MaryW

Do well my friend - behave so they don't chop and slice the wrong bits. Lots of love and prayers coming your way. In fact by now you are probably done!

bookchick

Dearest Dog, we hope you are back here to report soon that it was just like eating out of someone's hand while they patted you on the head. Please check in with us as soon as you are able.

BC

LAleslie

Here's hoping by the time you read this you've arrived home safely and absolutely elated that it's all over. Rest up and get well soon, Dogster.

rhkkmk

bad news, the hospital just called....they found some extra parts in the operating room.....are you missing anything?
i hope its not the travel bug

dogster

'I'll just give me a mild sedative, then a local anaesthetic.'

'Bring on the valium, fast!'

'Oh, we've got much better stuff than that...'

'Give me a double dose.'

'Just a little prick,' my jolly anaesthetist smiled.

'Sorry' I said, 'I'm under stress.'

I don't think this is what he meant.

There was a cold sensation in my arm and I went out like a light. I went out so quickly I didn't know I went out. When I came back to consciousness in a different room with three people leaning over me I didn't even know I'd come to. It was all over Red Rover.

Well, not quite. Half the surgery worked and half didn't. Let's not go there. The biggest wound is to my wallet. A$14,000 for today's little excitement. Yikes.

But the biggest gain has been two-fold:
One: big fear reduction. Marya_ is absolutely right.
Two: massive kindness in Fodor's. I'm not sure I deserve it but, my friends, it sure did hit the spot. I'm in your debt.

Lordy, I'm tired though. Sitting, waiting for it all for four long hours was kinda stressful. I've used up all my vital juices so forgive me if I don't write now. All my bits do seem to be intact, however. So I'll take it easy tonite.

Thank you guys for helping.

MaryW

Glad all your bits are intact and that you are back with us. Do you have to go back for a re-do of the other half?

Just think of the money in terms of a Dogster style ocean cruise, rather short and expensive - at least it has greater benefits (except for us in terms of stories).

Sleep well tonight my friend.

Nywoman

Thanks for keeping us posted. You know our thoughts travel across oceans and continents to you.

It was a very expensive hotel room for a day, but may be this one is tax deductible? Or think of it as Mary said an aborted cruise.

Be well and get well.

Kathie

Glad you are back at home. See? They have meds much better than valium! The waiting is the worst. Relax and heal. There will be time to figure out what is next.

thursdaysd

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear everything is intact. I always figure the recovery is worse than the surgery (since you're out for that) - hope it's going well. Just compensate for the cost by making the next trip a bit more budget level than usual - it could be fun!

Gpanda

So the woofer's tweeter made it through the operation?

indianapearl

I always like it when they say, "Count backwards from 100." I never even manage to say "100." Hope you have a speedy recovery! Did they use a drug-coated stent?

LAleslie

Wow, $14,000? Sounds like Australia needs as much healthcare reform as the U.S. Glad you didn't have the same outcome as Michael Jackson on that sleep stuff.

Amy

**sending good healing vibes Australia direction**

Craig

I hear that writing on Fodor's can be very therapeutic. Best wishes for a quick recovery. Glad to hear things went reasonably well.

travelaw

dosgter,
So glad to see you made it through ok. Get some rest and feel better soon.
love, trav

simpsonc510

Hey dog,
Just catching up on this thread. I'm back in BKK after a few days at Krabi. I'm glad your ordeal is over. Yes, they do have some mighty good knock-out stuff!! The one they gave me back in 2002 curled my otherwise straight hair for about 7 years!! Hair is now back to its normal state.

Anyway, good to know you are on the mend. Come to Bangkok to relax, have a beer at Maeng's, stay on soi 8 rather than at that expensive place YOU like to call "home." haha

We'll keep thinkin' about ya.

Carol

dogster

Thanks guys - I'm feeling a bit sore and have to lie around a lot.

Alas, the fat lady didn't sing quite as we wanted. One leg 100% fixed, the other 0% fixed. So it's more crapola, cut, slice and dice, up to a week in hospital and an arterial graft. Gawd.

I'm cool. I've faced the worst and now I'm in the zone of, 'O.K. - let's do it.' But I'm getting a bit embarrassed - I'd like this little story to have a beginning, a middle and an end for you all, after that wonderful deluge of kindness. Alas, it appears that it will have its own dynamic. Lousy theatre. Sorry.

It's an intermission now, till August 26. Grande Finale coming up. My rather cool vascular surgeon seemed to think I could make it on the Pandaw cruise Sept 28... but I'm gonna give that a bit more thought.

LAleslie

Shucks, that's a drag about the 2nd surgery. But glad the one paw's good to go. Is this hereditary, the result of too much tap dancing, or something you get from hanging out with eunuchs? I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to go on a mobile safari in Mozambique, or down the Irawaddy, with my bum spine, which grows worse by the day. So I empathize.

dogster

I would imagine, LA, that this is the result of decades of self-abuse.

Let me re-phrase that: decades of bad behavior. lol. Not one jot of which I regret. I never did tap dance but I'm very grateful to those who do. My eunuchs had no effect on blood flow, I can assure you... lol

But it's an interesting conundrum: how to travel with minimum stress on the broken bits. Just as there's a market for back-packers, so there's a market for tragic crippled Dogs and those with a bum spine. Hence my recent enthusiasm for river cruises, luxury train trips and other sedentary yet mobile travel experiences. Pandaw is perfect. Maybe a mobile safari in Mozambique is a bit too bumpy.

thursdaysd

Sorry to hear that you're not through with the scalpel-wielders yet. Good luck for phase 2, and a quick recovery. If your docs even hint you might benefit from physical therapy, go for it.