Damp and wet

Good morning everyone,

I'm getting set to head over to Vancouver General Hospital at 1:15 this afternoon. The surgery on my throat is at 3:15 and I may have to spend the night in the hospital. The procedure itself will only take a 1/2 hour so I hope I'll be discharged when I wake up from the surgery. If I need to stay the bed in the hospital is there reserved for me.

Our trip down was uneventful. We had a nice evening with Olmer and Linda in Big Lake Saturday and when we arrived in Surrey on Sunday evening we went to dinner with Brock and then had a good visit with him. Yesterday we had a 2 hour Post Operation appointment at VGH and everything went well. Dolores and and I then went out to Port Coquitlam and had dinner with my good friends Bob and Lillian Pavich. I was a great evening. We went to bed way to late and Dolores is in the room sleeping as I type.

I'm a little bit antsy about the procedure this afternoon but, I will be OK. I will post a short update on my condition and the results from the surgery before we leave to return home.

Talk to you all soon.

Love to all,

Rick

Making Plans

Hi everyone,

Well we're on the home stretch. Dolores and I are leaving for Vancouver on Saturday August 25th. We will stay with her brother and his wife Linda on Saturday night at Big lake. On Sunday we will take a leisurely drive from there to Vancouver. It takes about a 6 1/2 hours from there. We plan to stop in Surrey on Sunday evening and have dinner with Brock. Both Olmer and his wife and Brock are getting very large and generous produce/care packages from our vegetable garden. From there we will go into Vancouver and check into the Jean C. Barber Lodge. On Monday afternoon I have an appointment with the Pre-Booking Clinic at the Jim Pattison Pavilion which is part of Vancouver General Hospital. Then, on Tuesday August 29th I am scheduled to have the micro laser Laryngoscopy, we do not know what time the surgery is scheduled for.

In speaking with the people in Dr. Anderson's office, I have been told that this is relatively uncomplicated surgery and I should be up and fully mobile by the next day, Sept. 30th. Just to be sure that I am travel ready, we are booked into the Cancer Lodge through to Oct. 1st. I am not worried or concerned about the procedure and I have complete confidence in Dr. Anderson's skill. I expect that we will get a full report from him on my condition and future outlook prior to our departure from Vancouver.

I am reconciled to the fact that I will likely have to have the trachea tube for the rest of my life. I consider it to be only a minor medical handicap. There are certainly much worse conditions that I could be suffering from. After all, I am still looking at the grass from the green side which has a far better view than from the brown side.

Turning now to other matters, I have had a very busy and active life here at the farm this summer. I have been out working around the house and garden every day and feel exceptionally well and fit. I have found that wearing the thermovent over the opening of my trachea tube while I am outside really helps to control my cough and it is especially noticeable when I come back inside. I have put on a few more pounds and am up to 178/79 and it's mostly muscle. I am sleeping well most nights

I will update when I return from Vancouver and I hope to be able to move on to a new chapter in my ongoing recovery. I still suffer from the hernia but it is now just a matter of time until I can have that straight forward surgery.

Be well and happy.

Rick