Dear readers,
I apologize for my extended absence. On a lovely quiet day while I was photographing some ducklings near a pond I received a phone call. I cannot recall the exact wording but it went a little something like this:
“Can you come to Birmingham next week for open heart surgery?”
And yes, dear readers. I could. I did. I’ve had two valves replaced (one pig and one mechanical which makes me a cyborg with a love for mud, apparently) and a graft on my aortic root. This is my second open heart surgery so I like to think I’m something of a pro with it at this point. I was re-hospitalized a couple of weeks ago for pleurisy and pneumonia and had to have a thoracentesis. That ordeal set me back a good bit but I’m working on getting into fighting shape. I feel lucky that I’ve had something to look forward to during my recovery – TAM! Yes, I’ll still be at TAM. If you’re there as well I may lean on you for support – literally – but I’ll be damned if I miss out on this opportunity.
My surgeon visited me several times during my stay at UAB and once noted that the book I was reading was ‘excellent’. That book was Sagan’s Demon Haunted World. I knew I was in good hands. And as for my final thoughts before going under the knife? They went something like this:
“Wow, this heated bed is fantastic. Where can I get one of these?”
“All these people in shower caps look a bit funny.”
“Ah, here comes the anesthesia.”
“Zonk.”
So, no last minute conversions for me. No worries of joining Bertrand Russel and the other heroes on my list in the fictitious 6th level of hell. Just me, drifting off with cheerful images in my head before they stopped my heart and lungs in order to save my life. In summation, thank you, modern medicine. I baked you a cake but I ate it.
Love,
Kate
Congratulations on coming through so well! Look forward to meeting you in person at TAM.
Glad to hear you are okay. I look forward to some more good blogging from you.
I think that was a good book choice given the situation. I’m glad to hear that you’re recovering okay.
Pfft. Excuses, excuses.
Alas, I shall not be at TAM. Glad you’re posting again. See you at DC though ;)
Welcome back Kate, glad you got through everything OK. :)
Good to see you’re back, Kate! Now I finally can give my “knuffels” to somebody again :-)
Hope you’ll be feeling better and better, and lots of fun and love at TAM. Don’t know what it is, I forgot, you probably wrote about it, but me is senile, remember ;-) but you look forward to it so I wish you all the best for it.
Knuffels, Arno.
One of my close friends has had valve replacement surgery, and it’s definitely no picnic.
Do you plan to use your new porcine cyborg powers for good or for awesome?