My story begins, as so many do, in the formative years from age 35 to 55. Spinal stenosis and herniated discs in my neck caused a slow increase in pain and great diminution of mobility and dexterity during those years. I’ll gloss over the opportunities and joys this presented me with this example. When I could no longer use my right hand to operate my computer mouse, I learned to mouse left-handed. After my surgery, of course, I became ambimoustrous.
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Monday, June 8, 2020
The Surgery Chronicle
We’ve all had terrifying major surgery postponed at the very last minute. So few of us are willing to tell our stories, however, that the experience has remained under the social radar, kept in the closet with our bell bottoms and our demented yet lovable uncles.
My story begins, as so many do, in the formative years from age 35 to 55. Spinal stenosis and herniated discs in my neck caused a slow increase in pain and great diminution of mobility and dexterity during those years. I’ll gloss over the opportunities and joys this presented me with this example. When I could no longer use my right hand to operate my computer mouse, I learned to mouse left-handed. After my surgery, of course, I became ambimoustrous.
The surgical fix required fusing eight vertebrae in my neck into a single structure and strengthening the thing with two titanium plates. It also involved cutting out portions of four of those vertebrae, turning the traditional donut-shaped 'O's into cleverly fashioned 'U's.
My story begins, as so many do, in the formative years from age 35 to 55. Spinal stenosis and herniated discs in my neck caused a slow increase in pain and great diminution of mobility and dexterity during those years. I’ll gloss over the opportunities and joys this presented me with this example. When I could no longer use my right hand to operate my computer mouse, I learned to mouse left-handed. After my surgery, of course, I became ambimoustrous.
Friday, June 5, 2020
The Anniversary from Hell
My wife and I suffered our fifth wedding anniversary many years ago.It’s a wonder we and our marriage survived. The anniversary was not, of course, designed to be a disaster. It began as a slow descent into forgettable and gained momentum into unpleasant before careening downhill into catastrophe.
We had spent the week before the anniversary in a lovely cottage on Captiva, an island off the coast of Florida. Although situated at the back of a parking lot, the cottage was close to a lively center of activity: steel drum bands; great restaurants; charming walks amidst beautiful scenery. We didn’t do a lot of cooking, but did enjoy our time both in and out of the cottage. For instance, as a challenge for the week we decided to sample the key lime pie at every restaurant on the island and believe we successfully met the challenge.
The culmination of the vacation, including the anniversary itself, was to be attendance at a sports car race, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on a converted military airport just outside the town of Sebring, which was located smack dab in the middle of the state. I had called ahead to make reservations at the historic hotel in the center of town and for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. (I should have had an inkling of the looming trouble when the restaurant’s manager seemed surprised that I wanted to reserve a table.)
We had spent the week before the anniversary in a lovely cottage on Captiva, an island off the coast of Florida. Although situated at the back of a parking lot, the cottage was close to a lively center of activity: steel drum bands; great restaurants; charming walks amidst beautiful scenery. We didn’t do a lot of cooking, but did enjoy our time both in and out of the cottage. For instance, as a challenge for the week we decided to sample the key lime pie at every restaurant on the island and believe we successfully met the challenge.
The culmination of the vacation, including the anniversary itself, was to be attendance at a sports car race, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on a converted military airport just outside the town of Sebring, which was located smack dab in the middle of the state. I had called ahead to make reservations at the historic hotel in the center of town and for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. (I should have had an inkling of the looming trouble when the restaurant’s manager seemed surprised that I wanted to reserve a table.)