis.  I’ve had tremendous success using visualization.  I’ve healed my bleeding gums and I’ve found money on the street simply by thinking about how I wanted it.

The trick is to not stop doing the visualization until what you want is accomplished.  Perform a visualization  exercise of what you want every morning  and don’t stop until it manifests in your life.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.

Preoperative Instructions for My Upcoming Surgery

Preoperative Instructions

Photo Credit: ricoramiro

The picture above is my pre-operation instructions.  I go under the knife on October 29th which is approximately two weeks away.  I’m a little scared because the podiatrist is going to lengthen my Achilles tendon when she performs the skin graft.

My primary care provider said she’ll read the podiatrist’s notes, but the lengthening of the tendon is nothing to worry about.  I’m going to listen to her and not get a second opinion as I’d planned.

Thanks to Obama Care I have have health insurance so it’s not going to cost me anything.  I don’t even have to pay for the pain meds which is a plus.

There are risks with any surgery which is what has me scared.  I’m sure the surgery will go well and I’ll be good as new in four weeks.

Thanks for visiting the Change My Life blog.