More Bionic Man Stuff

As I already told you---(please try to remember some of these things so I don't constantly have to repeat!!)---I have more surgery coming up. This one will be to remove Gortex mesh from my abdomen and cover the open area with cadaver skin (Thanks, whoever you are).
This will add to my internal collection (it is NOT true that out of sight is out of mind---I think of them more than some (LSW) think is healthy). After this Gortex operation then knee re-do (number 34), I will be the proud owner of metal and plastic left knee relacement, cadaver bone 4 vertebrae implant, cadaver skin, wire sutures and a loose screw or two (OK!! OK!! enough with the snide remarks!! At least I still have all my original marbles.
The reason for the Gortex in the first place was to cover a large open area after two prior bowel operations. It worked OK until the outer layers spread and there seemsto be a bit of infection. Now, we all know that orthopedic surgeons are infection fanatics --has something to do with practically untreatable infection inside the bones. They are on a par with the Docs trained as Infection Control Specialists. Anyhoo, to have the knees done, I have to get the ol' abdomen covered and guaranteed sterile.
A bit of advice to anyone who is reading this, and be SURE to tell all your friends--"Don't have surgery unless it is absolutely necessary, and if it is, check out your Docs VERY thoroughly as I did. It's bad enough having your prostate checked by someone you don't like or trust, and someone you feel "iffy" about should not be coming at you with a sharp knife, saws, and drills. 'nuff said.

Sweet girl

Our dau, Anne, who can soon stop labeling her Blog "Puffy" came over this aft. She had her bariatric surgery only about a week ago and she is feeling, "FINE", she says. Has lost nearly 20 lbs and seems quite pleased. Me too. She is a wonderful sweet girl.
All her life and in the lives of all three of my kids and seven "Grands" I have asked frequently, "Did you get an A?" Some of them might even be just the littlest bit tired of hearing it.
At first this question just meant a grade in school, but has come to means SO MUCH MORE TO ME, and I feel they somehow understand this also. What I mean is ALL the good things. There are thousands of A words in dictionerys, but the sort of "A" words I refer to are those like Accomplish, Achieve, Able, Advance--words that show Ability. One doesn't really always have to "get an A", but continuing to strive for something just a bit better shows a desire to do the best job possible in school and in all aspects of life.
One of the A's I most enjoyed was hearing the first word each of my children and Grandchildren read aloud. It is absolutely true that READING IS FUNDAMENTAL. A strong ability to read is a foundation that will lead to a tall tower of Ability later in life and make it much easier to get an A. It's great to hear of another Accomplishment. Maybe one of the reasons I keep hearing of them is that I care enough to keep asking.

Surgery-Schmergery!! A cut above.

I just saw my surgeon. You know it's not a good thing to have your own surgeon, but I do. He's a nice guy and very accomplished, but I'd much rather have my own private jet pilot than a surgeon. I want flights of fancy and not to be having so much fun (being kept in stitches).
Anyhoo, I need to get the prior surgical incision closed and non-infected so I can get a re-do of my ten year old left knee and probably get a total knee replacement done on the right one. Bionic man? Hardly, but I can see the handwriting on the wall.
I won't regale you with any more of this--just wanted to get it off my chest. Surgery is so much easier than it used to be and anesthesia is much, much safer. I don't look forward to any of this, but I sure hope to be able to look back sometime and say, "Well, that wasn't too bad."

Grandson Ned's Birthday

Got invited for the youngest G'son's b'day at oldest son's home in St. Paul. Thank God for Apostrophes!!
My wife had talked with Katie and found out that Ned (short for Edward-often called Nedward by Sessa) loves trucks and dinosaurs. Doesn't every little boy? Anyhoo, at Target they have the world's greatest selection of dinos--- bought about a baker's dozen of nice-sized very colorful, and anatomically correct (as far as THAT goes).
LSW (long suffering wife) had the great idea to pack them in an empty Menard's store butter-flavored pretzel container. Sessa had the job of removing the label, then Grandma wrapped the INSIDE of the container with colorful paper, snapped the lid on and added a mess of curly ribbon on top. Looked great and Ned seemed overjoyed by the dinos. He tried to hold all of them at once as much to show his pleasure as to try to keep them away from his four year old brother, Thomas, who loves cars AND dinosaurs. Very mature 6 year old sister, Lucy, ignored the dinos but did say they smelled funny, and seemed quite interested in smoothing out the wrapping papers. Go figure.

From Pillar To Post

I just thought up this maximally wonderfull way to describe what some folks seem to do with weblog posting--they jump from pillar to post. They have a problem (AKA "the Pillar") then they "Instaprint" ("the Post") to tell everyone all about it. Nothing wrong with using Blogs to do this, however it is easier to read the ones that are happy and fulfilling rather than the down in the dumps ones. Now, here I am coming Wright out but not comdemning a whole group of people that are seemingly different from me.
Everyone has a God-given right to an opinion. Just because it may be different (read goofy or just plain wrong) doesn't mean that they can't put it out there. The problem is when others listen and let the purveyor of some such stupidity get away with it. Remember the quote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."
It seems poor judgement that one should wait until it becomes ABSOLUTELY necessary for one to do something. Mr. Obama's chickens may be coming home to roost as my Dad used to say.

Like Father, Like Daughter

OK, so I got the phrase in the title wrong!! Give me 40 lashes with a wet noodle as we used to say in the preceeding epoch (or era if you'd rather)----I mean the olden days of yore. Anyhoo, My lovely oldest daughter got to the point in her life where the bad joints she inherited from her father made it impossible for her to exercise and she got all "PUFFY" as she calles it.
Today she finally finished jumping through all the myriad hoops of her doctors, insurance company rules, and self preparedness. A long six month ordeal, but the bariatric surgery with endoscopes went off very well. Mine was five years ago via the old fashioned "OPEN" method. I had a lot of problems which was scary for her, but her surgeon was pleased as was her husband and her Dad and Mom and her two kids we were sitting for the day.
Progress is great! Soon my daughter will have much less pain in her knees which have already had two operations. Pain is OK in its place---which is in somebody else.
If you are interested in her progress, check her blog atthewhitehouse on Google blogs.

The return

Just got back to White Bear Lake after visiting dau, Margie and her husb, Tom and Grandgirls, Elizabeth and Claire in Winona. A harrowing trip due to light winds and fog with fourteen flakes of snow per minute. Pioneers we aren't, but we tolerated it well except for the howling of ravenous wolfs that followed us all the way.
Nope!! Hold on!!!! That was just ol' FADELMO the obese black and white cat in his carrier buckled into the back seat. We have accepted the daunting task of cat sitting while the Winona-ites go visit the nation's capitol (Wash. DC).
We've don'e it before and survived, but are worried because FADELMO (Fat Elmo AKA Polly) is sooooo overweight. it seems he must be eating everything he sees. Is there really such a thing as a werecat? I have been concerned for years about were-Wolverines, and now this. More on next Blog(if I am still alive and not being slowly dissolved by the digestive juices of a cat) (:>( --Note Emoticon of concern.