5 Things

I received a cyber challenge from Mr. Middlebrow in a sort of chain mail blog kinda way.
So since the gauntlet was thrown here are 5 things you may not know about me.

I Was Prominently Featured on a Movie Poster

But I’m not actually in the movie. I was actually on the cover of several straight to video, really bad B movies that featured washed up Playmates or has been TV stars. If you squint hard enough you might even recognize me.

I’m a Ham Radio Operator

That’s right up there with admitting that I can play the accordion, it’s a real chick-magnet skill that attracts the babes. I carry a small three band radio/scanner everywhere I go. I listen to radio, TV, fire and police and on occasion a stray baby monitor.

I am Always prepared for Nuclear War or a Zombie Uprising

Befitting of my terminal case of angst I carry arould a portable 3-day survival kit that would make even John Jay Rambo proud. I keep it in the manbag.

I’ve Had Surgery Awake

It was the second surgery in a year and I was having some fears about coming out of the anesthesia. I opted for a spinal anesthetic instead and was able to provide the surgical team with a procedure (that was out of date) that helped them in locating the issue. Demerol and Versed combined feels like 6 shots of vodka…now, if they could only come up with something that was like nicotine.

I Paint on Occasion

I carry a small field watercolor kit and paper for those moments far and few in-between where I can escape and paint. I’m not very good so you won’t see my work on the 3 cent stamp any time soon, I do it for the therapeutic value.

- End Chain -

You got your 5 proverbial dish towels ouf of me. I won't impose the curse on anyone else :-)

Like a Hole in the Head

I tried to sit there calmly in the Neurologists office as he placed the films from the MRI up on the x-ray light board. At first the scans looked normal. Salami-like slices from the top of my head down to the base of my neck filled each page of the films, then just below my left eye it began to appear. The foreign invader came clearly in to view and upon it’s zenith on the scans appeared to be as large as my left eye.

I didn’t have any thoughts and the only sound that I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat in my ears.

“Do you have any problems with your sinuses,” Dr. Patel asked in a thick Hindi accent.

“I guess I do now,” I replied.

He went on to say that he did not think that the growth that was completely blocking my sinus cavity was cancerous and that in his experience that he thought that it was a cyst.

“Very common,” according to the doctor.

I knew something was wrong several months ago when I started to develop vision problems in my left eye. I can now clearly see why.

No need to fear. All should be okay. A simple outpatient surgery should do the trick. The surgeons should be able to remove the growth through the nose or by breaking a hole in the palette of my mouth. At this point it’s more of an inconvenience than anything.

I’m just annoyed that it could interrupt with my school and marathon training schedule.

I’m alive, fine and know that everything is going to be okay. I've got a lot to be thankful for.