Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Descent

It began with chest pain.

I was building a cage of reinforcing steel for a column footing when suddenly, I couldn't move. My chest felt as if the next breath would make it crack, and I panted off the top of my lungs. I was terrified that someone might have seen me nearly incapacitated.

The pain passed. It came back again every few days, but I grew used to the unwelcome visits, and steeled my mind against them. (If this sounds like a really stupid way to deal with something...I agree.)

Then it went away completely, for a couple of years. I moved halfway across the country, and developed a long-distance relationship with a woman in another state (that led to marriage...and divorce...and remarriage...yes, to the same woman).

We were visiting a museum near her home when the pain returned again, and I dropped. In the hospital they gave me the news...I had to have my gallbladder out. (And all this time you thought it was my heart, eh?)

The offending organ was removed in less than timely fashion (thank you, insurance company, for helping me develop character through pain while waiting for your decision on paying for it). The surgery didn't go well. Two days later I was back, with pain in the abdomen that was even worse.

The surgeon opined that I had a little swelling. He bade me wait in one of the examining rooms.

Three hours later i was still waiting. he had forgotten me, and left.

To be continued...

5 comments:

  1. Oh no! I hope this has a happy ending.

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    1. Well, I'm still alive, but very ill. A botched gallbladder surgery damaged my pancreas, which led through chronic pancreatitis to now, apparently, pancreatic cancer. Kind of bad, but there are worse things that happen.

      If you're interested, I write two other blogs - more on marriage and relationships, but also touching on this particular trip.

      http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/

      http://dailygracequote.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/aim-of-life/

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  2. I tried two of your blogs, and there were no posts, so I came to this one, and the last post was from three years ago, but you did comment recently.

    I saw your comment on Paula's blog, and that's what brought me here....Okay, now I see--from your comment to SuperLux that you post more often on your "Blessed..." blog, so I'll visit there, but maybe not right now as I'm trying to get out the door.

    Later,
    Snow

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    Replies
    1. Hi Snow - thanks for stopping by. My approach to blogging was horribly disorganized in the beginning, and I apologize for the rabbit trails.

      The blogs I regularly maintain are:

      http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/

      and

      http://dailygracequote>wordpress.com

      I hope you will visit!

      Yours in Christ,yours in hope,

      Andrew

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