just a bunch of small holes

disclaimer: single hand non dominant hand typing, what it means to you the reader: no caps for sure.

thank each of y’all that channeled positive energy to me and the surgeon.

thurs the surgery scheduler called to ask me what time my surgery was schedule. i said when the little hand is just past 10 and the big hand was on 6. she moved the hour hand 2 hours to 8, 2 hours earlier. johnny was able to change his schedule to drive me to flag. thurs night was prolly my last desert camping for i don’t know when. from now on it is city living. we rode in his ’14 honda civic, cars are sprouting more electronic devices. he stopped long enough for me jump out. i have been really apprehensive of what the surgeon will find: will there be sufficient living tissue to stitch back together, if so biggest happy path will be that i have fully functioning shoulder joint. frowny face would be a reverse shoulder with it’s limitations. if there are only the small arthroscopic entry points then the shoulder is still conventional and surgery would last more than a half hour. i need to know.

i chose a chair in the corner of the waiting room. a door opened, an attractive, trim, and fit woman read my name. i rattled off craigisms to her smiles. i learned she is a biker knowing sedona well. nurse tom greeted me performing his role, he’s a biker. i recognized david, a gas passer, from meeting him down here. green van recognition.

i was shaved and cleaned. next was a nerve block that i was awake for. the anesthesiologist used an ultrasound to locate the nerve then inserted a needle. the block washes the nerve and numbs it. the block turns off body’s resonse to physical pain. my arm ultimately just died w/ no feeling or voluntary muscle contractions. An iv was inserted earlier w/ what sensed like a big dull point. i was wheeled into surgery passing between maybe 6 people dressed in blue scrubs. they were part of the team. i scootched onto the operating table and before my hands were bound the knockout juice squirted into the iv plumbing mainlining the good stuff. next i know i am coming around in recovery. matt was there helping putting me back together. he said the surgery was successful. i am disappinted that nobody shared surgery data post op. my right arm is bound in the rotator cuff repair special sling. matt used his nursing skills to take care of me. stopped at pharmacy to pick up pain meds and lovinox. no record for the later. i called primary care dr thru after hours connection.  the script was automatically routed to a safeway i used previously. he called the walgreens who jumped to for quick filling. the lovenox ( i’m not willing to expend the effort to obtain the correct spelling) is injectible which is used when a patient starts blood thinner. my inr was 1.4 just below surgery max if 1.5. normal blood clotting is 1.0. my body throws blood clots hence thinning my blood back to low 2.0s. scary stuff.  matt gave the first dose.

i moved into duff’s extra bedroom. 4 big pillows propped me up. i set the countdown timer on my suunto to 96 mins for the interlude for taking pill. script wrote 2 every 4 hours, i took 1 every 1 1/2 hours. i didn’t sleep because of the pain.

yesterday i used a hiking pole third leg and walked to the bean. i have the morning’s shot and am looking for some one to soot me as the sling prevents my right hand to assist.  there are health care mtn bikers at the bean, it was just a matter for which one would say yes. this time it was lars who is an emt. a successful painless shot is to push the needle under the skin then gently push the plunger in, the gentle introduction eliminates burning. i am sleep deprived and addled by percocet. i enjoyed myself being craig. the med spaces me out. i need an evening shooter. i scored biker amy, a nurse. i asked her to gently push the plunger, she kind of rammed it home which created uncomfortable burning. i am making the shot administration a spectator sport. i lined amy up for today’s dose and to remove the bandage. today she heeded my request and i did not burn. way more than bandaids stopped up the holes. a bit bloody. amy went over the bars on her maiden ride on a new bike leaving her w/  slight concussive effect. she shot me up.

last week i bought headphones on line. i listen to music while im in bed attempting to sleep. i wanted a better pair.these are over the ear w/ soft white leather cups. they suckle my ears. i wore them all last night in complete comfort.

my memory foam bed rest pillow will be used tonight. attaining comfort.

Sarah, another nurse, is lined up for tonight’s shot. last shot is this mon am.

post op instructions emphasize no load bearing and keep it in the sling. can’t even hang it.  need to figure a way to support it during shower.

last week’s laundry is dry and still clothes pinned to the line. i am one hand lefty.

les, your block and tackle is a good idea but i hampered us by only using the existing strap eyelets. i attached a metal eyelet to the roof above the rearward strap. the new location will work better w/ the existing pulley.

joe, i have a room down here off jacks canyon.

a blossoming black locust tree 1 truck over is attracting hummingbirds and insects.

cathy, i finished skywalker, the tale of his pct thru hike. i remember on my hike that i checked my boot shoelaces by looking down the inside of knicker’s waste band. i never weighed myself.  you can never carry enough calories to replace what you burn.