I'm Back

Here's the pre-op cancerous me (left), and the cancer-less me with improved heart function and the girls. Contrary to the artist's rendering, I did not pee in my pants prior to the operation.

I'm back home. I would have been out even earlier if the complications from my previous bouts in my twenties with pneumothorax hadn't popped up, but I'm glad the docs had the wherewithal to clean that up as well. A weak lung wall was leaking and that made them put in a second drain and leave it there until my lungs were back up to full speed. At one time I had seven different tubes and drains attached to various parts of my anatomy, and the removal of each one was responsible for a celebration. I'm now the proud owner of a nice five-inch gash under my right armpit, accompanied by two smaller scars underneath where they stuck in the camera and had the drains. I also have a week's worth of pain killer and sleeping pills, but the dreams have been so vivid and incredibly stupid that I figured my imagination doesn't need the extra fuel. Now I'm focusing on taking long walks and getting various massages from M until I get my strength back. (Did I mention she gave me this incredible head massage while we were waiting for the nurses to come wheel me to the OR? I was so relaxed by the time they showedup, they had to pour me onto the operating table.)

On November 5th  I meet again with the doctors and get x-rayed to see how well I'm doing. And then I'm going to have to make some decisions about whether to keep to this lifestyle of the long commute, or turn into a local hippie, surfer, or one of the other groups of people around here that seem to live without a visible source of income.

Anyway, again thanks for everything. m and I decided that since my lungs now take up less space my heart has room to get bigger so my love for her, M and all my family and friends can continue to grow.