OT: update

Patricia Wenham suggested I post an update on my progress.  I appreciate the
concern and am glad to respond.

I was told to expect a year or more for full recovery from the very complex
surgery late February of this year--the last of nine surgical procedures in
two years.  It is only December--there are two months to go for the predicted
year, and I think I am ahead of schedule.  The surgery teams (three of them)
that were involved at Duke University were as good as they get.  The rather
radical rearrangements of my interior made quite a few  changes in my life,
but I'm adapting.

I actually got to take part in the festive Thanksgiving dinner at my wife's
son's home.  I sampled in very small quantities all the wonderful dishes and
felt as satisfied as I have ever felt.  The day was wonderful.  I saved the
pumpkin pie for Friday, but other than that it even felt normal.

I have to eat small quantities every two to three hours, and continue this
well into the night, but bit by bit I learn what I can and cannot do.  This
most recent surgery has left me unable to bend over to pull weeds, plant
things or trim dead foliage.  Doing such things require me to get down on my
knees   My daughter gave me some knee pads which get a lot of use now.  The
garden is a disaster, even with all the help I had, so I have a lot of catch
up and repair to do.  Bit by bit things are getting done.

This change in how I have to do the work is going to require some redesign in
the garden to give me the space I need to work along the plants, but at least
I *can* do it, just adapting the method.

All in all I feel like a normal human being at long last.  I feel so good that
at times I forget the adaptations I have to make...and pay an unpleasant price
when I do, but I learn.  Twice that forgetting has put me into the hospital
with pneumonia as a result of aspirated reflux.  'Nuff said about that.  I
just have to remember.

I have postponed dealing with a cataract as even this simple, twenty minute
procedure is something I don't *have* to do right yet.  Neither my wife nor I
are ready to face anything that even resembls a "surgery" one more time--at
least for now.

Thank you all for prayers, concern and the gifit of the azalea while I was in
the hospital (I don't remember which time) but it is planted out doors and is
thriving.  The color is a delicate but definite peach. A particular thanks is
due Laurie F. who mediated the action of the group.  Beautiful!

Neil Mogensen  z 7  western NC

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index