It's Go Time

It's that time again - surgery time.  Tomorrow marks surgery round II for my back.  With this surgery it brings me to a total of 4 different procedures I have now had on my back to resolve this problem.  I am hopeful that tomorrow's surgery is the last procedure that I have on my back for at least the next 20 years - if I am so blessed to live that long.

Besides our knees and hips, our backs are one of the areas that tend to take the heaviest beatings from our activities.  One of the many doctors I have seen explained it this way. "The discs in your back are like the shock absorbers on your car.  After a lot of use they start to wear out.  When you are in good shape and not overweight, herniated discs are just one sign that you have probably done a lot of high intensity athletic activity during your life".  Those weren't his exact words but they were a pretty good para-phrasing of what he said.  That doctor even refused to call herniated discs injuries.  Instead he preferred to just say they were wear and tear.  I don't know if I necessarily agree with that, but he is an expert and I am not.

Tomorrow's surgery is once again happening at Littleton Hospital.  My check in is at 7:00AM and surgery is at 9:00AM.  I will go into the hospital a little bit late as I will make sure that Zack gets out of the door to the school bus before I head to the hospital.  I am just driving in with my sister-in-law as she normally goes into work around 7:15AM, so the timing works out well.  That way I don't have to disrupt anyone's schedule.

The only downside to going into the hospital like this is that I will sit there and wait in the pre-op area all by myself for the two hours.  Not that is any kind of big deal as it isn't, but it tends to get pretty darn boring.  What ends up happening is I end up talking to the pre-op nurse.  If she isn't too busy then she'll hang around and chat with me.  If she has other patients then I will sit there cooling my heals for the entire time.  All I can say is BORING!!

Given the extent of tomorrow's surgery it will mean another overnight stay in the hospital.  Now that really sucks as I just don't sleep well there.  The beds - though extremely expensive - are very uncomfortable.  At least they are uncomfortable to me.  I do hope to get some things done while I am in there.  I really need to get a detailed itinerary developed of our trip to Costa Rica.  I have been somewhat pathetic in developing our itinerary.  Getting in gear on this task is definitely important.  So if I am not too sedated tomorrow afternoon, I will attempt to sit there in my hospital bed and go through my Costa Rica tour book.

That is enough talk of surgery.  It's been a couple of days since I have written and there have been a few notable activities in my life since last Friday.  The first isn't so much a notable activity as so much as it is something my little sweet puppy Finnegan did.  During most of the time I have had dogs I have always had 2 of them.  During the course of their existence together they determine a way to live in a very peaceful and happy manner.  However, dear little Finnegan has decided to challenge the established pecking order and has been challenging Lex to be the dominate dog in the house!  It started as a little quibble over a "hard bone" but has rapidly escalated into an ongoing old fashion puppy fight.  Over the weekend, Zack and I had to wade into the midst of 140 pounds of biting, growling, snarling dog flesh to separate the two combatants.  For all of his meekness and cuteness, little Finnegan certainly has the fighter in his soul.  Unfortunately for Finn, Lex still has him in terms of fighting capability and sheer brute force.  So while Finn had the motivation there is just no way in this world that he is going to successfully take on Lex for another several years.  I am hopeful that Finn will quickly learn that he is going to beat Lex and just accept it.  It is not like Lex does horrible things to Finnegan.  It is just that Lex is in charge.  Lex is a very low-key dog and normally leaves Finn to his own devices.  But when it comes to a bone or a chewy - Finn needs to learn he just needs to let Lex have what Lex wants.  If he challenges Lex, there will be a price for Finnegan to pay.

(Finn being loved by his boy!)

(The mighty and proud Lex!)

(Isn't that face adorable?)

 (How about that cute puppy face?)

 (Finnegan in one of his favorite spots in the living room.)

Moving away from the puppies, I had my first design session with my kitchen designer yesterday evening.  We got through the footprint of about half the kitchen.  We are still working on the island and the family room.  The challenge with the island is that I would like for it to support a "breakfast bar" kind of concept so that we can get rid of the table that we currently have for dining.  But we are struggling for the exact placement and shape of what the island should be.  We are getting back together next Monday evening and in the interim, Kelly - the kitchen designer is going to put together several different proposals that might work with the foot print that we have.  I am just amazed at the amount of things I need to decide upon to make it all work together.  There is no way that I think I can do all of this without help.  So my dear friend T - I need to talk to you soon!!

Well that is about it for now.  Tomorrow is a big day for me and I hope I come through it all no worse for the wear.  So if you get a chance tomorrow morning - think of me and wish me some luck so I don't wake up in the middle of the operating room with a ventilator tube down my throat!

Til later my friends!

Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.