It is OK to breathe! 12/2/11

Latvia, where the hell is Latvia, and why are they reading this?
Welcome Latvia!

Pink Floyd – Breathe
The Police – Every Breath You Take
Better Than Ezra – Breathless
Richard O'Brien – The Time Warp
Little Richard – Midnight Special
Josh Groban – Hidden Away
Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin'
The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!
The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man
The Troggs – Love Is All Around

   Beth and I have been holding our breathe for the past 6 months, and now when I breathe I realize that I was suffocating. The specter that surrounded me has been removed, and I need to learn how to breathe again. I did not teach myself how to breathe when I was born. I was gifted with the ability to breathe. I am now able to appreciate the magnitude of the gift.

  I appreciate getting a clean slate, a fresh start, a do over. The trick for me will be to reflect my appreciation on a daily basis, and not take this experience for granted. I hope to take this experience as a manifestation of Grace. An unwarranted, and unexpected gift. I am humbled.

   I get the surgically implanted feeding tube removed Monday at 5pm, by my Urologist. You may ask yourself, as I did, "I wonder how long the surgery to remove the feeding tube will take?" Apparently the installation requires surgical skill that is not required with the removal. They probably bring in a landscaper for the extraction, and he can reuse the parts at the golf course. "Oh you'll love it, they just deflate the inside bladder, and yank the tube out." Of course they do. Shouldn't there be some anesthesia? There is a 1/4 inch hole in my abdomen with a tube protruding. What happens to the stuff on the inside of my gullet? Shouldn't that stuff be removed? Should I get a 2nd opinion on the tube extraction? My goodness, I certainly can make a mess out of simple procedure. Oh well.

   I get the surgically implanted port removed from under my right shoulder blade on Monday the 19th. The port surgeon is a professional, and the SURGICAL extraction will take place in a surgical facility. The Urologist could learn a lot from the port surgeon.

   My attitude has been adjusted, again. Sorry about the Josh Groban stuff. Don't hate me, but he's got great pipes.

   I'm huge in Latvia!
TJH