A Lot of Catching Up to Do! - October 26, 2015

Well, folks have probably forgotten me after my long silence these past few months!  My India residence had the absolutely worst WiFi connection so I was seldom able to post.  

Besides that, my right shoulder has been insufferably painful and massage did little to relieve the agony.  I didn't get to San Francisco before departure so I was without my usual pain medications -the new Federal law states that you must have prescription in hand from your physician - no more phoning in to your pharmacy.  I can honestly say that Naprosyn does NOT alleviate that joint pain.  My total shoulder replacement is scheduled for November 18th so, thankfully, I should feel better as soon as the day after.  My left shoulder was done two years ago.  Of course, I will need about three months of physical therapy - and it is my right shoulder so I anticipate things will be a bit more difficult post operatively!  I'm trying to practice doing things with my left hand.

I flew from Mumbai to Tampa for a week with Charlene Payton, my dear friend of forty years.  I didn't really have jet lag, I don't think, but with her incredible sleep number bed, I made up for five months on that horrible mattress I had in Mumbai.  Blissful sleep, wonderful company, and great eating readied me for a week in New Orleans and my fifty year Charity Hospital School of Nursing reunion.

I stayed at the home of my friend of fifty years, Martha Meaux Genin.  What a joyful time we all had.  There were so many memories, a few tears, lots of laughs, fabulous food.

Finally, I made it to West Sacramento where I got the warmest welcome ever from my sweet granddaughter, Harper, and the granddogs.  She does not want me out of her sight now and I am being showered with hugs and kisses - when she isn't saying, "Nana, don't touch me!"  She has grown by leaps and bounds and has an incredibly amazing English and Spanish vocabulary for a 2-1/2-year old.

Now that I have really high speed internet, I'll be catching up on India posts and the rest of my world.  While this last stay in India was not my best, I do want to go back.  I can't end my visits to this "country of my heart" on a bad note.

More to come.......

Headed For the Operating Room - Friday, January 18, 2013

In about twenty minutes, my dear friend, Mark Lammers, will arrive to chauffeur 
me to California Pacific Medical Center where the esteemed orthopedist, Dr.
John Belzer, will replace the joint in my left shoulder.  It took me a long time to
finally make the decision to undergo surgery but, when the pain in my left
shoulder and arm became so severe, even at rest, I couldn't put it off any
longer.  After all, I have a ten year Indian visa and my first grandchild
arriving in late April and I need to as pain free as possible and it's good
to have the use of both arms.  

I have drawn a black "x" on my left shoulder ( to tease Dr. Belzer ).  Years
ago, I was an operating room nurse and even wrote a poem called, "The
Orthopedic Blues" which is all about being an OR ortho nurse.  I will show it
to Dr. Belzer, after the surgery.  He is a terrific surgeon - very nice - AND
very handsome, not that good looks are a prerequisite.

I don't know how much I'll be blogging for while as, for six weeks, I cannot
use my left arm and hand at all. I've tried to dowload Dragon "Naturally 
Speaking" software so I can dictate my blogs, etc.  Not being very tech savvy,
I am not doing so well.  I'll work on it post op when I'm feeling a little better.
I also plan to work on learning Hindi!!  I've got a couple of CDs and books.  
We'll see how that goes.

Please, please, everyone, offer prayers to any and all gods, that I do well with 
this surgery.  I'll be getting a new shoulder but, sadly, the rest of the aging
body remains.  Too bad I couldn't get a face lift at the same time....no plastiic 
surgery for me, though, since insurance doesn't support vanity.

Over and out for awhile.