Some days it’s difficult to know what to say. Some days it’s not worth saying anything. Some days. Heh.

All I know is I’ve got questions. Do you have the answers?

* If it’s easier but you know it could be done better, should you do it?
* If you’re afraid of something, should you just avoid it?
* If it hurts, is it okay to mask the pain rather than facing it?
* If you’re dreaming about something, what does that mean you think about it?
* If you’re in an uncomfortable situation with people you’re used to being around, how should you react?
* If the world is upside down, how can it be made rightside up?

Categories: Life

I’m glad to say the recovery from tonsillectomy has been going well. I’m off of the codine-laced Tylenol and moving on to more subtle drugs: Children’s Tylenol (Bubble-gum flavor). The odd thing about taking liquid Children’s Tylenol is that I’m taking more than double the dose the bottle say kids should have. It’s been working, though. While my mouth is still sore, so far this morning it’s feeling a lot better than it has been. It’s difficult to talk much (mom says my voice sounds weak), but I’m hoping a few more days will bring it back to nearly normal. I _so_ can’t wait to eat normal food again. Nothing against jello and apple sauce, but I’d like to eat a burrito.

Last night both of my friends named Mark stopped by. Army Mark got a few days of leave to come home for Christmas (although he missed it by a day due to some plane delays) and he’ll be around till Wednesday. Wyoming Mark is around for most of break. Anyway, they came by and saw me and then we went to Old Chicago and hung out for a bit. I didn’t say a ton, but it was good getting to catch up a bit. The Soup of the Day wasn’t bad — vegetable beef.

Categories: Life

Pardon me if I’m not very talkative, but my uvula is swollen and it hurts to swallow.

The surgery went well.

I like IVs. Before the nurse put it in, she shot me up with something that numbed the area so I couldn’t even feel it enter. Then the IV provided the route for anti-nausea medicine and something to make me drowsy. I remember getting wheeled down to the OR and then starting to get ready. They must’ve put the anesthesia in soon after that. (That stuff is awesome… I can’t imagine surviving the pain of surgery without it. Think how bad it would’ve sucked to get tonsils out in the 1940s.) Moments later, I woke back up again. Ok, it was really 30 to 45 minutes later and I kept drifiting in and out of consciousness. And shivering. They gave me some sort of anti-shiver medicine, too.

Eventually consciousness became more steady, I was in the recovery room, and the clock said 10AM. I spent the next nearly seven hours in a recovery room drinking water, ice, apple juice, and eating a couple popsickles. Lethal Weapon 2 and Dances With Wolves kept me entertained as well.

Mom was with me nearly the whole time. Grandma relieved her for a couple of hours so my mom could go take a well-deserved nap.

Anyway, now I’m back at home eating some of the same foods and waiting two more hours till I can consume some more of my newest favorite drug — Capitol with Codine (sp?).

Thanks for all of your prayers and concern. Thank God for anesthesia, IVs, Codine, and laptops.

Categories: Life

Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you all have fantastic times with whatever you’re doing.

I’ll be opening presents with my family sometime after 10AM. Gotta wait for my bro Jesse to get back from his daily appointment uptown. (Even on Christmas…. don’t give The Man a reason to grab hold of you.) Sometime around noon we’ll head over to my aunt and uncle’s house a 45 minute drive south of home to spend some time with my mom’s side of the family. (Dad’s side lives in California/Arizona.)

I’m gonna eat loads of food, too. I have to enjoy it, not just because it’s Christmas, but my food supply is cut off at about 6PM in prep for Friday’s surgery. (Click on “continue reading” to hear me ramble more about the surgery and some details on timing.)

Categories: Life

I don’t like hospitals. This has never been a problem before, because then I was just visiting somebody else who had health issues. It’s a bit different when you’re the one there, doing paperwork and getting tests done a couple days before you’re under the knife. (See post regarding upcoming tonsillectomy)

prick of the needle I think, “Hmm, a glob of blood on my arm. Wonderful.” The first test they pricked me to see how long it takes me to stop bleeding. I’m certain it wouldn’t have taken more than a few minutes, but the nurse stopped the test because she thought I looked close to passing out. Those nurses have good intuition. I didn’t pass out, but I felt foggy and detached. Not gone, but wishing I didn’t have to remember where I was.

She said, “It’s just in the mind.”
“Yeah, I know”, I replied. My mind thinks, “Heh, if only it were that easy.”

After a trip to the bathroom in an attempt to relax, I came back and took my seat. Some more useless banter occurred. “Can we talk about something other than blood?” I asked the other woman who came over and talked to me while the original nurse prepared to suck my blood out. We talked about music and The White Stripes for a few seconds and then it was done. It’s funny, but it’s a lot easier to tell when the needle goes in than when it gets out. The pain is still there for a while when it comes out, so you don’t notice its absence.

The good news is, I received four Spider-Man stickers for surviving.

Categories: Life