:: Recovery reflections ::

With my arm mummified since Saturday, "sootchered up" since Wednesday, and healing well, here are a few things I've learned, observed, or been asked. I'm currently pretty bored and immobile and taking time to type isn't an issue, so thought I'd go ahead and write some out.

• It's amazing how much I take that second arm for granted. Seriously, it takes 5 freaking minutes to pull up my pants; I can't bathe my "good arm" b/c it doesn't bend correctly; I can't hold papers with one hand while I sign with the other; and it just takes longer to do even the littlest thing. But thank God I'm right-handed and broke the left!
• Time flies when you're having fun. Or when you're hyped up on drugs and sleep all day long.
• We have a great network of friends and family who care about us, and that means the world to us - we're humbled and honored, and it truly lifts our spirits. Thank you.
• It's amazing how much post-surgery sleep covers pain. But it's even more amazing how all that pain explodes the second you wake up, especially at 4am and the nurse needs your "vitals" and you have no idea where you are when she wakes you up; only that the light is blinding, and you've got cords hanging off you every direction, and your arm feels like it was stabbed cuz it was.
• I knew my anesthesiologist. Or at least I told him that several times after he drugged me on my way into surgery.
• Before surgery, I packed and planned to read 3 books, listen to some sermons/lectures, and write a few articles, talks, etc, and watch a couple movies. Since surgery, I have slept. Period.
• Being back in Weatherford, where I grew up, has made me realize how much I've lost touch w/ good friends from growing up (but The Pizza Place and Golden Moon still have dang good pizza and Chinese, respectively).
• People like making jokes with the word "screw" in them: 3rd place, Matt Hudson: "sounds like you're getting screwed"; runner-up, Tina Howard: "once you feel better, we'll have you over for screwdrivers"; winner, her husband: Todd called Tuesday night and said he'd been thinking of jokes for me: "you're kinda screwy; you're one screwed up kid; screw you; quit screwing around," and a few more before he said, "ok, that's all I got for now; I'll let you know if there are others. Bye."
  
• Anesthesia apparently gives me hiccups. Violent ones that don't go away with the usual tricks. And wouldn't you know it, the jerking of my body does wonders on an already painful wrist.
  
• Apparently on morphine, you can be fully conscious and do various things, and then have no recollection that you did these things. Like eat dinner or watch LOST... I think I'd heard this, but didn't realize the extent. And it gives you freaky weird dreams, which would be less funny to describe here than they actually were. Suffice to say, the beach is nice this time of the year.

That's all that comes to mind, at least for the moment. For those who have asked, no, I did not write those "Lent" blogs while I was in post-accident/pre-surgery. I wrote them the previous Friday and set them to post on the following consecutive days. After a few days, I'm planning on posting on Italy (oh yeah, that was supposed to be the big thing in our lives tight now!) as well as give my take on The Shack, which Jess and I read on the plane since we were both sick of hearing reviews but hadn't read the book itself.

OK, here's today's fo' real update: all in all, I'm doing ok - better and more coherent than expected actually. My wife is wonderful, comforting, strong, and makes me laugh which makes things better; my parents have bent over backwards to accommodate and host me while I recover (my mom even wanted to update folks yesterday and wrote her 1st-ever blog!). My pain isn't nearly as bad as the 1st night, an I'm not taking as many pain-killers as I'm allowed to be (sorry, the extras are already promised to the highest bidder... kidding).

Finally, many already know, but I will NOT be going to Belize b/c of the screws in my arm, the open wounds, + the quality of water or some lame excuse like that(!) - but it will still be a great trip; my presence/lack thereof won't change that! And as of now, I'll be at TCBC on Sunday, to wrap up our college series, 70 SECONDS. To close on a personal note, it's been weird to write about myself so much, especially about something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But again, we've been astounded at the interest and care you've shown - as we said yesterday, we're humbled and honored, and deeply thankful to God for you. Thank you; we'll see you soon!