For The Present and Into The Future
The Present
First of all, thanks to everyone who sent get-well wishes. I’m happy to report that I am, indeed, well recovered from my little adventure with a chronically inflamed colon. As the doctors predicted, the recovery took about five or six weeks—which, as it turns out, is a rather long time to spend being reminded that your digestive system is in charge.
Because of that unexpected detour, I had to postpone some surgery I’d previously planned. So, on August 12th, I was back in the hospital for TURP surgery, along with a couple of bonus procedures thrown in for good measure.
I’ll leave a link below for anyone unfamiliar with TURP. But, in simple terms, when the prostate decides to become larger than necessary, parts of it are scraped away. Apparently, the prostate is one of those things that doesn’t always understand the concept of “enough is enough.”
While I was enjoying the effects of general anesthesia, the surgeon also took a biopsy of my prostate and removed a bladder stone. The latter was something I had never even heard of before. Apparently, my body had decided that one medical issue at a time was simply too boring.
The procedure required an overnight stay for observation. I had various things attached to various parts of my body, with tubes and bags hanging around my bed like some sort of rather unattractive medical Christmas display.
Fortunately, by the following afternoon, most of the hardware had been removed. Thank heavens the surgeon was a master at removing the one particular tube I had been dreading—especially since I was no longer under anesthesia. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to which one that was. Some things are better left undescribed.
The good news is that my recovery at home over the past couple of weeks has gone well. And now for the really happy news: the biopsy showed no signs of cancer. That was certainly worth celebrating.
There are a few mild post-surgery side effects while everything continues to heal. I’m told they should disappear by the end of September. And, as I always say, it’s always good to have something to look forward to. In this case, I’m very much looking forward to October!
For those interested in the more clinical details:
The Future
Having not exactly enjoyed a summer of wine and roses, October can’t come quickly enough. So, I’ve decided to award myself a consolation prize.
On October 1st, I’ll be heading off to Greece. I’ll have to spend an overnight at Heathrow, arriving in Athens on October 3rd. Then on October 5th., my wonderful friend and travel companion, Joel, will meet me aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.
We’ll spend a week cruising around the Greek Islands, Cyprus, and Turkey. At the end of the cruise, we’ll have a few days to explore Athens before I fly back to the UK.
I’ll then spend a couple of weeks with my brother, Ron, and hopefully find a way to visit a couple of other loved ones along the way.
Eventually, I’ll have to endure another overnight at my usual Heathrow airport hotel before flying back to the USA on November 4th—one day after the Mid-Term General Elections.
Which brings me to the question I’ve been asking myself: I wonder what kind of USA I’ll be coming home to?
Whatever the answer, I’m hoping Greece, good friends, family, and a few weeks of travel will provide an excellent distraction from the news.
After the summer I’ve had, I think I’ve earned it.
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