Jan. 26 – Feb 12

I ended the last Travelogue mentioning that I had gone to the ER in Parker AZ on Jan. 23rd. I had lifted and moved my heavy generator and carried it over to my trailer. This resulted in a pinched nerve in the left hip and pain down the inside of the left leg, a type of sciatica (I think). They gave me some meds, but they were only for 5 days. So I decided go to the SKP (Escapees) park Rover’s Roost in Casa Grande, which is just south of Phoenix, because there are more medical facilities available there and I know a number of people who have lots there. On Jan. 26th I left Quartzsite and made the drive, over 3 hours and 175 miles, to Casa Grande. I was really tired when I got there!

I had made an appointment at an Urgent Care Center there on Monday the 27th. They gave me new prescriptions, and a referral to an orthopedic doctor on the 28th – but he was in Scottsdale! Another long drive. The orthopedic doctor did some more x-rays and like the original ER visit, did not see any permanent damage. He recommended PT, but as I’m traveling I couldn’t setup a PT appointment. I began taking the new meds on Jan 28th. But instead of feeling better, every day I felt worse, my muscles were weakening and my cognitive abilities were getting very foggy. I didn’t realize until later that I hadn’t eaten anything and was not drinking enough water and was dehydrated. I even fell down one time in my trailer! It was a severe allergic reaction. I continued to take the meds but on Feb 3rd I realized that it must be the meds that made me feel so bad and unable to function. So I stopped taking them. A few friends had been keeping an eye on me and on the 4th, they came to my door and said they thought I should go to the ER to get checked out. I was in a really bad state. The ER visit was very thorough, they took x-rays of my hip and leg as well as my brain and upper chest to make sure I didn’t have any kind of infection. They agreed that the meds (muscle relaxant BACLOFEN) were the cause. I was hoping that it wouldn’t take too long for the effects to wear off, but in reality it’s been a very slow process. Every day I felt a little improvement and started walking short distances with a walking stick. I was still very weak. I also started doing PT exercises on my own. I stayed in Casa Grande until I felt like I could drive again, and I was able to leave CG on Feb. 12th and headed to Lake Havasu to see a major fireworks show. Much of the 2 1/2 weeks in Casa Grande is a blur for me. They had a week-long Follies with lots of events, most of which I missed. One highlight was a parade of decorated golf carts and other vehicles and bikes as I was getting ready to leave. I had at least 4 hours and 240 miles to go. I drove carefully and stopped frequently. It took all day to get there. I want to give a special thanks to Marty and Robin, and many others, who looked after me and helped me get thru this ordeal.

I only took a few pictures in Casa Grande. And those didn’t start until Feb. 9th.