On The Mend

Ok! I finally made it out of the ICU--I'm out in the 'general population' now, but still wired up like a fighter pilot. That is, if a fighter pilot didn't wear any pants and had to pee in a cup. But otherwise, yeah, I'm looking like Clint Eastwood that time he stole the Russian MIG.

The Right Stuff--I has it, baby!

Anyhow...

Well, I won't be going home on Thursday, as I'd hoped. I spoke to my surgeon yesterday and they're still trying to find the right balance of blood thinners for my system, so I'm gonna be here for a couple more days while they figure out just what type and how much drugs I'm gonna be on for the next several months. But it won't be long now. I'm able to stand up on my own and walk a bit here and there, so they can't keep me tied up here much longer. I figure I'll be getting the wheelchair/security escort, like a drunk in Vegas, by Saturday morning at the latest.

Then it's on to the hippie's house for several weeks of recuperation. I'm looking forward to that--Amy and Scottie are a lot of fun, and well, if you have to be on bed rest for a couple of months, you could do a lot worse than hanging out at their place.

Yesterday, we spent a good portion of the day planning for that, but the highlight of the day was when Scottie came up here to the hospital and smuggled in a baggie of smoked chicken during lunch. Yeah, I can have all the chicken and turkey I want (they're treating me like a heart patient), as long as it doesn't have skin, so Scottie hooked a brotha up. They smoked a bunch of meat this past weekend and saved me some, so I had some good stuff to go with my slice of bread and vegetable medley this past afternoon.

On the other hand, the nurses appreciate the box of chocolate truffles that arrived yesterday, too (I can't eat anything with sugar in it for awhile, so while I thank y'all for thinkin' of me, there are some things I won't be munchin' on anytime soon). Also, I've updated my address on Amazon for those that have asked, so anything sent my way will end up in Spring Hill and find its way to me eventually. Also, I want to say thanks to those who have hit the tip jar this week--that was really nice, and it'll go to a good cause...

As far as my stay in the hospital goes, it's not been all that bad. Vanderbilt is one helluva impressive facility, and the people here are amazing. I'm surrounded by some of the smartest and most qualified medical staff in the country, and I am truly lucky that I was in Nashville when all this went down. Had I ended up in the back of an ambulance at St. Rose or UMC on Friday, y'all would likely be talking about me in the past tense right about now. Nothing against the fine folks in Nevada, but trust me, if you're gonna be dragged to the hospital half-dead in the middle of the night, Vanderbilt is the place you want to be. And having family close by makes all the difference in the world, too!

Oh, one thing--now that I'm out here in the main hospital area, I can't use my cell phone at all--I get absolutely no signal here. I can receive text messages, but all phone calls are missed, and I can't sent out any texts, either. My computer is my only lifeline to the outside world, but then, that's only when I'm able to sit up and use it. Most of my day is spent lying down watching the ESPN loop on TV, waiting for the nurse to come by and stab me in the arm. I can only sit up for brief periods, and usually then it's for trying to pee or taking my meds. Otherwise I spend my day doing a pretty good impression of a door mat. So it's hard for me to answer emails and damn near impossible for me to answer text messages. I'll try and catch up with everyone once I'm free of this place and bored off my ass at the house.

Anyhow, it's late and I need to lie back down, but I just wanted to check in and say 'Thanks' to everyone, for everything. I'm amazed at the outpouring of good vibes and happy thoughts coming my way, and I'm gonna do my best to be worthy of such accolades.

I feel an epic post brewing...

Mikey