Well, you all can blame Connie for this blog.
She has been at me relentlessly, to show my surgical scar. So here it is.
I am 32 pounds lighter than when i went in for the procedure, and a better person for it. Before, I was a walking time bomb, I could have keeled over at any minute and found myself for eternity locked into Purgatory with Rosie O'Donnell.
Anybody that tells you these kind of operations are a piece of cake, has obviously never been thru one.
You learn to take it one day at a time, it is a steady battle towards recovery. You claim little victories like being able to bend over and put both legs thru your openings in your shorts.
You learn to juggle taking about nine varieties of pills, some twice a day, some are huge like my potassium pill, it could almost choke a horse.
You revel with little victories like now I can climb in and out of my van without using the little footstool.
Every extra minute you can claw out of a long walk is a victory for you. On August 10, ten days after surgery I was able to walk for ten minutes. Yesterday, 13 days later and 23 days since surgery, I walked 28 minutes. I hope to do 30 minutes today. It is going up near the nineties today, so humidity is no friend of mine. So Ellen and I are going to Sams Club and while I shop for some food I am going to walk up and down each aisle and all around the store til I hit the 30-minute mark. It will be in A/C rather than humidity--how's that for a good plan.
The hardest part about this recovery is getting a full nite's sleep. So far that is an elusive beast. Other "Zipper Club" members I have talked to say it is a common problem for most. Eventually you get back to normal, whenever that will be.
I feel stronger each day and can't wait to get back to doing a show. I will be exhibiting at Arts,Eats and Beats on Labor Day weekend, booth 42.
I have Ellen as my driver, I have help in setting up and tearing down the booth. Me, I just gotta sit there in my chair and ask for the money, and believe me, I know how to do it.
Comments
Thanks for the report, Nels. Lots of interesting info in this also for the rest of us. I know it is annoying to people to talk about their illnesses all the time, but we all learn from each other's experiences and I appreciate your sharing this. Keep up the walking and soon you'll be walking coast to coast, if you want to, that is...
I wonder who many other artists wear this badge on their chests. I only ever saw photographer Bill Coleman's as he proudly wore it around the Boston Mills Show one year. I sort of don't think it helped his sales, but he was proud and glad to be there.
Wow, Nels, you look great. You even have your boyish figure back. That scar gets an A+. Your surgeon appears to have done a super job - nice straight lines. Glad to hear that you are working on building yourself up again through walking. I bet you feel better right now than you did about a week before the surgery. And to think you did it all in a "spa" like setting with great food. Thanks for posting. I think your scar looks great!