[SSE 4 2SS]

Ok, So last night I drove to Houston and this morning I got up and headed to the Company Doc's office for my OGUK Physical. This is the standard of physicals for working offshore most anywhere in the world.

For healthy folks, it's a very easy physical... Even for not so healthy folks, who have no significant medical history.... Like a 55 y/o lifelong smoker who is somewhat of a couch potato. Like me last summer when I had this same physical.... They are good for three years unless you have a major event mandating you obtain clearance to go back offshore.....

So, I started cruising right through it....

BP, pulse, Great.... 114/72, 60 bpm

Respirations, good.... 12/min

Blood sugar levels via A1C test, good....

Close vision test, good... with glasses....

Color acuity (EnChroma) test, good....

Chest X-ray.... That raised some eyebrows as they counted the healed ribs that were broken during the CPR when all this shite started.... Then they noted the sternum that had healed as well as the manubrium. Breaking the manubrium was an accomplishment....

Distance vision, good.... with glasses...

So from there it was on to the urine drug screen.... No issue....

Hearing test, yup, same loss in the left ear at certain tonal levels I've had for years.....

My least favorite of all, the Spirometry... Blew right through that one.... I was able to pass it as a lifetime smoker, and now I haven't had a cigarette in over 10 months... No problem... This determines lung capacity and how fast you can exhale for whatever purpose that serves.... Scare me bad enough and I can void another space much quicker....

Physical exam.... thunked me on the knees, elbows, ankles, wrists, checked pulses, grip strength, walk, squat, bend over and touch the floor, etc.... No problems.... Yes, "turn your head and cough..." Damnit.... No Hernias...

I had to explain at length a CRPS, (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) not so much for the doc not knowing it as not having had a patient with it before, or in many years.... Explained the myriad idiosyncrasies of it in my case and she stated "grip strength in the affected hand is fine...." This is the pain in my left hand and weakness in my left arm...

Went over my medication list, that took a while..... She wanted to know why I was taking some of the medications.... Well, a few are trials for the moment to see if I get any relief in my hand, and for my short term memory loss.... Both are to be stopped within the week since I have seen no relief or improvement in the intended purpose. Some, like Brylinta and aspirin are to be taken for the rest of my life, for the stents that are in my coronary arteries.... Lyrica for the neuropathic pain in my left hand, etc.....

Listened to my lungs, great....

Heart sounds, great, carotid artery auscultation, good...

Man, I'm sailing.....

Poof...... Wind dies down..... Dr in charge of the results comes and finds me and takes me into an exam room for a "heart to heart...."

He is concerned about my being on Coumadin.... If I fall offshore, big bruise or broken bone, bleeding is a huge issue... As it happens, my last INR test was out of range..... They are supposed to be between 2 and 3. Since January, I have two that have been out of range.... 1.8 in Feb and 3.1 my last test period. I test this at home now every two weeks.... They have to have a 30 days straight run in range.... So, I'm done there until October 6 at the earliest....

The next concern was no established stress test results.... Not a show stopper, but I have to have my cardiologist document why no test was done which is explained by the 36 sessions of Cardiac Rehab, while on a monitor with no arrhythmias.... Not an issue, except is has to be documented....

The next concern was the clots I had... the DVT's, (Deep Vein Thrombosis) from the Heparin Induced Thrombosis. I'm allergic to Heparin, a clot buster.... It causes me to clot.... not good.... Anywho, the last Pulse doppler revealed the only remaining clot was in my right axillary. So, I'll probably have to have that test repeated and (Best Case) my clots are gone completely and I can get off the Coumadin, or, (Not Best Case) I still have clots, stay on the Coumadin and wait until Oct 6th at best to show the 30 day run within target range.

Next is a documented Echocardiogram. This test for those that don't know is used to determine the efficiency of the heart....

Wiki- Echocardiography has become routinely used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with any suspected or known heart diseases. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology. It can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart (internal chamber size quantification), pumping capacity, and the location and extent of any tissue damage. An echocardiogram can also give physicians other estimates of heart function, such as a calculation of the cardiac output, ejection fraction, and diastolic function (how well the heart relaxes).

I had one about three months ago and I was right at the lower edge of a good reading.... 65%. My first echo in Feb was 30-35 % estimated.... So, that is a great improvement.... I don't think i'll have to repeat that test but I'm not worried if I do.... I already have a great test result.... It will be better now....

So, that takes care of the Cardiology.....

Neurology.... They want the test results from my two MRI's... one taken in Nov in Florida, and my last one about three or four months ago. The first showed three strokes, and the last one showed one stroke remaining in a non critical area.... and it had diminished tremendously.... So, essentially i need a letter from my neurologist stating my history and current condition....

Nephrology.... My kidney doc, has to produce a letter stating the condition of my kidneys, meds and treatment.... No issue there as I haven't taken any meds or had any issues since March when I last saw her. I just need a letter that my kidney function is good.... So no problem there....

The Doc finally asked me about depression.... I told him I was fine, with no depression.... He gave me an out explaining how much I had been through.... I told him in no uncertain terms, "I am blessed and doing fine..." "I want to get back to work..." So he thought I was trapped as I was not getting cleared.... to which I smiled and replied, I am, just not today.... He laughed and said ok....

It all sounds like a lot, and it is.... BUT..... from where I was lying in a bed ten months ago with doctors telling my wife to call family in, to being on the verge of getting to go back to work.... I'm feeling damned good.... I'm truly Blessed and life is good.....

I didn't get cleared, but I left there in a good mood....

I even bypassed the office on my way home so I could make it to my Cardiologists office before they closed.... A three hour drive.... They have the letter from the Houston Co. Docs office, the INR nurse checked my INR and it was 2.4, well within range... and so my new 30 day calendar started already today.... She also printed out my entire test results from Jan to current....

Tomorrow, I'll run to my neurologists office and drop off his letter and directions. From there I'll head to New Braunfels to my Nephrologist office and drop off that letter as well.... I'll get all of this stuff gathered as soon as possible....

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's bright....