hesitant

[Jperry1466]

Looks cool to me! Looking forward to seeing some of your "attic" projects.

Having had to have part of my own insides cut from BBb to CC a few years ago, all I can say is follow the doctor's orders and don't be stubborn like I was. 17 days in the hospital was no fun.

[bloke]

Looks cool to me! Looking forward to seeing some of your "attic" projects.

Having had to have part of my own insides cut from BBb to CC a few years ago, all I can say is follow the doctor's orders and don't be stubborn like I was. 17 days in the hospital was no fun.

I was demonstratively told by my surgeon that - as soon as I feel good enough to do so - I can do whatever the hell I want to do, from hauling
a couple of c. fifty pound case/instrument outfits up the stairs to backstage - to repairing fences - to cutting up treetops - to buffing sousaphone bodies - to whatever.
I’m looking forward to getting past the worst post-surgery discomfort (probably a handful of days), because I really haven’t felt like doing those types of things, though this issue really hasn’t absolutely prevented me from doing them.

[Rick Denney]

It depends on what was removed. When I had my gall bladder removed (gall stones are often caused by substantial weight loss in one's prior life), it was an in-by-noon, out-by-five quickie 30-minute surgery and I felt ready to do anything in about a week. I had it done during the week at Christmas when my company (at the time) was closed. During the first few days, the surgeon asked me not to lift heavy things in order to avoid pulling apart the spots where he had made small incisions, but I certainly felt like I could have done so.

A couple of years ago, I had a cancerous prostate removed, and that was a whole different thing. It was still done laparoscopically, but it took five hours and involved cutting things here and there through the entire path from outside to inside, going through lots of other things that one doesn't want gone through. For that, I needed a couple of doses of the pain drugs they gave me. Three weeks after that, I got on an airplane (did not carry my luggage), and that quickie trip resulted in a week of intense pain and further required testing to see what I'd messed up. (Nothing, as it turned out, but it still hurt like hell.) That's when the doctor's assistant reminded me that major surgery is still major surgery even when done laparoscopically. Surgery was entirely successful, but recovery took much longer than anticipated (several months), despite going into it at fighting weight with a pretty good level of fitness.

(For all you young'uns who are grossed out by this...you'll remember being grossed out in a few decades when you are dealing with the same issues.)

Rick "getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative" Denney

[bloke]

Yeah…
All that I am stating here is that this surgery of mine is in the category of the former.

30 minutes ago, I just found out that my favorite machinist buddy – who has been complaining of a sore back for a while – is in the hospital with both bone cancer and renal failure.
I just don’t see him getting past this, and I’m already missing his friendship. I could go on and on about the amazing things he’s done for other people over the years and from where he started in life, but this paragraph is already off-topic.

[Rick Denney]

This has sure been a year of losses. We’ve lost five people close to us in the last 13 months.

Rick “hates funerals” Denney

[Jperry1466]

I was demonstratively told by my surgeon that - as soon as I feel good enough to do so - I can do whatever the hell I want to do, from hauling
a couple of c. fifty pound case/instrument outfits up the stairs to backstage - to repairing fences - to cutting up treetops - to buffing sousaphone bodies - to whatever.
I’m looking forward to getting past the worst post-surgery discomfort (probably a handful of days), because I really haven’t felt like doing those types of things, though this issue really hasn’t absolutely prevented me from doing them.

That is very good news. Due to diverticultis, 4 years ago I had to have a foot of my colon removed. The surgeon messed up by giving me food before the innards woke up. Long story short, 17 days in the hospital and now just having the 5th corrective procedure done, I am back to near normal (if anyone thinks of me as normal). Heck, I was only in the hospital 5 days after my kidney transplant, but that was 1999. Now at 70, I find it better to slow down and follow orders. But I'm glad your doctor says you will have a quick recovery. All I'm suggesting is don't go too fast too soon.

[bloke]

I have no doubt that I will physically poop out fairly soon - certainly compared to the amount of time that I’ve already been around, but - so far - I’ve been pretty darn lucky.
I had a little pre-surgery check in, and part of it was an EKG and BP.
The nurse asked, “Are you on blood pressure medicine?” I respond, “nope” and her eyebrows went up (way down towards the lower numbers of the “good” range). After the EKG thing, she exclaimed “PERFECT!”
I never tested myself, but I strongly suspect that I picked up these cooties (that have been going around) a couple of times. I certainly didn’t “like” it, but (mostly) kept working both times. I’m pretty sure that both times I picked it up playing gigs where everyone was _________ed (which we’ve all learned really doesn’t do much) , and - both times (lucky: timing wise) - got over it before the next gig rolled around, and managed to work through it using DayQuil.
I’m not on any medicines, and all I know of - that I need fixed - are this issue, some better glasses - or possibly some cataract stuff, and a couple of teeth asking to be patched.
Those physically-demanding (tuba-buffing, etc.) eight-hour work days that I used to do in my early 20s … and then hurried off to a nightly three-hour happy hour(s) gig, and then - down the street - another nightly gig that started right after that one, and then getting home at 1 AM, and then doing it again the next day and the next day and the next day… I don’t think I could do that stuff, anymore.
…REFERRING TO WADE’s BAND DIRECTOR THREAD, I’m I’m really glad that I never really used my band director degree/teaching certificate, and then I walked away from those two university teaching jobs that I had. I’m not a very patient person, I’m not very patient with myself, and I’m not particular patient with people who I don’t view as pushing towards a common goal as hard as I’m pushing for it. Working by myself - with inanimate stuff (along with gigs and rehearsals – where I come-and-go for under-three-hour episodes, rather than day-in/day-out eight hour episodes) - these things are very good fits for me.