Rob Astor

Life Rhymes With All The Wrong Kinds Of Adventures Lately

Hello all! I wasn't going to make a huge deal out of my health issues, one because I failed to know how bad things were, and two because some of it is so very similar to what happened when I had Covid 3 1/2 years ago.

So life doesn't always repeat. But it rhymes with itself in spaces and stanzas that could mark days, weeks, months, years, or decades. And mine really did this time.

About two months ago, I had some socks tops that I use to keep my legs from swelling, which happens infrequently. They slipped down and my calves swelled up like Popeye's forearms. My legs started leaking water, some days in puddles. So, I kept wrapping them and trying to avoid getting them infected. Unfortunately, that quickly went by the wayside and, soon, I couldn't walk well as they felt like they were on fire.

One of my very dear friends drove me to the E.R. and I was put on antibiotics right away. For four days we did bandage changes with creams. What I didn't know was the rest of this story. I was once again in kidney failure. My function is usually 84 to 85 on a scale of 100. If you drop to 15, you go on dialysis. I was at 8.4. I asked my doctor later why I wasn't feeling any pain. He told me that when your kidneys get that far down, you get tired, maybe sick to your stomach, but you fall asleep and never wake up. He said it's one of the most peaceful ways to go.

They ran all kinds of fluids through me. I went in down 20 pounds and came out with a net gain of 10 more on me. They had to flush a lot of whacky numbers out and restore my kidney function. I am back at 84.

On day four, they let me go, much to my dismay because I was still dizzy and walking very unsteady as these fluids drained. I was to next go to a wound center for leg wraps - 3 we did in the hospital and the first felt like they pulled all the skin right off my legs. Yeah, hurt that bad.

Well, things improved but I started to notice shortness of breath. From Covid, I have C.O.P.D. or emphysema depending on which of my doctors you talk to, so I use an inhaler and it was keeping things under control. But I started having chest pains last week that felt like those I get with bronchitis. I was coughing out the stuff and the pain would go away.

Wednesday night, I had sharp pains under my breastbone all the way down. I coughed awhile and it went away. Thursday, I had a pressure in that area that just got worse. On top of it, I could take about five steps and then double over unable to catch my breath. Off to the E.R. I go again.

E.K.G., X-Rays, Ultrasound, and Cat Scan. Of course I was in no way thinking I'd hear my results. I had several very large - larger than with Covid - blood clots in my lungs pressed against the right side of my heart, just like before.

The difference now, they could have stopped my heart at any moment and I would have dropped dead. So, they would either do a catheter to suction them out, or target them with very strong and dangerous medication.

Much like the last time, there was a chance something would go wrong and I could bleed out. And much like before, I was trying to get a hold of as many people as possible to say goodbye if it came down to it. I'd done this before, so it wasn't as hard or as intensely sad this time, but not enough time to get to everyone I wanted to.

The suction method was ruled out as far to dangerous. They inserted five or six really long needles into my right groin which is the closest I ever want to come to being impaled. Then they put gauges on the end and widen those out which was a new kind of terrible pain. I never felt the tubes go in, just that they were and the medicine was being pumped onto the clots. At this point had been laying for a few hours and needed to stay as still as possible until another two hours passed.

I was brought back up to my room and put on a mattress pad that molded around my body and I felt like I was sleeping in a cloud. Two hours later, the doctor comes to remove the needles and caths.

He was not gentle. It hurt three times worse than the insertion and he pulled those little tubes out rather quick, which really hurt at the insertion point, like pulling a stone through the eye of a needle. Then pressure to stop any bleeding. More pain.

When he got the bleeding to stop, I had to wait two hours for the medication to sort of dissipate in my system, then go back on the other drip bag.

After 54 hours, they let me have something to eat - I had not since about 6pm Tuesday night. Wednesday, I didn't feel like eating and Thursday, because of the procedure, it was nothing past midnight and I wasn't in a room till nearly that time.

Sleep came easy after that ordeal on Friday. Today, the plan was to get me up and sit in a chair. I have and I've been mobile enough to get to the bathroom a few times.

Now I wait. Because bloodclots are now a recurring thing with me, I'll be on blood thinners the rest of my life. So they have to get the thickness of my blood into a certain range before letting me go. With Covid, it took about a week total if I remember right.

Today, being able to move without the pain and not loosing my breath right away, I'm cautiously optimistic the clots were dissolved. I watched the newest Hunger Games movie, The Flash, and Wonka. Had only not seen the first of those three. Had my favorite hospital breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A few visitors and just time to start really healing.

For all of you who prayed and sent well wishes, thank you so very much. In 3 weeks, I was a pawn on the Reaper's chessboard twice. Not a place you want to be. I can only say that a higher power calls the shots and there must be something left for me to do in this world because the Good Lord took matters into His own hands.

Much love to all of you and always know you hold special places in my heart filled with memories I keep very near and dear!

A toast to better days!

Daybreak Speedway

At long last, our twenty week journey through the stars as envisioned on three brand new albums - ISLAND UNIVERSE DREAMS - MOON KID - STARDUST SPEEDWAY - recorded by instrumentalist ROB ASTOR - has reached it conclusion. The sun rises on a brand new day and opportunities wait around every corner. Gently pulsing music changes as percussion swipes by, lending the feel of stepping into a casino or taking a break by perusing a boardwalk amusement park. Whatever lies ahead - whether it's a big city populated by endless skyscrapers, or an ocean shore greeting the horizon - if you stay in the passenger seat and ride with ROB ASTOR, there's always more adventure to come!

ISLAND UNIVERSE DREAMS - MOON KID - STARDUST SPEEDWAY - Three brand new albums by ROB ASTOR - Now available at over 150 digital outlets!

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/daybreak-speedway/1738850199?i=1738850389

Amazon Digital (USA)
https://amazon.com/music/player/tracks/B0CZK3DZVG?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_4QLLjqFlTblfSPYXfC4EN0OnW

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/6zIkAUcOdCyXfCcw5duEll?si=gztxQWnWS6-TJVKXHtH69g

YouTube (USA)
https://youtu.be/4NPKk_CZ1Aw?si=e2jVRj9KL3ZAORXI

Amethyst Skyway

Upbeat, light, and fun, "Amethyst Skyway" has a musical chime reflecting its namesake. There is a place midway through, if you use enough imagination, that sounds as if amethyst crystals are pulsing through electric keyboards and flashes of purple light. Found on MOON KID - one of three brand new space-themed albums released by electronic instrumental musician ROB ASTOR - "Amethyst Skyway" plays like the opening theme of a cartoon fairytale, but is infectious enough to have the listener humming along in little time.

ISLAND UNIVERSE DREAMS - MOON KID - STARDUST SPEEDWAY - Three brand new albums by ROB ASTOR - Now available at over 150 digital outlets!

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/amethyst-skyway/1738850809?i=1738850814

Amazon Digital (USA)
https://amazon.com/music/player/tracks/B0CZK4G1R4?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_yFlysRIunyIXW2wUugbFKgnjb

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/3u1odU46a4IkixwzFpjyAL

YouTube (USA)
https://youtu.be/aR1o36896lg?si=l_Hoi8h5VL9RlGvB