Can You Say "Staph" Infection??????? And Observations From A Year On Here......*

Well, my life as an ongoing medical experiment and curiosity here in Paris continues with the follow up visit I had with my Plastic Surgeon (I'm now followed by 4 doctors here) who informed me casually yesterday that the pathology results from my wound he re-opened a week ago indicated that I had a Staph Infection which sort of freaked me out and for the first time I became a bit adversarial with him. I'd been trying to tell various doctors including 2 of my other doctors about lump on the side of my leg for over a month including an emergency room visit follow up with my Internist both who informed me that it wasn't an infection but scar tissue even though it was swollen and hurt in ways that made me walk like an old man. Going forward, I'm to be just that......FORWARD in all aspects of my care here even if it goes against the party line. Don't get me wrong here, overall my care here has been very good but this infection could have been stopped over a month ago if someone had listened to me. Lesson learned..........* Nuff said about that topic. Suffice to say I'm being nuked with MAJOR anti-biotics presently that will clear whatever ails me up in short order.

Now some notes and observations on living here for over a year now which hopefully be followed by Cassie and the twins in separate entries.

1. You can't ever be in a hurry here although all of the locals endeavor to do so. There's a way things are done in the rest of the world and then there's France. Nuff said.....*

2. Some neighbors are always going to be assholes and that's the way of the world here too although we've met some lovely folks in our building which has been great.

3. The food and wine is BETTER than advertised and for the most part French people are quite pleasant and easily approachable. We love it here and will be hard pressed to leave when the time comes.

4. Paris is a VERY NOISY city although living right next door to a small hospital doesn't really help much. We do however love our apartment and wouldn't change if for the world. Now if one could just get rid of all of the scooters.

5. Lastly, it WAS a great idea for us all to come. Everyone is doing so well including the twins who are more independent here than they ever were in Lynchburg. They've really blossomed here and are all the better for the experience. Cassie has done so well with her new position and gained so much confidence it's a real marvel to see her and be around her now. What a transformation I've witnessed since we first started living together over 26 years ago! Pretty cool! And my audio mastering business is starting to get going here with the upcoming album project by the all American Country Rock Band from Berlin named "Modern Earl" who came to me through my friendship with Liane Edwards and her band who's "Branded" album I remastered last Summer for them.

Pretty cool stuff.............

That's all for now........

A bientot,

Sid

Gary Snow, The First Salon, And More Fun As A Medical Experiment

I know I indicated that I'd write more and here I am almost a month down the road. We've had guests galore, Oslo and Gaia, Gary Snow and his daughter Jessie and her fiance Joshua and hosted our first "Music Salon" with a rare Purveyors performance (Gary played with us while we were in Iowa...) that included our new friend Andy Guthrie in front of 30 plus people in our living room here that was was a huge success. There just hasn't been enough time to actually sit and write anything until this morning. Our next group of guests arrive on the 5th of April and then again later that month. We are planning to get a trip to London in sometime very soon and the twins are going to take the Summer off from College this year so we can do some traveling. More on that as it develops of course with pictures as they become reality.

After some success treating my illness (Dermatomyositis) with steroids and other things my docs were pleased and reduced the amount of steroids I've been taking (GREAT!) but the biopsy site on my right leg started swelling about 3 weeks ago to the point I became alarmed and went to the ER at the American Hospital here and they looked and proclaimed it not infected (Good) but it HURT a lot and about a week later saw my Internist who I showed it to and he said it was scar tissue and that I would probably be "ugly" on the beach this Summer (hahahahahahahahaha). It still hurt though and I saw my Dematologist who doesn't have a good poker face and he was unhappy and proclaimed it to be "un-natural" and told me it would have to be "opened up" to be cleaned out.......which happens this Friday at 2. My appointment yesterday also addressed scaly skin on my scalp (new development) and the return of some of my rashes (Geeeeeez........) with the accompanying itching and discomfort which now brings me to a whole new drug regimen that as a bonus includes weekly blood tests to measure levels of the auto immune suppressant drugs I will be taking. Whenever I show up at my local pharmacie here with my multiple sheets of prescriptions there's always a stir as the ladies all gather around and of course not many Americans frequent it so English becomes fractured but we always get to yes and they are all very sweet and caring. I can say with certainty though that Friday I'm not leaving the "Petit Chuigerie) until the doc gives me a scrip for prophylactic antibiotics. I'm not gonna go through that again.

That's all from here for now. More later.

Love to all,

Sid