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Until I am no longer swelling up like a big water balloon, I have decided to use this more representational avatar. Phooey.

Do I need to change your rank to "Swollen Slotracer"?

Rob - Sucks to hear, but glad the sense of humor is still there. Just make sure you keep the sunscreen handy - I'm afraid you'll burn!

Thanks guys. I have developed a dark sense of humor about all this, that comes out now and then.

I stay on Lasix all the time. When the Bells Palsy happened and they put me on steroids, I had two weeks of amazing power and health, so being able to do more work around here and sleep better, I dropped about 40 pounds of water fast as a side effect. As the steroids tapered off (you can't just stop that stuff, you have to taper off a bit at a time), I became weaker and started swelling up. But it didn't stop where it used to be and I am still swelling with water all over, including squeezing my heart and lungs. I'll be back at the doctor's tomorrow to see what condition my condition is in.

The Dr visit was a waste of time. My Dr was on vacation, and the helper Dr was one of these twerps who slings out orders for expensive and pointless tests like they are candy. Moron wants me to have an echocardiogram to see the fluid around my heart. We know its there, you can hear it with an ordinary stethoscope, and by the sound, you can hear that it is not lethal at this stage. Just something for the hospital to charge a fortune for, on the excuse that the lawyers say they have to. BS. Meanwhile, I have doubled up on the lasix and it may be starting to work. We'll see.

Look who he's sayin' THAT too! Woohoo!

Its odd, though. By the middle of the afternoon, one 12 ounce beer will "prime the pump" and the lasix will kick in a second time for hours. Strange. But it works, so I'm sticking with it. Before you ask, more beer doesn't change anything. I tried. I going over to start a thread on the paint topic. You won't believe this one.

Rob, love your new Avitar, Bib is the dude. You could swap out for the many shapes and poses I've seen him in, would be fun.

Today I saw the Drs again, and I put my foot down... Of course it helped that after 2 weeks of double dose Lasix that foot I put down was not the size and shape of a football, so my arguments that the tests they ordered were ridiculous struck gold, and they cancelled them. Furthermore, my scales at home were wrong, and I have dropped 58 pounds of water, not the 40 or so I thought it was. That means that from the crisis point a few weeks ago until now, just short of 7 gallons of water isn't in me. I'm tired and weak, but I'm winning. Not only that, but we are now working on a theory to explain how this started- 14 years ago. Blood was drawn today to see if we are on the right track.

Unfortunately, the previous theory's worst feature appears to be solid-- its a life sentence. If we are right, this is an autoimmune condition brought on by the wee beasties I breathed in in January 2000, a Legionaire's Disease type of fungus from an air conditioning duct being cleaned near me. So, I will be slow and heavy and running to the bathroom for the rest of my life, but I will know why. But my high blood pressure is false (I'm full of water), and the original lung damage from the fungus appears to be healed after all these years. Essentially, I'm in the same shape as someone who had Lyme Disease sometime in the past, with autoimmune complications.

Meanwhile, I am getting more and more back from the Bell's Palsy episode-- Last night, I discovered my tongue is back. I can taste food again. My right upper lip is not cooperating, and my right cheek isn't completely back, but everything else is back to normal. Today, I actually bought fast food fish and ate it. My belly feels like it will burst after only 2 pieces of fish, but it tasted great.

So, in a nutshell with lots of summary, that's what has happened. You guys have been great to me, and I'll never forget it. Its like I always say in these situations on HRW... Slot car people are the best people there are. When I gather it all together, I am going to post a picture of all the amazing things HRW guys sent me to keep my spirits up in this long ordeal. That's not to mention all the PMs and emails and posts-- dozens of them. I still can't believe it. I am humbled by the attention, and undeserving of such affection. I'll never forget it.

So my avatar is now the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar, as it passes by the Garden District in New Orleans. At the Downtown end of that line, near Canal St, is the Oyster Po-Boy shop with the neon sign from my old avatar. I'm back!

7 gallons of water over 2 weeks? No wonder you're tired and weak! I mean you could best Austin Powers in one of his long length waterfalls! :D

It does not sound like fun, but I'm glad to hear you're hanging in there Rob!

Take it easy and I'm looking forward to hearing more about you getting better.

Rob, sorry I'm late to the party but I've been fairly busy around here trying to keep up with the yard and the house. Not an easy task with this bum shoulder. I knew you were having some problems awhile back, but I'm happy to find out you're doing somewhat better. Autoimmune things can be some hard stuff to work around. Sad to say I just haven't been into the slots lately. Not sure what I will do. :)

A step forward is a good step.

So, how did you find you had your tongue working again? Did you bite it and yelp?

Good to have you heading back toward being your old self. You were poking around in some dark places there.

I was planning a special dinner for my wife, a real 3 course dinner. I made a special appetizer, her favorite salad, and grilled marinated chicken on Alfredo sauce and fettuccini, followed by lemon gelato. I did it, but it was very tough. Exhausted beyond belief, I got it done and fell asleep for 12 hours. By 10:30 this morning, I finally woke up.

I'm processing the "life sentence", and looking toward what I have to do to get ready for the way things will be, so I feel like I am ready to face what's coming.

It will take a while, but I will send you a few tasty recipes. The "no sodium", no whatever, no type recipes that meet the guidelines.

Rob, glad to hear things are slowly getting better and you finally have some answers to what has caused this. Hang in there buddy we are all here for you if you need us!