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Dinner and perspectiveYesterday afternoon/evening, the Missus and I went to Red Lobster for dinner. It was a two fold celebration, of sorts. One: It was the last fling before the unemployment ends. And there is a bit of set aside due to her inheritance/savings. Two: It was a real sit down meal after the surgery to remove the left kidney. The young lady who escorted us to our table asked if were celebrating anything. We responded that we were. When the Missus replied that it was because she was going to get to keep me around for many more years, the young lady almost fell over. She thought that possibly we were joking with her. We then explained to her what had happened to me and my kidney. Perspective. Yeah. A whole new perspective on this end. With all that has been going on in the news lately and hearing about how bad someone has it when they have mortgaged themselves above their eyeballs. I was working and making the bills. I got laid off in an industry that is cyclic, that being the aircraft manufacturing industry. In Wichita, where I live, I am not alone. There almost 12,000 of us in this position. Some have gone to other things, even going back to school. My daughter is going to start CNA training soon. She was at a local compamy that made cabinets for business aircraft. A friend of mine was a jail guard for many years before building aircraft. He is back at the jail in Kansas City, MO. I had a start date of September 14 at Edwards AFB as a civilian employee of the Air Force. Things were looking up. Then I had my own personal event. On the 4th of September, I went to see my doctor. I was having some digestive tract difficulties that were lingering. Doc gave me a check and ordered blood work and such. And then he sent me down the building for a CT scan. When that was all completed, he said…..I have good news and bad news. Yup, he really said that. The good news was that the digestive thing was diverticulitus, treatable with anitbiotics and such. Handled. The bad news was we found a significant spot on your left kidney. Insert mule kick to the stomach, here. He already had his nurse and liason person getting me an appointment with a urologist. On the 10th of September, the Missus and I went to the urologist. He told us that because of the location and size of the Renal Mass as he and his staff called it, that the kidney had to come out. It seems that the mass was too close to the artery to risk just taking the mass by itself. By the time we were leaving his office, the surgery was already scheduled, for the 21st. Said surgery took place on the morning of September 21. It took Dr. Farha and his team one hour and forty-five minutes start to finish. Robotic-laproscopic surgery is something else. On Wednesday, he showed up for his rounds at the hospital. He said that I could go home later that day. The labs on the kidney were good. The pathology was that the mass was cancerous but due to it’s placement on the outside of the kidney, I was at an 85 percent plus survival rate. That means that I will be around for quite awhile. The cancer is gone because the affected kidney is gone. The incisions are there and are sore. Sometimes the big one hurts a fair amount. I have a small supply of generic percosette for when the pain is a bit too much to handle. And the edges of these incisions itch, like crazy, at times. Getting over it is almost minor and should take about four weeks. And the Air Force has allowed me to start on the 9th of November at Edwards AFB. As soon as I had all the information, I let them know and HR on base said that the job would be waiting for me after I was released by the urologist and my own doctor. Perspective…….there is a whole new one from this Old Sea Dog. And to Jeff and Kath here at Parrothead Jeff, I can’t say thank you enough. Others out there in the sphere that I have come to know well are Pinch Paisley, Joy at Little Miss Attila, Swampwoman at A1a South, Sondra at Knowledge is Power, Chrissie at PC Free Zone and my sister, author of Pixie Place. Pinch has been mustering the troops as it were for assistance in case things were going to get really hairy. A true shipmate if there ever was one. When the Missus and I get settled in out in the Mojave Desert, I intend to do my best to have all of them at the house for a Santa Maria BBQ and a desert sunset over the Tehachapi Mountains. And then me, Jeff, Kath and Joy are going to shoot jugs of water to bits with my Sharps, Number 1 in .45-70. That’s the plan, at this point in time. And above all, there is the Missus. Sharon Kay, to whom I have been married to for over 26 years. And after the initial shock, denial, tears and such, it was her just being there. Something so simple, yet so wonderful. Just her, being there. And my youngest, Amanda. She is still Daddy’s Little Girl and always will be. Even when she eventually becomes a Grandmother, she will still be Daddy’s Little Girl. 14 comments to Dinner and perspective |
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There’s always a way from the heavens above (or somewhere) to jolt you back to reality that you’re not in charge!!
So now that you’ve had that side excursion, so to speak, it really shows you how important your family and your home life is!! Which — what could be nicer, right? You, my friend, are a very lucky man. But I think you already know that!!
Also, I’ve never been further west than — well, gee, let me think . . . . . ok, so I haven’t been west at ALL. Canada to Florida, but always on the Coast. Can’t get too far from that water, you know. But someday — someday — I may have to see about heading out that way. Keep some ammunition for me!
That I will do dear lady, that I will do!
HEY! Did you know my blog’s listed here??? How cool is THAT!?! But man, it’s 97 & feels like 92 in Lost Wages? Round here it’s 87 & feels (to me) like 107 – very humid today, s’posed to cool down when the front comes through…Monday, I hope?
So, Big Brother (of the proper kind, that is), really glad you’re doing so well. Sharon’s been a rock, which doesn’t surprise me. I appreciate how well she and Amanda have kept me in the loop. Living down here in the Swamp is tough at times like this, and Thank You G-d for such technological innovations as email, cell phones and texting.
Perspective – a new way of looking at things. Yeah, Buddy. Been there, done that. Keep in touch, eh? And hug those Ladies!
Sad to hear that the kidney was removed; overjoyed to hear that the cancer came out with the kidney.
Happy to hear that you still get to go back to work! Woohooo!
I asked Jeff to do it and he said OK. Got to keep things in the family now that I do this blogging thing myself, sort of. I was even amazed at the Swamp Woman at A1A South when she found out how quick last Monday morning went. I have been trying to relax as much as possible. Today, no one showed up. Sharon really needed a day to rest. She has had the most difficulty with the wedding on top of everything else. She was on the Facebook quite abit when I was in Hospital. The one day after she showed up, I got a kiss from you, Thelma, Mom, Jerri, Debbie, Terry and Staci. Amanda is so tech savvy that she did alot of stuff from her phone. Now we can concentrate on getting ready for the impending move. Think it will be California City or Rosamond.
Sorry I’m a little late to the party everyone
Glenn – You’ve got it – the tough times are when you find out who your friends are and when you’re reminded of how much family means.
I’m definitely down for barbecue and boomsticks
You wouldn’t mind too much if I bring a couple of mine, would you?
Kath – we’re going to have to get you out here
You just won’t believe the wide open spaces 
Karla – Any friend or family of Glenn’s is alright by me and welcome any time. The link was the least I could do
Really, it doesn’t feel that hot, especially after five years 
SwampWoman – Welcome to the party
Jeff, you were at the do in Searchlight! Pins and Needles waiting for the pictures. And the more boom, the better. Maybe we should get Gunny Ermey to bring some big boom things!
Kath, I am with Jeff on this one. You need some real mountains and desert.
And for my Sis, This is a fun crowd, Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SwampWoman, If you ask really, really nice, I bet Jeff would put you on our blog roll for the desert. And I really am serious about the Santa Maria BBQ. Picked up on them when I was at NAS Lemoore in the 80s. And there is something about a desert sunset that can’t be matched anywhere else, including out on the Ocean and far flung tropical places. Maybe in the Northern Rockies, maybe. And it would have to be over Glacier Park.
Glad to hear from all of you at this fine, upstanding meeting place.
Glenn,
Getting the whole post together along with a couple of others
Oh yeah, SwampWoman is on the blogroll now, too
About those desert sunsets – you mean one like this, right
?
(Click on the image after it’s downloaded and displayed to see it full size)
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s what I figured
Heh. SwampMan said he for sure wanted to take a long trip this summer; however, he mentioned dragging my protesting butt to New York City! Oh, HELL no. I like wide open spaces, not spaces crowded with squirrelly people.
SwampWoman,
If I ever go to NYC, I’m taking Dad with me. After retiring with 31+ years on the California Highway Patrol, he can carry concealed nationwide
Now, if only they’d pass a reciprocity bill…
And don’t miss the Intrepid Sea and Air Museum. I served aboard Independence with guys who had made the last cruise on Intrepid. She did Quonset Point, Rhode Island to Rota, Spain in 4 and 1/2 days. This being an Essex Class ship that had been shot up in the Pacific in WW2.
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