I’M BACK – SORT OF
I am back in the saddle, sort of and the ability to find humor in a ll things remains intact even though it is worn thin a few spots. This adventure along the river Styx began Monday morning with the sense a cold was coming on.
As it was a day off with little scheduled other than an appointment with the tax accountant, I made it a day of light work, got in a rare and unusual nap, and in general took it easy. By late Monday evening it was becoming increasingly obvious that I wasn’t dealing with a cold but a severe flu.
The flu is a rarity for me as the last time I faced its onslaught George Bush was in the White House. Now, I know that many were sickened during the Bush presidency but I see no correlation.
Tuesday I took the day off from work, another rare occurrence. I am a generous man by nature but sharing the flu with others just seems wrong.
By that evening we were into full fever mode and all that entails. To ensure my faith was being fully tested, at around 2:00 in the morning I began to suffer a gallstone attack of incredible magnitude that made it almost impossible to breath.
At 5:00, I succumbed to my wife’s suggestions and requests, showered and shaved, and went to the hospital. For reasons unknown I have always found hospitals a darkly funny place even though at the time of my visit the ability to laugh is usually quite muted. This trip was no exception.
After the usual formalities of paperwork, and special forms since I have no insurance, the questions begin. “Mr. Hinckley, how do you rate the pain?”
Well, lets see. I can’t sit up. I walked in as though I was looking for change. I am sweating profusely. I can hardly breathe.
As they are performing blood tests, cat scans and all manner of tests, in my minds eye I see the old fashioned gasoline pump numbers spinning as they rack up the cost. At ten in the morning we have a verdict – no flu, no gallstone attack, just a bacterial infection picked up in one of our travels that has been festering for some time in the abdomen which sparked gall bladder spasms.
So, its antibiotics for four weeks, a trip to the doc Monday afternoon as a follow up, and an attempt to regain some strength. For those obsessed with weight loss here is a dandy opportunity but not one I can recommend. I tried it and in just one week lost somewhere around twenty pounds.
Thanks for the prayers and the encouragement. They are very much appreciated. I am not out of the woods yet but am at least on the right path.