Four Days Till Surgery

[David707]

Linda and Jack,

So happy for both of you.  Will keep praying for your speedy recovery.


Josh and Judy,

We have not forgotten your upcoming surgery while celebrating the success for Jack and Linda.  Just want to reassure you that you are in my thoughts and I am looking forward to good news like this from your in a few weeks.

David(707)

[wind6]

Yes,Yes,Yes,.......Linda is back home too!! So glad to hear from you both and Linda what wonderful news that your docs saved your facial nerve. Get lots of rest and keep us posted as you feel up to it.

My thoughts and prayers are with Josh and Judy also.

[BostonJake]

Linda,
Great news, so good to hear from you!  I had a small hickup today and was up with explosive diharrea  yesterday, so much so that I blacked out and went to the ER to be safe rather than sorry.  If my girlfriend Jo handn't have caught be, it would have certainly been much much worse. I feel better now, without being too graphic, I just had to unload a bit. 

Lots of gingerale and saltenes on orders for today,

Jake

[Shawna]

Hi everyone,
 
It's great to read some positive perspective on AN surgery.  As I read thru Jake & Linda's progress (after the fact, of course) I was surprised by their quick return to the computer.  It gives me relief. 

I am scheduled for surgery on Nov. 10th at Stanford in CA.  I am 35 years old with a 17-month old son (crazy little monster of mine), so the diagnosis of AN was quite a blow.  I thought I just had some residual congestion in my ear from spring allergies. Not so lucky, I guess.  Yesterday, I finally sat down and read some thorough information on AN given to me by my doctor, and it didn't seem very encouraging.  It was actually a chapter from a textbook, so it focused a lot on technique and complications of AN surgery.  Of course, I then had a vision of myself with every complication posed in the chapter.  So, I opened the brochure for this website, and decided to find out what real people experienced through this process. 

I'm not as petrified as I was last night... thank you all.  I'd been pretty confident about surgery until yesterday.  So it's been good for me to hear the good news everyone has to share.  And no, I don't have dunkin' donuts or the pizza place to look forward to, but I have In-N-Out Burger...  which is oohhhh so good!!

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts,
Shawna   (in Reno)

[Bernadette]

Shawna who is your Dr in Standford? I just had my surgery there in Sept. Nice hospital, alot of good people to take care of you. Best wishes to you..........Bernadette

[Shawna]

Bernadette -

Dr. Nikolas Blevins and Dr. Chang (neurosurgeon) will be assisting.  Who did yours??

Shawna

[kristin]

ah ha!! shawna! we went to in-n-out burger about 3 times in a row when i was in LA for my surgery! we drove about an hour each way and it was SO WORTH IT! yum! i wish i could convince whoever owns in-n-out burger to start one up here!

just a little word of hope for those pending surgery. i wasn't nearly as incapacitated as i thought i was going to be after surgery. i was on the computer (ok..so i'm an addict) while i was in the hospital.  in fact, i went to a mariner's/angel's baseball game the day after i was discharged. i also did a lot of walking around hollywood and santa monica and the beach. i actually felt better when i was up and moving than i did when i was just sitting and watching tv.

anyway, congrats to you two who just got done w/ surgery! you made it!

kristin

[JHager]

Kristin,

In-n-Out sounds great, but what I really want is some Cracker Barrel.  I've driven from Las Vegas, across the Hoover Dam, all the way to Kingman, AZ just for lunch at Cracker Barrel.  Dragged the kids along, too.

One bite of Country Fried Steak, and I'll be almost as good as new.

(But I'll be sure to wash that down with an In-n-Out Double-Double.  Go big or go home!)

Josh

[kristin]

you're kidding me!? there's no cracker barrel in vegas? wow. i thought we were behind in the times!

how are you feeling?

[JHager]

Hey Kristin,

Seriously!  You can't put a Cracker Barrel in the most rapidly growing metropolitan area in the country!?!?!?   

I actually e-mailed CB about that - they have no plans to build here as of right now.  I then e-mailed them back, demanding money to start a CBA (Cracker Barrel Anonymous) support group.  That got a chuckle - but no money and no Cracker Barrel!  It's a bitter pill...

I've been feeling just so-so.  Lots of headaches, which are occasionally joined by Mr. Fever.  Fun.  The more rest I get, the better I feel, but my alarm goes off at 4:40 each morning, so a long sleep is a luxury.  Still, my last day of teaching is Thursday, so I should be rested up before surgery.  Family medical leave is a beautiful thing!

Anyway, thanks for checking up.  Honestly, I'm more upset, in the big picture, about the lack of Cracker Barrel.  I figure I'll get through surgery and recovery, but no Cracker Barrel?  That's tough.

Take it easy!

Josh

[wind6]

Awwwwwwww Josh...I could'nt live somewhere with no Cracker Barrel. I have eaten there two times in the past week. Next time I will think of you while I enjoy my fried apples...

[jw]

We don't have Cracker Barrel in Canada.  At least not anywhere I've been.  I've been to a few of them in the US, and they are very good!  I guess "free trade" didn't include your Cracker Barrels.  We should have read the fine print on that one!!  We also lost the Olive Garden a few years back also.  And, the Krispy Kreme donut store (About 2 hours from here) has closed its doors, too.  We don't have In-N-Out Burgers, either.  I went to one in LV - very good, yes!  But we do have Tim Horton's.  It's a federal law that Canadian citizens must purchase at least one Tim Horton's coffee each day.  We're big on coffee shops up here.  In all seriousness, you just can't get a decent cup of coffee in the USA!  I think that's the only thing that keeps us going up here.  And no more Radio Shack stores, either.  They were bought up by Circuit City earlier in the year.  We now have The Source by Circuit City.

Well, I have to go and run out to the store formerly known as Radio Shack.  I need to get some new vacuum tubes for my computer.  I understand you have something called "a transistor" in the USA?  Hey, you can give yourself an MRI with the tubes in your computer's motherboard here in Canada.

[Bernadette]

Hi Shawna, Dr Roberson and Dr Choe were my Drs. I had the Middle Fossa, was in the hospital 4 days and asked to go home.  To far from my sons and there is no place like home. Since there were no problems they let me go, it was nice being taken care of in the hospital though, because having only sons they take care of you in a different way.Gotta luv em......Bernadette

[matti]

Bernadette - I was wondering how everything went for you and how your recovery is going. I had mentioned to you before your surgery that Dr. Roberson was also my surgeon in 1998. I am scheduled to see him for my yearly check up on Nov. 11. He is such a wonderful doctor. I also asked to leave the hospital, I am in San Ramon and being at Stanford seemed like a million miles from home. It was hard for people to visit because traffic sucks.

I know what you mean about being taken care of by sons, as I also have boys (19 and 22) and they seem to have a whole different perspective on caring for good ole mom, but I wouldn't trade em for anything in the world.


Have a great day!
matti

[cookiesecond]

WOW Josh no Cracker Barrell!!! We actually got lost in Raliegh the day before my surgery looking for a Cracker Barrell. I was admitted the day before surgery for antibiotic therapy and my husband wanted to take me to Cracker Barrell for lunch before being admitted. I settled for Lone Star and I do mean settled! As soon as I got up and perking I went to Cracker Barrell!!!!

You will be in my thoughts and prayers as surgery time approaches!

Lynn