Once Again Long Overdue Updates

Yes, I have been derelict in my duty. I have not given updates to my blog. So, I am trying to give an overview will what has been happening since my last postings.

Today is July 26, 2017, and my last entry in my logbook is November 2017. There is a reason why I have not had any luck the entries. It’s because I have not been flying at all.

Back in October in November I suspected some issues that were cardiac related. Therefore, I self-grounded myself and went to see a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. The end result was me having a device inserted under my skin over my heart. This device is called a Loop Monitor. This device will monitor my heart rate in any anomalies that occur. While the doctor did see some issues, these were consistent with what was reported to the FAA previously. My condition is known as tachycardia, which is primarily a rapid heart rate. I have been on beta a blocker for about two years now, and it is the lowest dosage available.  The end result is that this is nothing new in that I am probably more aware of it then I should be, and it is probably an issue that needs to be occasionally looked into but at this time there is nothing to worry about.

Going into November 2016, my kidney issues were mounting. What I mean is that the regular monthly blood work indicated an increase in the my creatinine level. When my levels were approaching more than double my normal levels my physician asked me to go to the hospital to be admitted. For a few days they could not find what the problem was. And even though they did not mention it in the back of my mind I was fearing kidney failure. The end result was that my CMV was active and also my ulcerative colitis was flaring up for the first time. The combination of the two gave the appearance of kidney failure, after being treated with several antibiotics and also an antifungal my numbers started to come back into the normal range. While I still have several issues, primarily bowel issues, overall everything is returning back to normal. The staff at the Cleveland Clinic is stressing that I need to maintain hydration. Therefore at this time I am constantly drinking water and also tea. Through this process that began somewhere around August or September 2016, I have been losing weight steadily. At this time my weight is almost completely come back. At present I am about 5 pounds below my normal weight. One thing I’ve not been doing is maintaining my habit of walking several miles several times a week. Since a friend of mine likes to walk a lot I meet up with her and we tend to put on a few miles together. Now, if I could only get back my muscle mass.