Jeez, has this been a shitty week. And jeez, am I a big baby. Yes. Any body part goes wrong and I’m devastated. I look at friends like Sherm in his wheelchair, can’t move a muscle or talk these days and he perseveres, and gets a twinkle in his eye when I give him shit. Or a bunch of my high school friends, who I saw recently at a 60th reunion. I should not complain.
I had surgery to repair a rotator cuff repair a week ago,and it was only arthroscopic, for christsake, you know, “…minimally invasive.” Well I’ll tell you, my body does not like any kind of invasion. My arm’s been strapped to my side,with the bladder for an ice machine inside the bandage, all week. Can’t tie own shoes. Can barely sleep, have never slept on my back. After 3 days of the pain pills (oxy), I felt so groggy and shitty, I quit them. I don’t understand people taking oxy “recreationally”). Makes me feel like I’m in a hazy, fuzzy tunnel. I’ll deal with some pain in exchange for some mental clarity.
Anyway, just started getting into gear last night. I had given Lucky Peach magazine several hundred of my photos to do a story in their next issue, which is on “the apocalypse.” The angle on me being homemade shelter, gardening, foraging, stuff you can do for yrslf in tough times. They let me comment on the 6-page layout (turned out great, they used about 50 of my photos), and I went through it with them yesterday (Sunday), and this got me back into the communication groove. Issue will be out mid-Feb.
It’s a sunny Monday morning and I’m finally back to work on Tiny Homes on the Move. Just finished 8 pages on Swedish welder Hendrik Lindström’s 39′ steel sailboat, and Henrik and girlfriend Ginni’s trip from Baja California to Marquesas, French Polynesia, Tonga, Bora-Bora, eventually New Zealand, island-hopping, kayaking, scuba-diving, coconut-gathering, beachcombing. The book is creating itself day by day. New material coming in all the time. I’ll keep going until I have 224 pages done, and that’ll be a wrap. Lookin good!
I’m committed to at least a blog post a day. I have a wonderful network of like-minded humanoids sending me eclectic stuff these days.
Watched The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada the other night. What a wonderful movie! Produced, directed, acted in by Tommy Lee Jones. Great story, artistic camera work, good acting, the beauty of Mexico, a powerful friendship, honor and integrity. It was like washing out the mediocrity of much of what I see on screens these days.
In a few hours I’m going to the doc’s to get stitches out. Yahoo! I know, I know, I’ve got a long ways to go. I’m really not going to be stupid here. I’ve got a 3-months, and a 6-months plan here, maybe even a 1-year plan, then rebuilding upper body. It is unacceptable to not be able to paddle.
Música de semana
Friday night I caught Chico (Calif.) reggae band Mystic Roots at the 4th Street Tavern in San Rafael, maybe my favorite all-around club these days. What a great little band! Chico! Skated through emptystreets of San Rafael at intermission. Nice longdownhills.
Just now: Ronnie Hawkins doing Mary Lou on ’50s station.
Hey,
You'll get there. Having been through 3 (!) arthroscopic surgeries in the last 3 years – and just recovering from the 3rd one now, I can totally empathize. Being an invalid is worse than the recovery pain. Getting cabin fever about your own body is a drag.
Just don't push too fast. Your body will tell you when it's ready to do more, but your head (ego) will lie to you about when you should ease up.
Slow and steady and you'll be kayaking in no time!
Zeke
Hope you feel better soon!
You are spotting me a few years but having not done anything medical for a while I decided to take the plunge. Results: diverticulosis, the spine and neck of a paratrooper and blood work that indicates a little too much drinking. What the hell! I hope to make it west and hike a trail with you. The future looks bright.
I'm almost your age and broke my wrist in 3 pieces in December so I know what you mean…. I felt old and vulnerable, not my usual self at all. I'm gonna suck at being old. Over the counter pain meds will work for you after the initial hit. I hated the 'out of it' feeling too. Tomorrow starts physical therapy and hopefully full recovery. Hang in there! You'll do well, you have determination and self motivation.
We hope you feel better really soon. You're an inspiration!!
Hey there… take care… be as kind to yourself, as you would to a friend…
In the meantime.. maybe you and your readers can solve this problem..
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2013/01/21/wdr-windsor-hum-university-windsor-announcement.html
Windsor's mysterious hum research to be funded by Ottawa
mysterious Windsor hum, a rumbling that’s been bothering some Windsor-Essex residents since early 2011.
Hang tough Lloyd. You'll be up and at it in no time, I'm sure of it. In the mean time you can take some solace in knowing how insiring your work is to all of us out here in inter-web land.
Peace
Gill
Best post op pain management for me was tylenol
every 4 hours on the dot. Nurse said it would
release a continuous low dose in my bloodstream.
Worked…but don't do for too long…liver damage posible.
Oxy felt like being mugged with a hangover…Rush liked that?
Hi Lloyd
I know how you feel, went thro breast cancer 6 years ago. Felt really sorry for myself until my first visit to oncology unit where I saw young people in a far worse state than me,I was 52 at the time. Puts every thing into prospective. I know you will get well,my thoughts are with you.