On Friday, July 9th, I crossed off one of the top priority items from my bucket list by attending the 2010 Basilica Block Party in the Twin Cities and seeing Weezer perform on stage.
The set kicked off with "Hash Pipe", a great choice for it's catchy guitar hook. Dun-dun-DUH-naa, dun-dun-DUH-naa... You knew you in for a hell of a show with that opening riff. After that, Weezer's true colors revealed themselves with the next song, "Troublemaker". Rivers Cuomo was singing lead WITHOUT a guitar, so he started started climbing the stage set onto speakers.
I felt a little ashamed watching his antics. I've always considered Weezer to be "geek rock", for the way my fellow geeks have embraced these guys as one of our own. The look, the attire, the meticulous attention to detail, their music evolution throughout their seven-album catalog. But that night, Rivers seemed more like a dork (heck, they all did with guitarist Brian Bell in a polo shirt, Rivers in his red jacket over the top of a polo shirt, bassist Scott Shriner in a brown kilt, and drummer/guitarist Patrick Wilson in a faded gray T-shirt and plaid green and blue shorts) with how he was flailing his arms around while "dancing" and belting out the lyrics. As the song came to an end, he tried to take one of the production crews' cameras and hoist it up on his shoulder, with mic still in hand and singing the last few lines. Someone should have given that kid a guitar...
The rest of the night continued in mostly the same manner as they played a nice variety of songs from the Blue Album to Raditude. After being troublemakers, Weezer charged through Undone (The Sweater Song) and Surf Wax America, to a "medley" of Trippin' Down the Freeway and Keep Fishin'. I use quotes there because they only did a few lines from Keep Fishin'. I wish they would have played more of that song. It's one of my top five favorite Weezer songs (if you want to know why, check out the music video).
After that medley, they played Perfect Situation, and then Dope Nose, with Scott taking on the lead vocals for Rivers. Over the last several years, from about Make Believe onward, Weezer has shifted away from being a Rivers-ocracy towards involving the rest of the band more in the performance and authoring process. That's a good thing. Scott, Brian, Patrick and are all very talented musicians in their own rights, and they bring a nice contrast to both Rivers' musical and lyrical style. I would have liked to seen more of this, maybe next time.
Next on the setlist was one of Weezer's crown jewels: Say It Ain't So. For most of the night, and ESPECIALLY during this song, I sang along at the top of my voice. This was also one of the first songs where Rivers was playing guitar while he sang (a VERY NICE white Gibson SG). After they finished this song, the rest of the band took a bit of a break while Rivers switched to an acoustic guitar and started out with a solo performance of Island in the Sun. This was a cool and collected performance, but as soon as Rivers completed the second chorus and went into the bridge, the rest of the band joined back in and turned it back up to 11. An excellent job kicking the show back into high gear, almost like a second wind.
After some Can't Stop Partying action, there was some more intra-band collaboration when Brian and Rivers shared the duties of lead vocals on El Scorcho. They played My Name Is Jonas, then made the turn at third and started bring it home by going to their bread and butter of their more recent hits, Beverly Hills and Pork and Beans, the lead singles off Make Believe and the Red Album, respectively.
They finished their set with a two-song medley. I didn't recognize the first half, so I made a note of the lyric "control yourself, take only what you need" to look it up online later. I found out it was MGMT's Kids. I'd never heard of it before, but after listening to their original version, I think Weezer did a better job with it than they did. The second part of that medley stabbed me in the back. Lady Gaga's Pokerface. Ugh, now I was REALLY embarrassed. I don't care for most pop stars from the last ten years, and even less of those who dress in ridiculous costumes like she does. But again, Weezer made an improvement over her version of that song.
The show was over after this final song. Or was it? No, of course not. Weezer came back on stage a couple minutes later to perform (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, the lead single off their most recent album, Raditude. Finally, THE Weezer song, Buddy Holly. And that was it, more than an hour and a half later. A very solid, balanced setlist from their 18 years together.
A few things to nitpick on after it was over. They only played one song from Pinkerton. I would have loved another one from that album, like Falling for You or maybe Why Bother?. As I mentioned before, they should have also played Keep Fishin' in its entirety. A little more Patrick Wilson; he seemed a little too quiet for the goofball he can be (check out the Photograph music video; there's a guy who really enjoys life). And I can never get enough Weezer. I wish they could have played a few more songs, at least enough to fill up another 20-30 minutes.
Overall, I give the concert a 9.5 out of 10. There was very little filler between songs, and they touched upon many of the top-tier tunes. I had been worried that I would have never seen my favorite band perform live after the bus accident last winter that almost took Rivers from us. I don't have to worry anymore; I'm as good as he and the rest of was on stage that evening.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
You guys could learn a thing or two...
Even though Weezer is and will forever be my favorite band, and I fell head over heels in love with The Donnas last Labor Day, I really think Green Day is the team to beat now.
If Green Day continues the musical and commercial success they've had over the last 12 months, the bands in my top two could fall out of their respective rankings. How can Weezer and The Donnas solidify their spots? Easy, just borrow from Green Day's playbook.
For example, Rivers Cuomo and the rest of Weezer should go back to Songs From the Black Hole. This album was planned as the follow up to the Blue Album, but the idea eventually fell apart and the end result was Pinkerton (which itself was a good album, but not the immediate commercial success that the Blue Album was, and more or less caused Cuomo to disappear from the scene for a few years). With the success of the American Idiot musical on Broadway, maybe it's time for Weezer to go back to that fountain. They can make it work, Rivers is just a musical genius, and I'm sure he and a broadway director would hammer out a damn good show.
As for The Donnas, they should also release their own Rock Band title. I love playing Green Day: Rock Band, even more than Rock Band 2. I realize that The Donnas: Rock Band is probably more of an EA decision than anyone else's, but I've thought most of this out. Three of the four venues would be Hugh Center Court at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto, CA, site of their first performance when they were still in the eighth grade; the auditorium hosting the battle of the bands in the Take It Off music video; and Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, site of Desert Moon 2, the holy grail of live Donnas performances. As for the song list, I think there'd be significant overlap with this sampler platter playlist and the DM2 setlist. I don't think you'd have full albums like GDRB, but definitely 4-5 songs from every single album they've released (might be a little tricky, though, since The Donnas have been on 3 separate record labels in their 17-year history).
I really can't make it any simpler than that. You have your orders, so get to work. :D
If Green Day continues the musical and commercial success they've had over the last 12 months, the bands in my top two could fall out of their respective rankings. How can Weezer and The Donnas solidify their spots? Easy, just borrow from Green Day's playbook.
For example, Rivers Cuomo and the rest of Weezer should go back to Songs From the Black Hole. This album was planned as the follow up to the Blue Album, but the idea eventually fell apart and the end result was Pinkerton (which itself was a good album, but not the immediate commercial success that the Blue Album was, and more or less caused Cuomo to disappear from the scene for a few years). With the success of the American Idiot musical on Broadway, maybe it's time for Weezer to go back to that fountain. They can make it work, Rivers is just a musical genius, and I'm sure he and a broadway director would hammer out a damn good show.
As for The Donnas, they should also release their own Rock Band title. I love playing Green Day: Rock Band, even more than Rock Band 2. I realize that The Donnas: Rock Band is probably more of an EA decision than anyone else's, but I've thought most of this out. Three of the four venues would be Hugh Center Court at Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto, CA, site of their first performance when they were still in the eighth grade; the auditorium hosting the battle of the bands in the Take It Off music video; and Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, site of Desert Moon 2, the holy grail of live Donnas performances. As for the song list, I think there'd be significant overlap with this sampler platter playlist and the DM2 setlist. I don't think you'd have full albums like GDRB, but definitely 4-5 songs from every single album they've released (might be a little tricky, though, since The Donnas have been on 3 separate record labels in their 17-year history).
I really can't make it any simpler than that. You have your orders, so get to work. :D
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Medical update - 6/27/10
Let's start with the good news. My back is doing much better. It was giving me the usual problems last Monday (6/21), plus some extra aching in my middle back, to the left of my spine. Then at about 9 or 10 that evening, I was able to stand fully upright once again, and have been able to do so ever since. Physical therapy has helped as well, especially the electro-massage on my lower back. My spine still looks like it's out of alignment, I've got a cortisone injection tomorrow morning, then two more physical therapy appointments next week. I'm trying to avoid overexerting myself at work. I'm using the spare roller backpack to "carry" my laptop, using the cart to move equipment around (regardless of size), and taking the elevator to my desk (I know the building only has 2 floors, but still...). The ultimate test will be to hit some golf balls; will have to MAYBE give it a shot next weekend (depending how this week goes, painwise).
The bad news? It's REALLY bad. Met with my doctor on Wednesday, and he informed me that I likely have MS. He can't say with 100% certainty, though. The lumbar puncture indicates I do. The MRI and vision problems do as well. But since my vision problem is the first and only attack, they can't absolutely confirm I have MS, until I have another one.
What does this mean? I'll start treatment to prevent additional symptoms soon. The doc gave me a bunch of homework on various steroid medications that I'd have to go on. I need to go through it and pick one. All of them are about the same; it's a question of how often I'll need to inject them and where I need to inject them (subcutaneously or intramuscularly). Also means I'll need to get yearly MRI's. It's not going to be cheap, either. Insurance will cover most of it, drug companies have programs set up to cover a good chunk of the rest. My doctor is also looking into getting me into a study program for a new oral medication; we'll see how it plays out. Follow up with him is at the end of July, but I'll probably select a treatment program before then. However, there's no guarantee that I'll fully get my vision back.
I'm not too worried about all that, though. I'm trying to think more bigger picture. How this is going to interfere with my life, which I've decided is zero. I'm going to continue being me, like nothing was ever wrong. In fact, I'm gonna start living like tomorrow's my last day on earth (even though it isn't). Prime example: I'm going to the Twin Cities in a couple weeks to see Weezer in concert. I had some concerns about my back problems stopping me, but this whole thing makes me realize that I can't be passing up opportunities like this.
On the other hand, this does handcuff me to my current job, I had thought about quitting so I could move to the Twin Cities and go full-steam on my search for a new one. But I certaintly can't do that now, or I'd lose my insurance coverage (I've been told by friends if I actively have insurance going into my next job, the new provider can't play the "pre-existing condition" card).
Again, I don't want to talk about this much further. That's all I've got to say about that. Let's talk about something else. Go out, grab a drink, maybe a bite to eat and discuss sports, music, movies, stories. I don't care, just anything but my impending doom.
Thank you all for all the good vibes you've been sending my way. Please keep 'em coming. And I hope to hear from you soon.
The bad news? It's REALLY bad. Met with my doctor on Wednesday, and he informed me that I likely have MS. He can't say with 100% certainty, though. The lumbar puncture indicates I do. The MRI and vision problems do as well. But since my vision problem is the first and only attack, they can't absolutely confirm I have MS, until I have another one.
What does this mean? I'll start treatment to prevent additional symptoms soon. The doc gave me a bunch of homework on various steroid medications that I'd have to go on. I need to go through it and pick one. All of them are about the same; it's a question of how often I'll need to inject them and where I need to inject them (subcutaneously or intramuscularly). Also means I'll need to get yearly MRI's. It's not going to be cheap, either. Insurance will cover most of it, drug companies have programs set up to cover a good chunk of the rest. My doctor is also looking into getting me into a study program for a new oral medication; we'll see how it plays out. Follow up with him is at the end of July, but I'll probably select a treatment program before then. However, there's no guarantee that I'll fully get my vision back.
I'm not too worried about all that, though. I'm trying to think more bigger picture. How this is going to interfere with my life, which I've decided is zero. I'm going to continue being me, like nothing was ever wrong. In fact, I'm gonna start living like tomorrow's my last day on earth (even though it isn't). Prime example: I'm going to the Twin Cities in a couple weeks to see Weezer in concert. I had some concerns about my back problems stopping me, but this whole thing makes me realize that I can't be passing up opportunities like this.
On the other hand, this does handcuff me to my current job, I had thought about quitting so I could move to the Twin Cities and go full-steam on my search for a new one. But I certaintly can't do that now, or I'd lose my insurance coverage (I've been told by friends if I actively have insurance going into my next job, the new provider can't play the "pre-existing condition" card).
Again, I don't want to talk about this much further. That's all I've got to say about that. Let's talk about something else. Go out, grab a drink, maybe a bite to eat and discuss sports, music, movies, stories. I don't care, just anything but my impending doom.
Thank you all for all the good vibes you've been sending my way. Please keep 'em coming. And I hope to hear from you soon.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It's a dark day...
Whatever happened to the good ol' days when vampires and werewolves were primal, bloodthirty monsters to be feared, not whiny, emo-listening, angst-ridden, pansy-ass teenagers? And where are Blade, Abraham Whistler, and the Nightstalkers or Buffy and the Scooby Gang when we need them most?
It truly is the darkest before the dawn...
It truly is the darkest before the dawn...
Friday, June 18, 2010
Medical update - 6/18/10
Updates on my medical condition (originally reported on 6/16):
In addition to the vitamin B12 deficiency, I'm also lacking D. I've started a daily vitamin regiment to try resolve both of these problems, but it may not be enough to take care of the B12. I had the first of six (6) weekly injections for B12 this afternoon. After that, they want me to come in monthly for the shots. I'll be re-evaluated on this front in a few months.
Saw my back doctor yesterday afternoon. She sent me back to physical therapy, and signed off on another lumbar injection of steroids to take care of the pain issues I've had since Sunday. First PT session is Tuesday, waiting to hear back from the pain clinic on the lumbar injection. My back doctor was also the one who informed me of my vitamin D problems and suggested taking supplements to correct it. Back doctor was also telling me my neurologist is hoping the vision and back problems would be fixed with the B12 shots.
I have not heard anything back yet on the lumbar puncture and blood work from Monday, with the exception of the vitamin problems (and I'm assuming that's how the docs knew about those problems). Follow-up appointment to discuss the results still scheduled for Wednesday.
Back is feeling a bit better today, as I had the day off. No noticeable change in the vision in my left eye.
In addition to the vitamin B12 deficiency, I'm also lacking D. I've started a daily vitamin regiment to try resolve both of these problems, but it may not be enough to take care of the B12. I had the first of six (6) weekly injections for B12 this afternoon. After that, they want me to come in monthly for the shots. I'll be re-evaluated on this front in a few months.
Saw my back doctor yesterday afternoon. She sent me back to physical therapy, and signed off on another lumbar injection of steroids to take care of the pain issues I've had since Sunday. First PT session is Tuesday, waiting to hear back from the pain clinic on the lumbar injection. My back doctor was also the one who informed me of my vitamin D problems and suggested taking supplements to correct it. Back doctor was also telling me my neurologist is hoping the vision and back problems would be fixed with the B12 shots.
I have not heard anything back yet on the lumbar puncture and blood work from Monday, with the exception of the vitamin problems (and I'm assuming that's how the docs knew about those problems). Follow-up appointment to discuss the results still scheduled for Wednesday.
Back is feeling a bit better today, as I had the day off. No noticeable change in the vision in my left eye.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
I admit it; life hasn’t gone the way I wanted it to. I don’t like my job, but can’t find a new one. I still live in Fargo. I’m single. Most of my friends have moved away and/or started having kids. The Yankees won the World Series last year. I’m working on making some lemonade; I got my recipe, but can’t seem to put it all together yet. Through all this, I’ve always had my health. Or I did…
Three weeks ago today (May 26), I woke up with a problem with my left eye. The vision from it was dark and fuzzy. At first, I thought my brain was still trying to boot up, or maybe I just put my contacts in wrong. I sat through my first meeting that morning, waiting for my eyes to get it together, but no luck. I went to the walk-in clinic, and about 90 minutes later, I was seeing an optometrist. She found nothing wrong with my eye itself, but discovered I was suffering from optic neuritis, inflammation of the optic nerve. Then my optometrist said that this could be caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). Optic neuritis is the initial symptom for MS in 20-30% of the cases.
I didn’t really react to this news. Mostly because it wasn’t conclusive, nor was it proven to be MS. I kind of continued my normal life (as best as I could), but the possibilities bounced around my head like a super ball on speed. I tried to reach out to some of my friends so I’d have someone to talk to, but couldn’t find anyone. I was losing my sight, losing my mind, wishing someone would tell me I was fine. My parents came down to Fargo Memorial Day weekend (because they already planned to, not because of this). I stood out on my balcony as they arrived and started bringing everything up to my apartment. I started to lose it a little bit. No crying, but you could hear my fears and worries in my voice. After about 20 minutes, I pulled it together and got through the rest of the night OK.
They came with me to my MRI the following morning (May 29). I was getting the MRI because the doctors wanted to look for white matter lesions on my brain to help them confirm or rule out the MS diagnosis. My folks stayed at my place for the rest of the weekend, but came back down on Thursday (June 3) to accompany me to my appointment with a neurologist.
There was nothing conclusive on my MRI in terms of the MS. A couple of spots on my brain that maybe looked like white matter lesions, but nothing definitive. We kicked around the idea of me going on a steroid regiment to restore my vision, but we didn’t catch it early enough (not sure how that worked, I came in the same morning I was having issues…), so it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I decided against it, because I was not a fan of having to give myself multiple injections a week.
I was scheduled to take a few more tests. I went in for another MRI the next evening (June 4), this time to check my spine for MS. I had an issue where I was experiencing tingling and numbness on my right side from my mid-torso down to my knee in mid-April over the change in my pay schedule, due to the IT realignment at John Deere. They wanted to see if this was also caused by the MS, and not anxiety as my primary physician originally stated. A VER test (not sure what that acronym stands for) the next Tuesday (June 8), which consisted of me staring at a pulsating red dot in the middle of a moving black-and-white checkerboard pattern on a computer screen.
And to top it all off, a lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap) this past Monday (June 14). That procedure was relatively uneventful, or at least as relatively uneventful as getting a big needle poked into your spinal column so they can draw fluid out. Also got some blood drawn. Again, they’d test for MS, but they are also looking for Lyme disease and other possible infections. Most of the tests are being done up here, but some have been sent down to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
The results will come back early next week. I’ve got another appointment to follow up with my neurologist’s office next Wednesday (June 23). Until then, I’m going to continue living my life. Doing all the things I’d normally do. It isn’t that bad, it just looks like I forgot to put one of my contacts in.
Well, this kind of thinking got me into more trouble. I know, what else is new? I purchased floor tickets in January to go see Nickelback, Sick Puppies, Shinedown, and Breaking Benjamin at the Fargodome on May 27. One day after I started having vision problems. I told myself, “Hell, my vision might be screwed up, but my hearing OK. This isn’t going to stop me from going to the show and having a good time.”
I had a great time. Mostly. I got into the concert at 5:30, went down to the floor, and proceeded to enjoy all the excellent rock music. But as the night progressed, my back started bothering me. I tried to turn and twist and bend and stretch to relive the pain, but around 8:00, I started going down into a crouching position for extended periods of time (about 2-3 minutes each). I willed myself to make it through the rest of the show, as I had paid $70 and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. This may have been a bad decision. I was hurting bad by the end of the night. I continued to have some pain in my lower back and my left leg. Nothing I was doing (ice, pain relievers, ointment) alleviated the pain. It wasn’t too bad; I was able to work through it…
…Until this past Sunday (June 13), when I needed to do my laundry. I had to wash everything: towels, socks, underwear, bedsheets, shirts, pants. As the day progressed and I carried loads up and down the hall to the laundry room, I started feeling more and more pain. I finally had to stop before it was all done because I was in such rough shape. Since then, I can’t stand up straight. I’m walking around like a caveman, all hunched over. I’m in considerable less pain when sitting or lying down, but it still lingers there.
In case you’re not aware of this, this will be the THIRD problem I’ve had with my back, and I’m more than SIX MONTHS away from my 30th birthday. The first round happened in the Fall of 2000, when I was a sophomore at NDSU. I think it all started by standing outside the Fargodome, starting at 8 AM, waiting for the doors to open for the NDSU/UND football game that afternoon. Then, once we got inside, we continued to stand throughout the game. Somehow, when we picked a place to sit, we chose a spot were there wasn’t enough seats for everyone, and then ended up one row above my friends, again where there wasn’t a spot for me to sit down at any point in the game. A couple weeks later, after persistent sharp pain in my left hip, I thought rollerblading would help stretch out the stiff muscle I thought I had in that area. Wrong. Made things worse. A month later, after spending a Friday working on my laundry, the pain in my leg and back got so bad, I went to the emergency room at 1:30 AM. Saw a neurologist, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor, but they couldn’t fix it. I kept telling them and my parents I needed surgery to fix it, but they insisted against it. I was barely able to fly home for Christmas break, and when my mom and dad saw how bad of shape I was when I got off the plane, they yanked me out of college and got me to a doctor who confirmed my beliefs, though it was still ANOTHER month before I finally was treated.
This past summer, maybe after going to the Green Day concert on July 11 (and again standing on the floor the whole evening), and maybe after playing hockey all winter, spring, and most of the summer, I started having the same pain in my hip that I had as a college sophomore. I was worried that I was going to go down that same road and be put under the knife again. I stopped playing hockey for the rest of the year, but the pain continued. I saw the doctors (not any of the same ones as the last time around), who sent me to physical therapy. I also got a couple of monthly lumbar injections of steroids. This time, the non-surgical treatments worked. I became completely pain-free (except after one potentially last hockey game, but I was fine again after a couple weeks of rest).
And when it comes to back problems, I’m already playing with the deck stacked against me. My dad has had three back surgeries by the time he was fifty. A couple of his brothers have also had the same problems. It’s one of those degenerative things, since my dad’s family went through it, I was kinda doomed from the start.
I’m going into see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. Same one as my most recent bout with backitis. They’re going to take some x-rays, and look at my most recent MRI (they found some disc bulging in my back, but no one ever told me WHERE it was). Not sure where this is going to go yet, but I’d like to get back to normal ASAP, with the trips I have planned for the first couple of weekends in July.
Well, you think it couldn’t possibly get any worse right? No. A nurse from my primary physician’s office called me this afternoon, telling me I have a B12 vitamin deficiency (barely, I’m just slightly under the lower limit for a normal range). Not sure if this discovered from testing the blood drawn from me on Monday or not. I’m gonna go in on Friday to get an injection and get this taken care of. I don’t think a lack of B12 is causing either of these issues, but looking at the symptoms, I found a number of things on that list I have been struggling with lately (fatigue, weakened memory (in the form of more brain farts than normal), irritability, depression).
I just want to get all this over with and be healthy again. I’ve got too much other stuff to worry about, and I don’t want to put my life on hold, like I did 10 years ago before, during, and after my back surgery.
I don’t want to talk about this either. Please, let’s talk about something else. Sports, music, video games, puppies. Tell me what’s going on in your life. Call me, e-mail me, find me on Facebook. I don’t care, just as long as it’s anything else.
And until all this is fixed, I’m going to see if I can find the receipt for this body I got from God, so I can exchange it for a non-defective one. I know I have it around here somewhere…
Three weeks ago today (May 26), I woke up with a problem with my left eye. The vision from it was dark and fuzzy. At first, I thought my brain was still trying to boot up, or maybe I just put my contacts in wrong. I sat through my first meeting that morning, waiting for my eyes to get it together, but no luck. I went to the walk-in clinic, and about 90 minutes later, I was seeing an optometrist. She found nothing wrong with my eye itself, but discovered I was suffering from optic neuritis, inflammation of the optic nerve. Then my optometrist said that this could be caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). Optic neuritis is the initial symptom for MS in 20-30% of the cases.
I didn’t really react to this news. Mostly because it wasn’t conclusive, nor was it proven to be MS. I kind of continued my normal life (as best as I could), but the possibilities bounced around my head like a super ball on speed. I tried to reach out to some of my friends so I’d have someone to talk to, but couldn’t find anyone. I was losing my sight, losing my mind, wishing someone would tell me I was fine. My parents came down to Fargo Memorial Day weekend (because they already planned to, not because of this). I stood out on my balcony as they arrived and started bringing everything up to my apartment. I started to lose it a little bit. No crying, but you could hear my fears and worries in my voice. After about 20 minutes, I pulled it together and got through the rest of the night OK.
They came with me to my MRI the following morning (May 29). I was getting the MRI because the doctors wanted to look for white matter lesions on my brain to help them confirm or rule out the MS diagnosis. My folks stayed at my place for the rest of the weekend, but came back down on Thursday (June 3) to accompany me to my appointment with a neurologist.
There was nothing conclusive on my MRI in terms of the MS. A couple of spots on my brain that maybe looked like white matter lesions, but nothing definitive. We kicked around the idea of me going on a steroid regiment to restore my vision, but we didn’t catch it early enough (not sure how that worked, I came in the same morning I was having issues…), so it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference. I decided against it, because I was not a fan of having to give myself multiple injections a week.
I was scheduled to take a few more tests. I went in for another MRI the next evening (June 4), this time to check my spine for MS. I had an issue where I was experiencing tingling and numbness on my right side from my mid-torso down to my knee in mid-April over the change in my pay schedule, due to the IT realignment at John Deere. They wanted to see if this was also caused by the MS, and not anxiety as my primary physician originally stated. A VER test (not sure what that acronym stands for) the next Tuesday (June 8), which consisted of me staring at a pulsating red dot in the middle of a moving black-and-white checkerboard pattern on a computer screen.
And to top it all off, a lumbar puncture (also known as a spinal tap) this past Monday (June 14). That procedure was relatively uneventful, or at least as relatively uneventful as getting a big needle poked into your spinal column so they can draw fluid out. Also got some blood drawn. Again, they’d test for MS, but they are also looking for Lyme disease and other possible infections. Most of the tests are being done up here, but some have been sent down to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
The results will come back early next week. I’ve got another appointment to follow up with my neurologist’s office next Wednesday (June 23). Until then, I’m going to continue living my life. Doing all the things I’d normally do. It isn’t that bad, it just looks like I forgot to put one of my contacts in.
Well, this kind of thinking got me into more trouble. I know, what else is new? I purchased floor tickets in January to go see Nickelback, Sick Puppies, Shinedown, and Breaking Benjamin at the Fargodome on May 27. One day after I started having vision problems. I told myself, “Hell, my vision might be screwed up, but my hearing OK. This isn’t going to stop me from going to the show and having a good time.”
I had a great time. Mostly. I got into the concert at 5:30, went down to the floor, and proceeded to enjoy all the excellent rock music. But as the night progressed, my back started bothering me. I tried to turn and twist and bend and stretch to relive the pain, but around 8:00, I started going down into a crouching position for extended periods of time (about 2-3 minutes each). I willed myself to make it through the rest of the show, as I had paid $70 and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste. This may have been a bad decision. I was hurting bad by the end of the night. I continued to have some pain in my lower back and my left leg. Nothing I was doing (ice, pain relievers, ointment) alleviated the pain. It wasn’t too bad; I was able to work through it…
…Until this past Sunday (June 13), when I needed to do my laundry. I had to wash everything: towels, socks, underwear, bedsheets, shirts, pants. As the day progressed and I carried loads up and down the hall to the laundry room, I started feeling more and more pain. I finally had to stop before it was all done because I was in such rough shape. Since then, I can’t stand up straight. I’m walking around like a caveman, all hunched over. I’m in considerable less pain when sitting or lying down, but it still lingers there.
In case you’re not aware of this, this will be the THIRD problem I’ve had with my back, and I’m more than SIX MONTHS away from my 30th birthday. The first round happened in the Fall of 2000, when I was a sophomore at NDSU. I think it all started by standing outside the Fargodome, starting at 8 AM, waiting for the doors to open for the NDSU/UND football game that afternoon. Then, once we got inside, we continued to stand throughout the game. Somehow, when we picked a place to sit, we chose a spot were there wasn’t enough seats for everyone, and then ended up one row above my friends, again where there wasn’t a spot for me to sit down at any point in the game. A couple weeks later, after persistent sharp pain in my left hip, I thought rollerblading would help stretch out the stiff muscle I thought I had in that area. Wrong. Made things worse. A month later, after spending a Friday working on my laundry, the pain in my leg and back got so bad, I went to the emergency room at 1:30 AM. Saw a neurologist, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor, but they couldn’t fix it. I kept telling them and my parents I needed surgery to fix it, but they insisted against it. I was barely able to fly home for Christmas break, and when my mom and dad saw how bad of shape I was when I got off the plane, they yanked me out of college and got me to a doctor who confirmed my beliefs, though it was still ANOTHER month before I finally was treated.
This past summer, maybe after going to the Green Day concert on July 11 (and again standing on the floor the whole evening), and maybe after playing hockey all winter, spring, and most of the summer, I started having the same pain in my hip that I had as a college sophomore. I was worried that I was going to go down that same road and be put under the knife again. I stopped playing hockey for the rest of the year, but the pain continued. I saw the doctors (not any of the same ones as the last time around), who sent me to physical therapy. I also got a couple of monthly lumbar injections of steroids. This time, the non-surgical treatments worked. I became completely pain-free (except after one potentially last hockey game, but I was fine again after a couple weeks of rest).
And when it comes to back problems, I’m already playing with the deck stacked against me. My dad has had three back surgeries by the time he was fifty. A couple of his brothers have also had the same problems. It’s one of those degenerative things, since my dad’s family went through it, I was kinda doomed from the start.
I’m going into see the doctor tomorrow afternoon. Same one as my most recent bout with backitis. They’re going to take some x-rays, and look at my most recent MRI (they found some disc bulging in my back, but no one ever told me WHERE it was). Not sure where this is going to go yet, but I’d like to get back to normal ASAP, with the trips I have planned for the first couple of weekends in July.
Well, you think it couldn’t possibly get any worse right? No. A nurse from my primary physician’s office called me this afternoon, telling me I have a B12 vitamin deficiency (barely, I’m just slightly under the lower limit for a normal range). Not sure if this discovered from testing the blood drawn from me on Monday or not. I’m gonna go in on Friday to get an injection and get this taken care of. I don’t think a lack of B12 is causing either of these issues, but looking at the symptoms, I found a number of things on that list I have been struggling with lately (fatigue, weakened memory (in the form of more brain farts than normal), irritability, depression).
I just want to get all this over with and be healthy again. I’ve got too much other stuff to worry about, and I don’t want to put my life on hold, like I did 10 years ago before, during, and after my back surgery.
I don’t want to talk about this either. Please, let’s talk about something else. Sports, music, video games, puppies. Tell me what’s going on in your life. Call me, e-mail me, find me on Facebook. I don’t care, just as long as it’s anything else.
And until all this is fixed, I’m going to see if I can find the receipt for this body I got from God, so I can exchange it for a non-defective one. I know I have it around here somewhere…
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Welcome to the mountain top...
Your own kick-ass Rock Band title? A Broadway musical based on your multi-Grammy, multi-Platinum rock opera?
Welcome to Level 6, Green Day. Sit anywhere you like. Keep up the good work. Glad to have you aboard.
Welcome to Level 6, Green Day. Sit anywhere you like. Keep up the good work. Glad to have you aboard.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Dark Horse Tour - Concert Review
Last night, the 2010 Dark Horse Tour with Nickelback, Sick Puppies, Shinedown, and Breaking Benjamin came to the Fargodome, they put on one HELL of a show. Here's my review of the evening's festivities:
Sick Puppies - They were awesome, despite the short set (only 5 songs). I debated about going to meet them at one of the merchandise vending locations, but decided against it, in fear of losing my spot on the floor (I got within 30-40 feet of the stage when I arrived), and because they are going to be back in Fargo in a couple weeks to play with Papa Roach. I might have to go check them out.
Shinedown - They were good, but I'm going to nitpick on them. I wish they played a little more older stuff (all but 2 of their songs were off their new album, "The Sound of Madness"). And they could have used a little less acoustic guitar and rocked out more (they played three songs that'd be considered rock ballads). However, Brent Smith has an amazing stage presence. Reminded me a lot like Josey Scott when Saliva played here in Sept. 2007.
Breaking Benjamin - This was the only "meh" band on the tour, and by that I mean I was indifferent to them. I went to this show to see every band on the bill BUT them. Regardless, they were good, in that they didn't suck.
But I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy their set because: 1) My back was really starting to kill me at this point. Doors opened at 5:30, and Breaking Benjamin's set started around 8, so I'd been standing for close to three hours at this point. I had to frequently drop to a crouching position to relieve the pain. Thank you to the two fellow concertgoers for checking to see if I was OK. 2) Three drunk girls behind and to the left of me who HAD to start dancing halfway through the set. They kept bumping into me. It was very annoying. And they were DRUNK; they had been holding onto all their beer cups since the evening started, and I counted 6 in one girl's hand. I usually don't have a problem with people who drink, as long as it's responsibly and they aren't causing havoc to others. Fuckin' bitches... Needless to say, this was the most sour moment of the evening.
Nickelback - The headliners, but to be honest, if Shinedown and Sick Puppies weren't opening, I don't think I would have went. Don't get me wrong, I do like Nickelback, just not enough to pay $70 JUST to see them.
They put on one amazing show. Playing some of my favorites, like "Figured You Out" and "Someday". Daniel Adair's 6 minute drum solo was probably the best I've ever heard. I'm going to have to promote him Top 10 Drummer status after that, but I'm not sure who to bump off the list (I'm getting off-topic). And the partial covers of Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"? God, I WISH they would have played them all the way through, those were GOOD. Guitarist Ryan Peake was right when speaking of the latter, "I wish we'd written this song". I'm sure it would have torn the roof of the Fargodome.
However, the thing that I'll remember most from Nickelback's performance was Chad Kroeger. Firstly, he cut hair and trimmed his beard!! He looks like an extra on an episode of Dawson's Creek. Not very rock 'n' roll. Secondly, he acted like a stereotypical frat guy. You know the kind, only cares about drinking, perverted mind, cusses like a sailor. I don't know if this is what he's really like, or if this is just a persona, but either way, I can see why critics say the things they do about Nickelback. Regardless, he and the rest of the band had a good time on stage.
And I had a good time watching them and all the rest of the bands at that concert last night. I give the entire show a 9 out of 10. I also proceeded to purchase four albums this morning, Sick Puppies' "Tri-Polar", Shinedown's "Us and Them" and "The Sound of Madness", and Nickelback's "Dark Horse" (I woulda bought them after the concert, but they were $15 each, but only $10-13 each on Amazon).
Shimon, Emma, Mark, Brent, Zach, Eric, Barry, Benjamin, Aaron, Mark, Chad, Chad, Ryan, Mike, Daniel, and Timmy, thank you once again to coming to Fargo and putting on a great show. We'd love to have you back again someday.
Sick Puppies - They were awesome, despite the short set (only 5 songs). I debated about going to meet them at one of the merchandise vending locations, but decided against it, in fear of losing my spot on the floor (I got within 30-40 feet of the stage when I arrived), and because they are going to be back in Fargo in a couple weeks to play with Papa Roach. I might have to go check them out.
Shinedown - They were good, but I'm going to nitpick on them. I wish they played a little more older stuff (all but 2 of their songs were off their new album, "The Sound of Madness"). And they could have used a little less acoustic guitar and rocked out more (they played three songs that'd be considered rock ballads). However, Brent Smith has an amazing stage presence. Reminded me a lot like Josey Scott when Saliva played here in Sept. 2007.
Breaking Benjamin - This was the only "meh" band on the tour, and by that I mean I was indifferent to them. I went to this show to see every band on the bill BUT them. Regardless, they were good, in that they didn't suck.
But I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy their set because: 1) My back was really starting to kill me at this point. Doors opened at 5:30, and Breaking Benjamin's set started around 8, so I'd been standing for close to three hours at this point. I had to frequently drop to a crouching position to relieve the pain. Thank you to the two fellow concertgoers for checking to see if I was OK. 2) Three drunk girls behind and to the left of me who HAD to start dancing halfway through the set. They kept bumping into me. It was very annoying. And they were DRUNK; they had been holding onto all their beer cups since the evening started, and I counted 6 in one girl's hand. I usually don't have a problem with people who drink, as long as it's responsibly and they aren't causing havoc to others. Fuckin' bitches... Needless to say, this was the most sour moment of the evening.
Nickelback - The headliners, but to be honest, if Shinedown and Sick Puppies weren't opening, I don't think I would have went. Don't get me wrong, I do like Nickelback, just not enough to pay $70 JUST to see them.
They put on one amazing show. Playing some of my favorites, like "Figured You Out" and "Someday". Daniel Adair's 6 minute drum solo was probably the best I've ever heard. I'm going to have to promote him Top 10 Drummer status after that, but I'm not sure who to bump off the list (I'm getting off-topic). And the partial covers of Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"? God, I WISH they would have played them all the way through, those were GOOD. Guitarist Ryan Peake was right when speaking of the latter, "I wish we'd written this song". I'm sure it would have torn the roof of the Fargodome.
However, the thing that I'll remember most from Nickelback's performance was Chad Kroeger. Firstly, he cut hair and trimmed his beard!! He looks like an extra on an episode of Dawson's Creek. Not very rock 'n' roll. Secondly, he acted like a stereotypical frat guy. You know the kind, only cares about drinking, perverted mind, cusses like a sailor. I don't know if this is what he's really like, or if this is just a persona, but either way, I can see why critics say the things they do about Nickelback. Regardless, he and the rest of the band had a good time on stage.
And I had a good time watching them and all the rest of the bands at that concert last night. I give the entire show a 9 out of 10. I also proceeded to purchase four albums this morning, Sick Puppies' "Tri-Polar", Shinedown's "Us and Them" and "The Sound of Madness", and Nickelback's "Dark Horse" (I woulda bought them after the concert, but they were $15 each, but only $10-13 each on Amazon).
Shimon, Emma, Mark, Brent, Zach, Eric, Barry, Benjamin, Aaron, Mark, Chad, Chad, Ryan, Mike, Daniel, and Timmy, thank you once again to coming to Fargo and putting on a great show. We'd love to have you back again someday.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
And I care what you think because...?
I don't care what you think about me. And there's one of two reasons for that. Either...
1. You're my friend. You already like me, so I don't need continue earning your approval. Now, you may disagree with me, you may not understand me, you may even think I'm being an idiot. There's nothing wrong with that. I know you're looking out for me, but you accept that I have to live my own life, form my own opinions, and make my own mistakes.
OR...
2. You're not my friend. If you want to be friends, we can have a discussion and come to some sort of agreement. Even if it's only to disagree. And if we can't be friends after that discussion, I'm fine with it. No big loss.
If you don't want to be my friend, then to hell with you. I don't need you. I don't want you. You're just some jerk, and I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.
Ultimately, I don't answer to you. I answer to ME. I'm going to do what makes me happy. As long as you can be happy for me, we're good. If not, I'm better off without you. Just go away...
1. You're my friend. You already like me, so I don't need continue earning your approval. Now, you may disagree with me, you may not understand me, you may even think I'm being an idiot. There's nothing wrong with that. I know you're looking out for me, but you accept that I have to live my own life, form my own opinions, and make my own mistakes.
OR...
2. You're not my friend. If you want to be friends, we can have a discussion and come to some sort of agreement. Even if it's only to disagree. And if we can't be friends after that discussion, I'm fine with it. No big loss.
If you don't want to be my friend, then to hell with you. I don't need you. I don't want you. You're just some jerk, and I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.
Ultimately, I don't answer to you. I answer to ME. I'm going to do what makes me happy. As long as you can be happy for me, we're good. If not, I'm better off without you. Just go away...
Friday, May 7, 2010
Dome Sweet Dome
As I right this, the Minnesota Twins should be hosting the Baltimore Orioles in the second of a four-game series. Mother Nature had other ideas, as the Twins have been rained out for the first time in almost thirty years.
How was that possible? Easily. The Metrodome. In my opinion, it went before it's time. Sure, it still stands, but the Twins don't play there anymore. It's a shame, really. That place holds so many fond baseball memories...
It's where I saw my first MLB game. Wednesday, August 12th, 1992. Minnesota's just two games back of the Oakland Athletics (their primary rival of the late '80s and early '90s, but that's another story for another day). Minnesota was hosting the Texas Rangers. Closer Rick Aguilera gave up a three-run homer to Juan Gonzalez in the top of the ninth to blow the save and lose the game 5-3. The thing I remember most was the guy in the row behind me, pretending to read a story out of the back-to-school binders handed out to schoolchildren for that evening's promotion, about how Aguilera was the goat after that home run. I still have my binder from that night, and it's currently holding my Twins baseball cards.
I think I ended up seeing at least 8 Twins game at the Dome before they moved out at the end of 2009. I still have all my ticket stubs (except that first one) for those games. Every time I have visited the Twin Cities in my adult life, I've tried to talk my friends into catching a game there. I felt that every time I was in town and we didn't see a game was a wasted trip. My friends Paul and Nikki didn't want to go when I was in the Cities in '04 (Joe Mauer's rookie year) to try out for Jeopardy! No one wanted to see them play the Yankees the day after those two got married in '05. So disappointing...
But my love for that place goes beyond my personal visits. It's about the greatest Twins player of my generation, Kirby Puckett. Game 6 in the '91 World Series? The man single-handedly wins the game staving off elimination and setting up the final chapter of the most historic World Series ever. I hated to see him go too, first into retirement with glaucoma in '96, then into the next life with a stroke in '06.
I could go on. The Baggy in right field. The Plexiglass in left. The turf. Pale Hoser manager Ozzie Guillen bitchin' about the turf and the Piranhas using it to their advantage. "Little Big League" and "Major League: Back to the Minors". The heir to the throne in center field, Torii Hunter, making amazing plays on a near-nightly basis, earning seven straight gold gloves in a Minnesota uniform. The roof messing with opposing outfields. Game 163.
I cannot wait to see a game at Target Field this summer, even if it does get rained out. Baseball is meant to be played outside. I've watched almost every game on TV so far this year, and it looks great. Nothing short of amazing. The house that Mauer will build will serve this team very well for the years and decades to come.
But I'll never forget my first love. The Metrodome holds a very special place in my heart. It will always be my Dome Sweet Dome...
How was that possible? Easily. The Metrodome. In my opinion, it went before it's time. Sure, it still stands, but the Twins don't play there anymore. It's a shame, really. That place holds so many fond baseball memories...
It's where I saw my first MLB game. Wednesday, August 12th, 1992. Minnesota's just two games back of the Oakland Athletics (their primary rival of the late '80s and early '90s, but that's another story for another day). Minnesota was hosting the Texas Rangers. Closer Rick Aguilera gave up a three-run homer to Juan Gonzalez in the top of the ninth to blow the save and lose the game 5-3. The thing I remember most was the guy in the row behind me, pretending to read a story out of the back-to-school binders handed out to schoolchildren for that evening's promotion, about how Aguilera was the goat after that home run. I still have my binder from that night, and it's currently holding my Twins baseball cards.
I think I ended up seeing at least 8 Twins game at the Dome before they moved out at the end of 2009. I still have all my ticket stubs (except that first one) for those games. Every time I have visited the Twin Cities in my adult life, I've tried to talk my friends into catching a game there. I felt that every time I was in town and we didn't see a game was a wasted trip. My friends Paul and Nikki didn't want to go when I was in the Cities in '04 (Joe Mauer's rookie year) to try out for Jeopardy! No one wanted to see them play the Yankees the day after those two got married in '05. So disappointing...
But my love for that place goes beyond my personal visits. It's about the greatest Twins player of my generation, Kirby Puckett. Game 6 in the '91 World Series? The man single-handedly wins the game staving off elimination and setting up the final chapter of the most historic World Series ever. I hated to see him go too, first into retirement with glaucoma in '96, then into the next life with a stroke in '06.
I could go on. The Baggy in right field. The Plexiglass in left. The turf. Pale Hoser manager Ozzie Guillen bitchin' about the turf and the Piranhas using it to their advantage. "Little Big League" and "Major League: Back to the Minors". The heir to the throne in center field, Torii Hunter, making amazing plays on a near-nightly basis, earning seven straight gold gloves in a Minnesota uniform. The roof messing with opposing outfields. Game 163.
I cannot wait to see a game at Target Field this summer, even if it does get rained out. Baseball is meant to be played outside. I've watched almost every game on TV so far this year, and it looks great. Nothing short of amazing. The house that Mauer will build will serve this team very well for the years and decades to come.
But I'll never forget my first love. The Metrodome holds a very special place in my heart. It will always be my Dome Sweet Dome...
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