Update on my legs.

Seen the doctor this morning about the results of the MRA I had done about a week ago and to formulate a plan of action.

I will be going in for an angio procedure on June 22nd for my right leg. He thinks he can get the right side done in one procedure but did warn me of the possibility of it taking two depending on exactly what he finds when he gets in there.

Unfortunately he does not think any kind of angio will help the left leg and has recommended having a bypass done on that side so I will be seeing a vascular surgeon sometime after I get through healing from the angio.

While it was nothing that I wasn't really expecting based on my other test results and what I learned from doing some online research it is still a lot to digest after actually hearing the words.

Jim....thanks for the update...I am sorry you are having to go through all of this but it really sounds like this Dr. is on top of everything and doing all the right things so that is the great news!

Are they also working on other things like diet, exercise, and medications to help keep the PAD from getting worse?

Your journey is a wake up call for many of us with chronic pain issues where surgeries and pain keeps us from living a normally active life where PAD can develop...

We are all here to support you through this!

Really hard for me to do much in the way of exercises even before the PAD pain set in. Between my back issues and the diabetic nueropathy it makes walking, any kind of strength training, etc very hard. Swimming or some kind of water exercise program would probably be doable if done in a heated pool but the only one in the area is at the YMCA and we can't afford a membership and make $27 per year to much to qualify for any kind of financial assistance program at our local Y.

I don't just sit around all day though. I do make it a point to get out and do as much as I can every day. I intentionally only shop for one or two days at a time because 1. I don't want to overly strain myself carting in that much stuff at once and 2. It gives me an excuse to get out and do some walking at the store.

As far as diet, etc goes I have been eating a low fat, ultra low cholesterol diet and been on statins for years. My biggest issue is that I have been unable to get my diabetes under control and have been unable to find any doctor who is willing to listen and throw out their playbook even after proving time and again that conventional treatment does not work and has made things worse.

Anyway like I mentioned I will be having the angio and stents done at the end of June. Unfortunately unless the surgeon can get to me really early in July and I can be back on my feet pretty well by mid August the bypass is going to have to wait until sometime in mid December after my wife graduates. Fortunately there my left leg is not critical as I still have enough blood flow in the smaller arteries to keep the tissues viable.

I will be going on some other meds, Plavix or something similar, once the agio and stents are done which will also help buy any time needed.

Glad to see they have a plan of action to take care of the lose of blood flow through your legs. Do the doctors think this will help with the neuropathy or is that all caused from the diabeties.

One good thing! Plavix just went generic last week!!! At Walmart it cost $47 per month now without insurance which is still expensive but better that before. I haven't gotten any yet with insurance for my dad but hoping that it will be $10 for a 90 day supply like the rest of his generics.

I know what you mean about the YMCA. I joined just the water aerobics class for arthritis but the pool was just too cold for me. It said on the brochure that the water was like 82 degrees or whatever the proper temperature should be which I brought in a thermometer to check and sure enough it was but it was still too cold for me. I couldn't wait to get out of the pool after the class.

Let us know how things go on the 22nd.

Good to read your update...

Praying that the angio goes well for you.

--Tina