It’s Sunday Again! Can I Get the Sermon Home Delivered?

“LOST MUSKET DIARY” SUNDAY May 3, 2015

Mostly Sunny 73°F/23°C in Rancho Santa Margarita

Buongiorno,

  I think the toughest thing about recuperating from my surgery is not being able to drive. And on top of the order to stop driving that my doctor gave me, my truck has been on the disabled list ever since my daughter and  I set out for my first post-op checkup with my surgeon two weeks ago. That, plus the fact that my right arm has been securely strapped to my side for most of the past month has definitely kept me close to home with a king-sized bottle of Tylenol.

  I’m fortunate to be living where I do, in a pet-friendly apartment complex near the center of a well-planned new community that is very pedestrian and retiree friendly, and in close proximity to my daughter’s family, which includes four of my grandchildren. Dana sees to it that I get to my various and sundry medical appointments and has had a big role in my recuperation. I've also had a caregiver, Liliana, drop by a couple of times a week to tidy up after me and take me to the store. But apart from my daily walks with my faithful “Emotional Support Animal” (E.S.A.) Lola, and my trips to the doctor or shopping with Liliana, I've been pretty much confined to quarters.

 

Nurse Lola

I have to give Nurse Lola a lot of credit for my fast recovery. It might have been really easy during my shut-in stage to just sit in my apartment and hope that the “Meals on Wheels” folks would make a mistake and knock on the wrong door. This was especially true at night when I would have to get in and out of bed by myself and pray that I wouldn't fall. Several people suggested that I send Lola out to be cared for by someone else. But, apart from the time that she spent at Dana’s home while I was hospitalized, my dog has been with me at home. And, you know what that means. Dogs eat. Dogs need to go to the bathroom. They need attention and exercise and all the other considerations one has to give a good roommate.  So, I had someone else to look after beside myself and she did a very good job of keeping my mind off my aches and pains.

   As each day passes, my arm works better and better, and after a month I am spending more time out of my sling than it. So, I’m thinking once again about my next traipse to Italy. I’m now looking at the middle of June, once I’m given the green light to start driving again and through the bulk of my rehabilitation program. For fans of my Rome Journal, this means an exciting new chapter. I’ll be blogging right here and sharing on Facebook as well as my website: www.mikebotula.com

  Mike and Laura are already making suggestions as I pull my travel plans together, so I know we’ll have a lot to do, especially since “Junior” is a licensed tour guide, history buff and art aficionado. I’ll be posting as I go along.

 As a wrap-up, let me return to the medical adventure I've been on the past several months. Winding

What all the fuss is about!

up this late in life with a new Titanium shoulder joint was the farthest thing from my mind. I could feel the toll that advancing age was taking on my old carcass: the cataracts…the blood pressure…the digestive ailments…and the loss of mobility that two varieties of arthritis brought with them. But, I had no idea that a half-century old shoulder injury would come back to haunt me the way mine did. But, in the process, I became aware that I was joining a not-so-exclusive a fraternity of seniors who've checked into their local “fix-it shop” and walked out with a shiny new hip or knee joint or elbow or shoulder joint like me. My surgeon, Dr. Jeff Sodl told me when I woke up that my operation had gone very well, and he performs a lot of them. I did spend two days in the hospital, but I never suffered any severe pain, and I found I functioned pretty well with one good arm during the whole process. With good advice and careful preparation, the whole ordeal was quite endurable.  Looking back, I probably should not have procrastinated as long as I did. But, the deed is done. I’m recovering nicely. Long may I wave!

Ciao,

MikeBo

© By Mike Botula 2015