Understanding surgical patients

Apart from a hernia repair I had done as a kid I've never really been under the knife until recently. I don't remember much about that surgery except lying in the hospital bed and wanting nothing so much as to go home. When I did go home I pestered my mother with questions. Can I do this? Can I do that? It was summer, and I was a very active little boy: running, riding bikes, playing football and basketball, jumping off what looked to me like a cliff into a pile of dirt. Okay, I didn't really ask her about that last one and didn't do it; but it remained an opportunity long after I recovered. I still remember yelling "Geronimo!" as I made the jump. Makes me smile to this day.

My recent surgery was minor, an office procedure to remove two small cysts that were embedded in the tissue beneath the skin in my cheek. First she numbed my face with a local anesthetic, then made an incision and excised the cysts. She then did two deep sutures which will be absorbed by my body and then sutured the incision itself. The wound sutures will be removed next week. All went well, but it got me thinking. I knew it was necessary to solve a problem that had been vexing me for some time.

On the other hand it felt like a violation of my body. Just imagine how patients who have had much more serious surgery feel, people I care for every day. This experience has given me a clearer understanding of what those folks must be going through.

For now, good night.

Addendum

I was remiss in my last post for not mentioning my friend Don's web site at www.don-guitar.com There you'll find a wealth of information about costless programs as well as a link to his ezine, which I've subscribed to and enjoyed for several years. Take a look at the link I'll be adding, click around, and subscribe to his ezine. You won't be disappointed. For now, good night.

A sad day and a couple brighter ones

It was a sad day when my buddy Doug received a letter in the mail from the president of our Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge chapter saying that he was disbanding the group. He and his wife are moving to an assisted living facility in a far distant community to be near one of their daughters. I fully understand his need for help in caring for his wife, who is wheel chair bound. He can walk only with the aid of two canes. What bewilders me and some of my friends in the group is that he canceled the September meeting, which was to take place long before he and his wife moved. Why not hold one last meeting, announce his decision, and give someone else the chance to assume leadership of the group or at least take a vote on disbanding? I have enjoyed these meetings immensely, as my friends and family can attest. I'm disappointed that our VBOB chapter is to be no more, and I'm just a bit bitter that our president handled it the way he did. Can you tell?

On a brighter note, my web sibling Don down in Texas came across a Battle of the Bulge board game and, thinking of me, put it in the mail. If you're old enough, think of the board game "Risk", except on a smaller scale. Thanks Don.

Another happy day occurred when I discovered a Canadian nursing student's blog at http://running wildly.blogspot.com aka Running Wildly I read a lot of nursing blogs, and this is the best one I've read so far. She is passionate about her life and about nursing, and it shows. I look forward to reading about her journey in the months and years to come. Look for the link on the right. For now, good night.