Friends,

I had the abutments put into my implants today. That was a bit of a strange procedure. Just to review, I now have six implants in my lower jaw. When they are put in, they are embedded in the jaw and a flat head screw is put into the implant. The implant and the screws are made of titanium. The oral surgeon simply unscrewed the screws and replaced them with the abutment. The abutment is another screw, of course, on one end, that threads into the implant. The other end is a peg that stands up from the gums. It looks like a peg that is flattened on one side, so that the teeth that are attached to it won’t twist. So after inserting the abutments, the dentist took a small ratchet torque wrench and tightened the abutments to about 40 newton-centimeters of torque. The torque wrench was really cool. It was about three inches long. At one end was a loop where the socket fit in. The shaft of the wrench was only about 3/8 inch in diameter. The tightening mechanism was a wire on one side of the shaft. The abutment is tightened by pulling on the wire until the wire bends to the 40 mark on a scale that is mounted on the main shaft. This is the smallest torque wrench I have ever seen. It was great.

Afterward, I had these “fangs in my mouth. They felt very sharp, but they weren’t really. I immediately went to my main dentist, who took impressions, and then fastened “comfort caps” over the teeth. These are just ceramic cylinders, I think, that sit about the height of the teeth. They are not designed to chew on, so I have to wait about three weeks for the teeth to be completed, then I will go back to the dentist and get them installed. My dentist is giving me a 30% discount, but the final bill will still be over $9000.00 for this little piece of work. I don’t think my insurance will cover much of it, especially since it has a $1500.00 limit. This was pretty devastating as I am looking at loosing my job at any moment.

We will figure it out somehow.

On a brighter note, Menchie and I rode again on Tuesday. Menchie went about 19 miles and I rode about 17.5. She tricked me. We had a great time. I felt strong, and could have gone longer. We went to spin class tonight, where I did OK, but I had to lie down during the standing exercise, because it was too much for me. Otherwise, I did the whole thing. We are planning to go hiking on Saturday, and then go riding again on Sunday. At least 20 miles, I hope.

I have an appointment with my ophthalmologist this coming week, and I think they will be determining my prescription for reading glasses, and generally checking my eyes.

Take care, everyone!

Ted
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Friends,

I normally try not to make this update political or religious, to the frustration of some people, but I cannot stand by and let some of the things going on happen without taking a stand. I hope you will all forgive me for my lapse.

I have heard, three times now, President Obama stating that people who are really sick, the elderly, and anyone whose treatments would be expensive, should “take a pain pill", rather than be treated. The families and patient should get counseling to prepare to die, because the treatments would be too expensive. I am not making this up! I have heard this frightening, cruel, chilling, and heartless statement come from Mr. Obama three times!

I reflect on my treatments, whose value is waaaay over $2 million dollars now probably. At the beginning, I was optimistically told that my chances of survival were about 30%. I have since learned that the actual number was more like 18%, based on real life statistics for people diagnosed when I was. I have gotten hundreds of tests, spent months in the hospital, and am still getting treatments that cost over $7000.00 every three months. I have lost my teeth, and am getting that fixed, I have gone blind and gotten that repaired. I am in physical therapy due to Graft Vs Health disease.

Was it worth it? It was to me, but what about society? I am still paying lots of taxes and supporting my family. I personally raised, with the help of lots of you, tens of thousands of dollars to help find cures for all of the blood cancers, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and cancer in general. I have recruited and inspired others to raise millions of dollars for the same. I have helped others understand the process they are going through, and helped people get through their struggles. Have I contributed to society? I guess that is a question I can’t answer, but I think so.

But the new National Health Plan, if it had been in effect, probably would have looked at the expense of my treatments 6 years ago, and told me to “go take a pain pill.”

I find this objectionable, and I hope you do too. We should not deprive people of their right to life, just because it might be expensive, or might be difficult. Our government should not try to play God with people’s lives and take away the opportunity to strive for excellence. A “committee of experts” cannot predict which person will live or die, or what contribution they will make. We treat prisoners better than this!

I beg you, take a stand! Object vigorously to this massive misapplication of government authority, which in itself violates one of the most fundamental constitutional rights we have. Ensure others have the opportunities I have had to live and actively contribute to society. This is a pain pill none of should have to take!

Ted

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Not A Day Like Any Other

Today was a day like almost any other. It was a typical summer day here in San Diego, hot, dry, and sunny. This is one of our seasons. The other season is cool, dry and partly cloudy. We have both seasons at any time of the year. Anyway, there is nothing terribly remarkable about this day in history that comes to mind, like yesterday. Everything seems to be going on in the course you might expect. But today was different for me. Today is a day I have been looking forward to for many months. I have been planning this day for several months. I rode my bike! I rode over 10 miles. I didn’t find any hills on Fiesta Island. I felt good and went pretty fast, but everyone else was faster than me. So, you say, what’s the big deal?

Let me go back to last year. I started training on my bike after taking a few months off while training for a marathon. That’s right, I am an endurance athlete, although the term athlete has to be used cautiously in my case. I was starting to train for a triathlon.

I rode in September, unknowingly under the influence of a narcotic and crashed into a parked car. In October I rode again and after 4 miles or so almost passed out on the bike. In November, the week before formal training started, I was in the hospital with a high fever. I got better, so I went home, but the first morning of training, I tried to get out of bed and passed out, twice. I spent the rest of the week in the hospital trying to stay alive, obviously a successful endeavor, but triathlon training was definitely out of the question as I grew weaker and weaker through the holidays, until I could hardly walk, and could not stand more than a minute or so without feeling faint. There was no way I could safely ride ride a bike.

I started slowly getting better in January, but in February my eyesight deteriorated to a point where I could not safely drive or operate a bicycle. I had scheduled cataract surgery, but it would not be until June and July, and I was not allowed to do any strenuous exercise for two weeks after the surgery.

Today was two weeks and one day after the second surgery. I have a badly sprained or broken foot. I rode my bike. I knew that today would be the day I rode my bike six months ago! I have been walking, working out, planning, and training to get ready for this day for months. I did what I had to do to make my little short easy ride happen, but for me, it was a huge victory. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I am stronger than I was last October. I am stronger than I was when I did the 2007 Honolulu Century.

This is a little like life. When you have a challenge, plan a way around, over, or through it. Find a dream of the other side, then do what you have to do to make that dream a reality. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen as fast as you would like, but if you are patient, persistent, and strong willed, you can achieve whatever you want to in life. I am hoping to do the 2010 triathlon that I missed this year. I started training for it again today. So you see, for me, today is not just another day!

Make your dreams come true!

Ted

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Friends,

I had an appointment with the eye doctor yesterday, and he was very pleased with my progress from the day before. I was able to see about 20-30 in my right eye. Today I was out driving. The weather here was what we used to call severe clear. Not a cloud in the sky and the air crystal clear, you could see for miles. It was really exciting! I had PT today which I did carefully, then I went to DMV to get the corrective lens restriction taken off my drivers license. It was a snap reading the eye chart with both eyes and I have a new drivers license. It is such a kick to think that I have better eyes now than I did 35 years ago! Then I went to the Veteran Administration office to tell them I had had the cataract surgery. I guess that now that my visual handicap is gone they are going to give me a bigger disability because I had to have an operation. Go figure.

I am still looking for work, and had one interview so far.

Does anyone want to buy a house?

I hope everyone has a great week!

Ted

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Friends,

It is late Monday afternoon, I am at home resting and taking it easy after my surgery. It went really well, and I have a guard on my right eye. The ride home from the clinic wasn’t nearly as much fun as last time because I couldn’t see much difference, of course, because I can already see out of my left eye. I was in the operating room a total of 17 minutes. I was pretty tired afterward, like I had been working hard. The process was much the same, of course as last time, although this time I was able to discern more of what was being done, having had more experience with it.

Over the weekend, Menchie and I traveled to New Mexico and back. I drove much of the way, but Menchie gave me a rest now and then. It was fun for me because I was doing before and after comparisons. I would find a tree or a building with my good eye and then look for it with my bad eye. Many times it would disappear. Now I can’t do that any more. Rats! Oh well, I guess I can sacrifice a little fun for being able to see again from both eyes. LOL.

Be seeing you!

Ted
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