I have to see if I can finagle a way to get there. I hope that I can. I would hate to miss midnight mass.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Thanks Father Chris
I have to see if I can finagle a way to get there. I hope that I can. I would hate to miss midnight mass.
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You can finoche your way down there - truss me - that's over a week away.
That said, however, prior to having my mitral valve repaired the docs (or at least they told me they were doctors) did an angiography to assess my coronary arteries. They sliced into my groin, located my femoral artery, injected the dye, took x-rays or whatever, then stitched me up.
Next morning I had my heart surged on - I survived, they sent me home and I started healing.
My point is, and I do have one, that the incision in my groin was slower to heal and more painful than the incision in my chest. Seems odd, but I hear ya, Troopski - that is a tough one to just get over, tough out, rub some dirt on and get back in the game.
But you have another week - you will be amazed. Just lay off the gymnastics (wink wink) and you will be fine.
And let me say that I was amazed that the sensation of the dye coursing though my circulatory system - I could feel it - in two heart beats it was in my hands and feet - bam, just like that.
And my coronary arteries were clear enough that they didn't mess with them when they were in the neighborhood. I was as surprised as anyone - believe me.
I went for a walk yesterday and when I got home the wound started hurting a lot. I had to rest it today.
I am going to the doctor tomorrow so I can see what is up.
By all means, see the doc, but that is a deep incision and it will take time to heal. Or heel.
Rest up, allow your wonderful wife to pamper you a bit and know that soon you will be up and around.
I think mine took a couple of weeks to get to the point that I could resume running marathons.
Ha!
Funny thing is, I noticed this morning that when one of my cats was walking on the scar tissue on my chest it still felt funny - not painful, but clearly the tissue had been traumatized and even the weight of a cat's paw was enough to remind me of that fact.
Gettin' old requires a degree of toughness.
God knows your heart. If you can't, you can't. I understand the longing to be there, nothing to say to fix that. Maybe you could slip in late and leave early, if that's not too rude or sacrilegious? That's nice of him to stop by. I hear it's good to be missed.
What would Jesus want you to do? I have no doubt he wants you to stay home and heal.
I do best when I receive short pieces of counsel from others because I can remember it when I'm not sure what to do, and last year someone I respect gave me something which helps me find center when I'm not sure what to do, especially so when memory and emotion and desire enter the mix:
What is my current reality? What do I need to do to live in and be present to that reality?
Understanding how much would mean for you to attend the service, my hope will be for you to find a way to do so. If you can sort out whether the concerns being expressed involved serious health issues or a more general anxiety and concern, it might then be easier for you to figure out a workable solution.
I recently wrote this to a friend:
While traditions are nice, when it comes to Christmas I need to also be looking for it in unexpected places, because according to the story, that's how and where the first one showed up.
Your friend is indeed a lucky person to receive such a nice message from you, MamaM.
Which reminds me of a story from earlier this year - my brother drove through the town we lived in from 1955-1965 and took pictures of our old place.
The gift I got was to see that the live Christmas trees which I had planted over 50 years ago were now grown into huge mature evergreens. That's the Christmas story that resonates with me.
Or, if EPR were awake, resinates.
Do what your doctor and your wife tell you.
You can't fight them both. If you can swing one or the other to your side--go for it. As long as it's your wife.
Doctor don't count.
Is that your church in the picture, Troop? It's beautiful.
Different people have different results. The incision in my groin took about two weeks to heal, and even then walking around was fine. The sternotomy healed pretty rapidly, too, but hurt like heck for months afterward. They should have used a different welding rod when they put me back together.
My heart doc had me I supervised workouts in the hospital as an outpatient beginning three weeks post-op. Hurt like heck, but it was worth it.
Wear a wig and sneak out on Christmas Eve.
I had keyhole surgery rather than having my chest cracked.
Even after 2 years I had pain in and around my sternum - I guess they were pushin' that stuff in there around to get at whatever they were gettin' at.
I never did ask the doc how he accessed my mitral valve, still don't want to know - that knowledge would keep me up at night.
I am going to assume they followed my aorta - aorta know better, but there you go.
I can't imagine it. When I was younger (twenties) I slipped climbing out of a tree stand and landed on a large lower limb full on my left side just under the rib cage. Hurt like fuck but I'm tough (and dumb) so I didn't worry about it. It didn't get better. Played rugby a few days later, and I was the biggest person on my team, I made an open field tackle on the biggest guy on the other team and something popped in their but still...I'm tough.
A few days later I had a weird ringing in my ears from all the aspirin I was taking and my left arm went numb and turned purple. That's when I went to the doctor.
I'd sheared a few ribs right off the sternum. That crap never heals. It still causes some issues.
On the bright side, because the doctor refused to give me any kind of pain medication I had a good excuse to spend the next several days stuffed right full of Jim Beam.
Always gotta look at the bright side.
If you can walk around a bit and go to restaurants occasionally, you can go to church for midnight mass. Just no kneeling and have them bring the Eucharist to you.
A cat's paw!
Hey, is this the shortest day of the year or is it tomorrow? That question's been bugging the hell out of me.
Evi, he was doing the walking and so forth before he had a hole cut in his thigh and a light cord shoved up through his body to his heart and part of his heart muscle destroyed.
If both his doctor and his wife don't want him to do it, maybe he should listen.
Then again, getting to church might be good medicine too. As long as he can talk one of them onto his side.
That question's been bugging the hell out of me.
Better to ask than stay up all night worrying.
The question bugging me is how do I live so long pulling chestnuts out of the fire and not know about the paw?
I always say c’est un bon jeu de chat et singe, right up until someone burns their paw.
A friend from Kyushu always used the phrase "Fight like cats and monkeys" instead of our "cats and dogs" idiom - I have never wanted to envision what that fight would be like.
But now I am curious - where can I find a copy of the circular version of that tale which was meant to be used to engrave trenchers? As a trencherman, I have become curious.
I knew a guy who compared everything to a monkey's ass. It could get pretty funny.
His nose was redder than a monkey's ass.
That cake was finer than a monkey's ass.
Prettier than a monkey's ass...
Tighter than a monkey's ass...
Nastier than a monkey's ass...
Wetter than...
Wider...
My brides sequel, Taken by Surprise, is now available on Kindle.
I will buy it tomorrow.
It is not up on the Amazon site yet.
When it is I will promote it as much as I can.
That is St. Mary's. It is really beautiful on Christmas.
It looks good, Troopski. Get a Hover-round, get on down there.
Trooper, I know you will. You and everyone here have been very supportive which warms our souls, as we await 10 inches of snow.
I just checked and it's up on Amazon kindle. Maybe the Brooklyn internets are slow?
The Duomo in Milan is the most beautiful I've seen. It's not as majestic as Saint Peters, but just got me. The little church in Santa Margharita where I lit a candle for you was kinda like your St. Mary's. I go into all the churches I see when I'm doing my walks. We saw Lewis Black perform. I really like him. He said, "I just got back from my first tour of Italy, Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan. What a beautiful country. But, did you guys know, Jesus is A REAL BIG DEAL over there!"
I visited a lot of churches in Italy. I really liked San Pietro in Vincoli, mainly because of Michaelangelo's Moses - that is a powerful sculpture.
I absolutely loved Santa Maria della Vittoria, for the stunning architecture and the Bernini Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.
I have only been to Rome and Florence, and regret missing Milan.
Travel is an interesting thing - after spending time in Paris I came home and could not believe how shabby the town I lived in was. It could be nicer, but it's not.
Same thing with churches - come on people, up your game. Make it a place people want to go. But do they listen to me? No, they do not.
Sixty, Milan is interesting. It has a NYC vibe. Lot's of business[banking, fashion, etc.] and people walking quickly. Italy has a lotta strollers, but not in Milan. There's Teutonic blood in Milan's history and you can see it.
Thanks for letting me know (us know) NikkiSpinoozelli.
Just picked it up. They're calling for rain this weekend so excellent timing.
Priest said no and Lisa said no. What part of no don't you understand? The Communion they bring you is no less Christ than what's on the altar. Perhaps you could use your absence from Midnight Mass as a personal sacrifice for the Poor Souls and know that Easter Vigil will be glorious.
Where groin and heart are involved, there are at least 50 shades of no.
Damn, you guys make old age sound appealing. :-/
Midnight Mass seems like it would be awesome.
Don't be an idiot.
Fifty shades of no includes an assortment of scenarios, some of which could lead to experiences of divine proportions.
If walking is an issue, a wheelchair could be a solution.
If pressing crowds and more excitement than normal is a problem, arrive late and leave early.
If heart stuff is the what's causing concern, stay home, light candles, share some bread and wine together, and remember and believe in a protestant version of communion and Gloria!
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