Life is fine at Crawford Long

It's after midnight, the morning of Sunday, December 2, and the need to scratch the itch under my 'circulation stocking' has awakened me. At my age, I shouldn't even know what a 'circulation stocking' is, let alone have an itch to scratch under one. I have seen snippets of old age, folks, and it isn't pretty. At least I don't have first-hand experience with menopause. Yet.

There is something going on outside the hospital, somewhere on Peachtree Street. The muffled noises I hear through the double-paned windows sound an awful lot like the Carpenter's Union, when outside my Peachtree Street office they protest my company's landlord, Richard Bowers, for not hiring union carpenters. But it's after midnight and I'm hearing it outside my hospital, so that can't be it.

i can also hear the giant wind chime outside my window. I didn't notice it until someone pointed out it was there yesterday. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. It is beautiful, and seriously large. Like the size of a house large. It's a big wind chime.

i also understand this hospital has a lovely aviary in the lobby. I've never seen it. The quality of the food here is hit and miss. It seems to me that the weekday food is much better. My lunch today was odd. Thankfully Len was here and offered to get me something from the outstanding cafeteria so I had a nice macaroni and cheese instead.

In all, this is a nicer place to be than Atlanta Medical Center. The Emory Crawford Long folks seem to understand that aesthetics are important. It's just prettier here.

My recovery is going very well. Except a dag-ummed butt screw has started shimmying itself loose. It is a large screw that had been inserted into my left sit bone right after my accident. It's now pushing out an inch or two outside the bone, probably a result of all the activity that went on nearby during my six-hour hip surgery. I can actually see the tip under a layer of skin and butt fat. Very painful.

But, the good news is, that screw is the most painful part, and it will be unscrewed first thing Monday morning. Doc says I don't need it, so we are getting rid of it.

Otherwise, it's going very well. I've been walking using a walker down the halls here and using my crutches to move around my room when necessary. I'm exercising my left leg as required by my physical therapists. I'm on minimal pain meds, and am lucid and clear. I've even been able to do a little work while here in the hospital.

Thanks for your good wishes for the surgery. And for all the nice messages about my sister. Means a lot to me.

In return, I won't post pictures of the errant butt screw. At least not while it's still in my butt.