(From 2/13/14)

Thanks everyone for all your calls and visits during my mystery tour here at Los Robles Hospital (a sort of slow-motion episode of House going on here…).  While I feel a bit presumptuous boring you with all the details of my personal health, I’ll put them out there to keep you “filled in” so that when we talk it doesn’t have to be *all* about these things…

In case you don’t have the patience for the details (I hardly do), here’s the executive summary: my right foot is (still) paralyzed and painful.  We don’t know why.  It doesn’t seem to be getting better or worse at the moment.  I’m checking out of the hospital now and going home!

And the details…

As you might recall from the season premier:

• Cliff’s leg pain of the last 2 months or so turned into foot numbness and paralysis over the last 2 weeks
• Instead of doing drawn-out serial tests and doctor visits days apart trying to figure out root cause, Tracey dragged Cliff’s ass into the ER to get all the team and equipment mobilized

In Episode 2:

• After initial consultations and tests with orthopedic surgeons, neurologists and his ever-present oncologist, the team decides they have no idea why Cliff’s foot is paralyzed, painful and otherwise useless.
• Cliff is admitted to the hospital for more deep dive diagnostics and a mission to halt the progress of whatever might be attacking

In Episodes 3-17:

• The team checks for any evidence of:
  • Physical damage to the nerves involved
  • Central damage to the nervous system in general
  • Viral attack of the nervous system
  • Auto-immune attack of the nervous system
  • Evidence of recurrence of Lymphoma (and its potential role in an auto-immune response)
  • Exciting tests include!
    • MRIs of everything from  ankles through brain (yes! I have high resolution pictures of my own brain now!)
    • A full nuclear med “bone scan”
    • Extraction and analysis of spinal fluid
    • An electrical study of the nerves in the leg
    • Since results from tests take time, just in case it is any of those things, treatments to slow any progress include:
      • Anti-virals
      • Immuno-suppressants
      • Powerful steroids
      • (and some decent pain meds to help the nights go by)

In Episode 18 (let’s call that today):

• Many test results are back
• We still have no clue about root cause (though it does *not* seem to be any physical/mechanical damage to nerves and some viruses have been ruled out)
• The symptoms seem about the same

So, what is coming in the next season?

• Checking out of this *%&*# hospital room
• Consulting with some more specialists
• Learning to live without my right foot (at least for a while)

Thanks again for all your calls and concern – it’s great having friends even when your body isn’t cooperating!