last week was one of those up & down weeks.
surgery & the next couple days were better than i expected. i really didn't feel bad at all and told "lolly" my night-shift nurse not to bother waking me to give me any pain-killers. but i should have clued in that i was starting down "cocky lane" when she replied, "mr. shafer, it's been less than 24-hours since your surgery and these meds aren't habit-forming. sooooo... if you really want to stop taking them now, that's your call. but you might consider at least waiting until you've been home a day or two before you go off of them."
and you'd think by now that i'd have learned to listen to my wife's warnings that i might be over-doing it... needed more rest... shouldn't be driving... and "why in the world are you pulling weeds from the flower bed!?!?"
but i felt great.
even when the bon-voyage package my surgeon hand-stitched to my body began to malfunction on wednesday... i still managed to convince my lady that i'd be fine driving myself to ann arbor for that spontaneous thursday appointment to get things back in working order. and i was!
and of course, i couldn't miss opening night of the play...
and i had to return the next night to video tape our fabulous kids.
sure... maybe i was starting to feel a bit punkish... but... i wasn't doing anything that felt that uncomfortable... at least initially. "is it hot in here or is it just me?" "hmmm... maybe i'll just stay until the big "i-o-way" number after the intermission."
of course... later that night... "honey... where's that number for the after-hours surgical oncologist?"
so... an all night trip to the e.r., and as we're driving home around 5 the next morning... (beth want's it made clear that i spent the time in a bed... while she got the chair)... and after the "you-need-to-at-least-act-like-you-had-surgery-this-week" lecture... i kinda began to think maybe she had a point.
did i get this skull density from the shafer side... or the campbell side?
makes sense that just maybe part of the reason this surgery didn't feel anything close to the last 4 was because it was the 5th one in the same area and all the nerves in that area left for vegas a long time ago.
anyway... the antibiotic seems to be clearing-up whatever internal infection was attacking my body... my drain-buddy is working fine again... and life is good.
"yes dear. i promise i'll behave."
i will say this. that trip to foote's new emergency room proved once again that i've got a golden wife. as if i needed more proof.
watching her walk across the room to help an elderly lady with an injured hand who was struggling to open a bottle of water... watching her love on the baby of a young mom who was waiting for her child to be seen... finally in a room and waking up to the sound of her voice outside my door, thanking the head nurse for the special 4 a.m. tour of the entire new facility (whom she just happened to run into as she was stretching her legs... after sitting in that dang chair for so long).
that's my wife. no such thing as a stranger or someone unworthy of a little love.
yep... i guess i'll keep her.
Comments