I Don't Have a Soft, Chewy Center

So my week began with a tired, achy feeling that I blamed on allergies. Pollen and such. Nasty this year. Oh, then there was that pain just below my right shoulder blade.
I had a pimple forming, I thought. Probably aggravated by rubbing against a seat back. Little bit of pain, then it would pop and go away. Except it didn't. It got bigger and redder and tender to the touch, and more painful.

Woke up with a fever early Wednesday morning. Now the area was warm to the touch in addition to being tender, large and red. Wife began to worry. Better see the doctor. Give it one more day.

Thursday morning I saw my primary care physician (PCP) who referred me to a surgeon. Saw the surgeon after lunch, told me I could have surgery in his office that day with very painful administration of local anesthesia OR I could wait until Friday to have it at the hospital with general anesthesia and a nicer environment. Hmmmm. What would you do? I chose door number two. That meant going to the hospital for pre-admitting, which took more than two hours, filling out forms I'd already filled out that day. But I got an EKG and blood work out of it.

Got to the hospital Friday morning to wait for the surgeon sometime after noon. Still in pain, still very red, still warm. Finally got into a hospital gown, onto a gurney, wheeled in to pre-op. Every single person had to introduce themselves and ask me what was being done to me that day. I hope that is just to make sure I know what's going on and what is to be done to me and not because they aren't really certain. As I was wheeled in someone asked if I was their patient, to which the orderly pushing my gurney said, "No, you did heart surgery." I'm thankful she knew that I didn't belong to those people!

So they start me on an IV and I begin to dose off. I remember moving on to the operating table, being instructed where to place my arms, and being told they were going to start the anesthesia. I remember the surgeon saying hello to me from behind a mask. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes in a different room, on my back, with someone hovering over me that I didn't know.

Then I felt my wife's hand on my arm. Knew it was her without looking. Then being told I had to wake up. Eventually found my way home and to bed, pain pills on the way. Later discovered that I had a two and half inch incision across my back, an infected cyst (about the size of a quarter) had been removed, along with a great deal of infection.

That's why I haven't been blogging much, and may not for a few days. My wife and I had planned a get away to New Mexico beginning the 31st. If the doctor tells me I can go, we are. I'll update as I can.

Oh, yeah. Had my "exit interview" at that place at which I used to work this week. One major source of stress and frustration gone. Probably the reason I've dropped over 30 pounds in five months. And why the surgery provided the first real sleep I've had in about as long. But that's another blog entry for another time.