Post Surgery
Hi Mr. BBM here with a quick update on BBM…
She made it through the surgery with no complications and is resting relatively comfortably tonight in her hospital bed. There are a lot of things that she wants to write about when she is feeling up to it, especially the ongoing underwear/no underwear saga.
…and since I have to attend to two tired little girls that miss their Mommy, I will let BBM fill you in on the details when she gets home.
TDA and feelings, a contradiction?
Who am I?: Hello. My name is Nathan Teodoro, and I blog at TDA Training, an eclectic amalgamation of martial arts training articles, links, and instructional videos. I love to training, and love to teach. My blog is an extension of my teaching. When I teach, I learn, and so I blog. Again, hi.
What am I doing here? When BBM humbly begged me to guest-blog for her, I was at a loss for what to post. BBM usually writes witty expositions on the events of the day, breaking down not only the details, but her feelings and stuff. At TDA Training, we don’t do feelings. We train. When we think we have a feeling coming across our nerve endings, we train that right out of ourselves. That’s the difference between a BBM and a TDA – feelings. She’s got them, we simulate them in training!
So, now that I am the temporary BBM, I will attempt this feeling thing, and see what happens. Commencing now, in no particular order, I am sharing some feelings!
Holiday travel: It bugs me when I have to fly for business, and the holiday travelers-who may have never flown-get in the security line and don’t have a boarding pass, or don’t know that they can’t pack large gourds of perfume (gifts) into their carry-on luggage, or don’t realize that metal is what sets off the metal detectors! Longer lines, I can deal with, lack of common sense makes we want to train on someone…
The “Christmas” controversy: I grow tired of the culture war, or the war on Christmas, or whatever you want to call it. The vast majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, whether they profess to be a believer in Christ at all. It’s what we call a tradition! I know atheists, Wiccens, Scientologists, and those of the Jewish and Muslim persuasion may sometimes be offended at our brazen displays of nominal or sincere Christianity, but so what! If I were any of the above (I’m not), I think I’d understand that most of the people in this country (I hear over 90%) celebrate these traditions, and I should just put up with it. Why is it that tolerance doesn’t go both ways. Truly religiously intolerant countries forbid, in many cases, the practice of any religion other than that of the state, or forbid practice at all (as in the former Soviet Union and other totalitarian states). I think most would agree that we tolerate those who are not of the majority religion here very well. I also get tired of hearing from those who always complain about the lack of tolerance for Christmas. There! How’s that for hypocrisy?
Blogging quality: BBM, Mokuren Dojo, and Karate Thoughts Blog are some of my favorite MA blogs because they are consistently good. And gracious. I can’t manage either at TDA. I can be good sometimes, and occasionally gracious, but never both. As Gordon at the The Blue Wave Taekwondo School has recently posted, time is so precious recently that I can’t always seem to get in a good post. Chris at Martial Development’s idea of careful research, then posting is an ideal I can’t live up to, so I don’t always try. My posting is based, many times, on an idea. For me, blogging consists of burst of “inspiration,” followed by some filler. I only try posting interesting filler, but it’s filler nonetheless. Oh, well.
The “Surge” is working. All should be happy that everyone wins except the “insurgents” (terrorists) and their supporters. America wins by following through on her commitment, innocent Iraqis win by winning the chance to establish a free society in the midst of a region of turmoil and tyranny. A proto-democracy in the midst of totalitarian theocracies. Neat.
On politics, I’m glad that VP Cheney isn’t running, and that we have a chance at fresh faces and fresh blood in the Executive. A chance…
Finally, on BBM: She has been one of the best friends to bloggers of all types. Based on the links and comments she gets to posts, I assume her blog draws everyone from moms, karate chicks (respectfully), IT geeks, martial arts instructors and students, and everyone in-between. I think she’s a phenomenon. Or, as some character in some movie said, “phenomenonon!” Someone raising little girls, blogging all night, and trying to earn her black belt. Wow. I just writing about training. How boring!
That’s it! Back to work!
BBM, get better soon. We need you!
Before I Go
The time is now. After all the contemplation, physical therapy, relating to Cold Play, stressing about underwear, and decision-making, it’s time to go. I’m just hoping they don’t send me right home because of having a stuffy nose this morning. It takes much mental preparation to say "Yeah, go ahead. Drill holes in my leg bones" so I really need to have it done and now before I lose my nerve. After all, my stuffy nose is only slightly worse than my usual allergy self every morning which has been a problem for me since I had kids. I think I’m allergic to my children. That’s what I’ll tell them if they give me any problems today.
I have lined up some excellent guest posters for your enjoyment while I’m on the mend. They include: my best friend from graduate school (who has been sworn to secrecy regarding anything potentially inflammatory or embarrassing about me), a former teacher/training partner who’s sure to pique your interest with something martial arts related, not one but two martial arts "blogebrities," a good buddy/blogger from across the giant pond, a technological and Daddy wizard, and last but not least, a humorous daddy that I’m sure you’ll all love.
Mr. BBM will also pop in to let you know that I’m alive and stuff, probably sometime on Monday. Maybe I’ll say "hi" as well, depending on how I’m feeling. I may just relax though, in order to come storming back with some tales of underwear, nurses, surgeons, anesthesia, pain pumps, and what will surely be a fun first PT appointment post-surgery. Yes, I jest.
I just want to thank all of my awesome readers, commenters and friends who have been so supportive, encouraging and all around sweet. You don’t know how much your cyber-support has helped me since this injury first happened. I know you’ll be right there, virtually holding my hand until I’m asleep, and shouting words of encouragement as I come storming back too, pushing me at PT and through those moments where I’m sure to be discouraged. You are all gems, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
I’m off to the hospital now. Say a little prayer for me if you’re so inclined. Please include the words "goes quickly," "pain controlled," "no side effects from anesthesia," and "tray of food soon" because I am so hungry.
(Yells to Mr. BBM: "You put that key to my underpants in the safe right? And, what do you mean I can’t take my laptop!?!?!).
In a Cruel Twist of Fate. . .
I received two new things today. New things make you feel good right? Not quite. Meet the immobilizer brace that I’ll be wearing every second of my life for the next four-six weeks. My PT had to fit me for it today, making sure he left plenty of room for all the bandaging that will be underneath it. Although it doesn’t look so bad in the bag, the brace is locked at full extension and goes from the top of my thigh to just above my ankle. It’s not uncomfortable now, although I’m sure next week will be a completely different story. I have a feeling my wardrobe is going to consist of pajama pants and pajama pants alone for the next few weeks.
I have to take it with me to the hospital on Monday morning. It costs $850. I can think of about 1000 different ways I’d prefer to spend that kind of money. I will have to pay 20% of that cost.
While at PT, there was a college student there with one of those lovely braces on. I started talking to him while I was on the bike and learned that he was seven weeks post-op. He told me lots of useful information, such as "no underwear allowed in the OR" (fantastic) and that he ended up staying in the hospital for two days post surgery. He also had an allograft, but in addition, he had his MCL and meniscus repaired as well. He didn’t mince words when he talked about the pain afterward. Of course, a college kid hasn’t gone through two natural child births, so I’m trying to forget that part of our conversation.
When I returned home with my brace and a sick stomach (because I couldn’t stop thinking that the next time I go to PT, I’ll be post-op), there was a box waiting for me. My box was from Crane Mountain and contained my brand new purple heart tunfa. I ordered them weeks ago and they were custom made just for me. I gingerly pulled them out of their custom made bag, and didn’t know if I wanted to try to jump for joy or cry.
"How cruel is it that they come today, before my surgery?" I said to Mr. BBM.
He told me I should look at it as a sign of what I’m going back to when this is all over. I swung them around a bit and remarked at how perfect and beautiful they are, because they are just that amazing.
Because the first picture doesn’t really do justice to the amazing color of my new tunfa, I tried another shot. A photographer, I am not, but hopefully you can get the idea.
As soon as I was done admiring them, I packed them away nicely in their individual compartments within the perfect canvas bag. I’m not going to get upset. I’m going to swing them around soon enough.
Supercalafragilistic-anesthesiologist
I had pre-admission testing this morning and met with an anesthesiologist.
These are the things that do not make you feel reassured:
- "What religion are you?" (assuming you’ll be needing forgiveness before you pass to the hereafter)
- "Do you have a living will?" (Am I supposed to? I mean it’s only the 3rd anniversary of my 29th birthday, geez.)
- Signing that little paper that they give you without a second thought that basically says if you die, you won’t blame them.
- "1 in 100,000 people have complications from general anesthesia." (i.e. kicking buckets and such)
- "Put your head all the way back and let me see your throat and teeth." (i.e. So I can see what I’m going to be dealing with when I shove a tube down your throat.)
These are the things that do make you feel reassured:
- "Usually underwear is taken off for surgery. However, they do make exceptions if you can make a case for it." (Have I mentioned how good I am at making "a case" for things?)
- Femoral Nerve Blocks can be left in place via a catheter for the entire hospital stay and even after you go home. In fact, some people still have them in and delivering numbing medication when they go to physical therapy for the first time. (Boo YA Baby! Can we keep that sucker in for the first week?)
- I’ll also have a pain pump for the 10-20% of pain that the nerve block won’t cover. I’m not sure how much I’ll enjoy this considering that when my sister had one after back surgery, she thought my Dad had two heads and got all freaked out.
- No urinary catheter. SHWEEEET!
- The breathing tube will come out before I’m ever aware of it.
Everyone at the hospital this morning was super nice. In fact, they were SO nice that after my appointment, a nurse called security for me and had them go retrieve my car since we were getting freezing rain and they didn’t want me to fall on the top floor of the parking garage. Now that all the "pre" stuff is done, I’m feeling better. There’s no telling how long that will last; but even though the day is drawing closer, I’m feeling more relaxed.
Official report on underwear will come post-surgery, so stay tuned.
I better wrap up this post now. I need to start analyzing my underwear drawer to find something surgery appropriate. Maybe I should start my own surgical underwear line that features different sayings on the front and back like, "Can’t touch this," and "If you’re reading this, you’re not concentrating enough on my surgery. Back to work," and "If you can read this, you’re too close to my butt," and "Nothing to see here. Move along," and "You’re fixing my ACL so why are you reading me?" and "Does this look like a knee to you?" and "My knee is down there." Maybe I’ll make my own before Monday. Just so we’re clear, there will not be photographic evidence if such a pair of underwear is created, although it may look something like this:
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