BBRRRAAAAWWWMMMPP

.........ahhh......Tis good to be back!!!

Gimmee a little bit to collect a few thoughts and go retrieve my stupid Weimaraner from the Doggie Motel and I'll give you some of the better stories of this past week. Sitting here and again reading these many posts from all of you leaves me more that a bit humbled.........Okay, so it's just a little bit, but that's a lot of progress for a reprobate like myself.

Having lived in this cyber village for a long while, I am still amazed and completely in awe of the power we have to care for each other. Karen and I will always be forever in the debt of all of you and this Reamrkable place. When I woke up in post-op, I was thrilled to be alive.......This thrill lasted just to the leeward side of 3 seconds when the pain made me wish I were not! During that next 48 hours, I thought of this place and believe me when I say that I had a very real feeling of "presence"........I knew you were there. And at various times things would strike me like, "Geez, I gotta' remember to tell the 'Catters this." Thank you all from the depths of my well functioning heart for every thought, word, prayer, and song. You provided once again to Karen that rock she now knew would be there and did the same for Wayne and Connie. I am indeed blessed by having them as I am blessed to have so many great friends here.

Physically, I have not felt this good in probably ten years or more. The A-fib was not creating the problem at all, but the slow deterioration of the Mitral Valve was. I can breathe better than I have done in years. "It's amazing how having a blood supply fully pressurized and not backwashing can make so much of a difference," said the dumbass Spaw. Already my energy level is easily 5 times greater than what it was and seems to continue to improve by the moment!!!

As to the daVinci and Dr. Michler........I am even more amazed than I was before. Even having to replace the valve, only a 2 inch opening was made just under the right breast. What made the pain so bad was tht this is muscle tissue and the drain tube was like having a knife in your side. When the surgical wounds heal, that too will be gone. The difference between this and my previous chest cracking for the by pass is truly significant!!! Michler and his team are truly skilled and you always had the feeling that it was going to work........Fantastic people.

So let me run and get my hound and then I have to call Campus Security to see about Paw, Cletus, and the Reg boys.......Hopefully I can get the charges reduced.........

Our many thanks.....and it's GREAT to be back!!!!!!!

Spaw