Surf Report......and 2nd Surgery Update*

Well I wish I was surfing.... instead...i feel like this puppy - just holding on...

I am practicing for 6 more weeks in the couch, look good? here is another pose....deep meditation here!

As promised and as my friend Jim from Florida would put it...."got to ride the wave Anabelle" - so besides getting a new board....i rode this one again... nope, it did not crush me....but it was really a tough one, felt like Mavericks ( in my dreams).

It's Friday afternoon, after 3 days, I'm back at home....part of me says, wow, i cant believe I am back bundled up in the couch again .....this is a deja vu....I never intended to have. I will tell you first that my expirience at Stanford was surreal. One of the executives at Cisco seats in the board of directors. She wrote the CEO of Stanford (no, you dont have to wipe your glasses or the screen), Martha Marsh, who is a lovely woman. Martha right away put the whole "special patient services" dept. at my parents and mine disposition. they came to visit my parents as soon as they wheeled me into surgery. The procedure was very similar, with the exception that the tube that used to go thru my throat for anethisia now would have to go thru my nose...I was fortunate that Dr. Li asked for the same anesthiologists, whose worked at Stanford for 25 years, has been all over the world, and has the most incredible energy and stories....he has a magic to make you forget what you are about to go thru. As they wheeled my back....well I fell sleep. Surgerny was suppost to last 2 hours, mine did not last 2 hours, it lasted 5....almost as long as the first surgery. My parents ate all their finger nails and were begining to eat their fingers, Special Patient Services came by several times to try to take them to the VIP restaurant, there was no one, not even the King of Spain that was taking these 2 away from the waiting room by ICU. The surgery was successful, well, now I am a little careful when I say that. They had to move all my top screws, shift my jaw and arch metal bars then screw all of it back in. My palate was very soft due to all the other surgery stuff, so I was affraid this time about the consecuences from having a tough 'new' gum to this poor beat up one that had gone thru the mill 3 weeks before. The Surgeon told me it took longer because the tissue was so soft and the face was very hard to align. I will post pictures of the x-rays when i get them...My nose also had to be worked on and tucked in, with the initial push out of the top surgery, it was too wide, this took him a good hour he said, all in all, a lot more complicated and involved than we thought going into it. The 2 inceisions on the side of my face are in the same place, so I wont have any more marks on my cheeks, this continues to be a miracle of his hands, when you see what has been done and with such small spaces he works with. After 9 hours since I went in the hospital, i began to wake up....Deja vu, another TRUCK went thru my face, this time I think it backed up and went thru several times... I was hooked up and asking for all the morphine Stanford carried, Yes, Mrs. Martha Marsh, said to give it to me. I am the special Cisco patient, damn it"....they carried on, I dont think they thought that was honest. Little did they know, that 3 hours later, Mrs. Martha Marsh, (let me remind you, CEO of Stanford Hospital) came by personally to visit me...I was so touched and there was so much pain, that i began to cry in front of her. I told her, and this is so true, I was incredibly touched by the time she took to visit me. She is a very kind person. Martha and her office then ordered a massage for my legs, even though I had a special machine for circulations, this was a really nice treat. My parents never left my sight, well, for a little cigarrett and coffee every now and then when the nerves could win them over. Thursday my parents showed up at 7:00 am...neither one of them ate anything, nor did they sleep ;o(. I was doing ok, i only had 3 hours of sleep, even with Ambien, the pain was scrutiating. The surgeon came by at 7:30 and prescribed a Getordal or something like this, its a very strong Ibuprofin, thru my IV, 2 other pain killers and voila....i saw relieve. It took them a while to get me the right pain killer. I felt like I had been in a boxing match with Mike Tysen, and in my dreams, i too, bit his ear and the nurses too.

Have you ever been to Stanford? Stanford gardins are the most beautiful in the world. And yes, you guessed, its Spring....so the cherry trees are blooming and all the tullips are on some sort of drugs....they were huge, blooming everywhere and they added such color to views outside my window...we raised the bed as High as it would go (about 5 feek off the floor) and I could see it all! then I took a walk the next day and got to see more of the gardins. I will add pictures to the blog so you will see this show of colors!.

My cousin Cristina landed from London on Thrusday night. She drove my parents to Stanford the next day. I am so happy to see her, she's a doll, has a beautiful smile and is kind as she can be. So I had really great company and so did my parents. That morning I also had a beautiful dog, Willow, come visit with me. She is a golden retriever, reminded me of Zik, Jayne's dog, althought there is only ONE Zik. But Willow cuddled with me on bed and she brought me some peace and a little smile. I will posts pics when my cousin comes back, she's in SF and took the camera. At around 1:00, i was ready to go, the meds are working as long as I stay on them by the second and minute. I went to Dr. Li's office, he did my nose suction (this is not fun....but it does make you breath).....lots of blood and clots and then removed my cheek stitches....after this - home to my fluffy down comforter and to see all my friends emails and good energy words that keep this process moving along.

As with everything in life and as I wrote the first time, there is a lesson in everything that life hands you....so, what I have recently learned that you will appreciate... is: I have learned the ability to simply be still and listen to my heart beat, to stop and observe the faces of those who love me, to take in every word they write to me and observe how beautiful friendship is, to love to be able to breath….I have learned the ability of observation, appreciations and relaxation. You too, should try in times of despair.

Cheers,