My second son Jordan has been the unsung hero of the family of late. He is the one who took care of me when I first came home from the hospital. He was the one who drove his little brother all over the place during my hospital stay. He is the one who came home during Jeff's back surgery two years ago. He does the things at home that most don't see. But it is time for him to move on.
He is still evaluating his options for his future. Now that I am almost back at work, it is time for him to move on. He has established himself as one of the louder and more colorful Wada cousin offspring.
One of the joys of being home is to watch the boys interact. There is the typical infighting, but when Jeff comes over, somehow the family cohesion takes over. There is a comfortableness among the persistent verbal jabbing at each other.
One of the joys of parenthood is to see how they develop and start their own lives in spite of how we raised them. The negative traits are easy to pick out, but the positive ones that make their foundation are the ones we take pride in.
As I see the boys move on, I have to put myself in that position too. I can't keep doing the same things as in the past. Board memberships will decrease, meetings will no longer take up every week night, I will hopefully see more of the sky than the inside of a gym on the weekend.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Don't Poke Me there......
This past weekend marked the 9th week since my surgery. The comment I get the most is that I look good. As I look in the mirror, I wonder how bad did I look before the surgery........ I have yet to fully accept what has occurred in my life. I still feel the incision in my right leg, and in my chest. Physically, final acceptance is when I can look at my chest scar everyday in the mirror and let Gayle poke me there. She does that when I get out of line and it gives me the willies when ever she tries to touch me there. She has a fascination with that scar.
It is starting to sink in that there was a good possibility that I might not have made it through the surgery. Gayle says she always knew that I would pull through. That has become our theological debate. I did not have the same confidence. When we are alone, it becomes more of a reality that I could have died earlier than what I expected.
The heart attack has become a metaphor for poking me in the chest of life.
What most folks don't realize is that I am in better physical condition heart wise than before the surgery. I had blockage in my arteries that are no longer there. I have full blood flow through my body with no known heart damage. I know folks with stents put in that don't fully recover due to heart damage.
It is starting to sink in that there was a good possibility that I might not have made it through the surgery. Gayle says she always knew that I would pull through. That has become our theological debate. I did not have the same confidence. When we are alone, it becomes more of a reality that I could have died earlier than what I expected.
The heart attack has become a metaphor for poking me in the chest of life.
What most folks don't realize is that I am in better physical condition heart wise than before the surgery. I had blockage in my arteries that are no longer there. I have full blood flow through my body with no known heart damage. I know folks with stents put in that don't fully recover due to heart damage.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Slight Modification
One of the major topics on my briefing before being released from the hospital was my diet.
The good news is that it will not change a lot. Gayle some years ago cut out red meat, salt and other things from our normal diet. But I did realize my diet at work needs to improve, a lot....
So how am I doing on my diet? Not bad, but the worst part is watching those tv commercials. You find out what you really can't eat by watching tv commercials. I never ate at Popeyes, but I have a craving for their new dipping chicken strips, french fries and cajun dipping sauce for $3.99. Now that I limit my hamburger intake, they are building a In and Out across the street on Hawthorne and Del Amo. Carls Jr. 6 dollar hamburgers look tempting even though I never ordered one.
I had a carne asada taco the other night and to be honest, did not miss the beef. I do miss tacos. Everytime we eat at a Mexican restaurant I order the chicken soup, but splurge on the chips and salsa.
I still drink a half cup of coffee (caffeinated) every morning, but just can't bring myself to decaf yet. I have a stock pile of decaf coffee that everyone has been bringing me, but Jordan and I have yet to start the neutered coffee habit yet......
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, the one day I will allow myself to splurge. Gayle's brother Cliff is a fantastic cook and it is always a joy to eat his food. But since his health problems earlier this year, even he has changed how he eats. Instead of a pork roast, he chose leaner pork loin, the side dishes tend to be less fatty, but some of the true favorites remain. He did put his foot down when Gayle and Judy offered to make vegan side dishes.
The good news is that it will not change a lot. Gayle some years ago cut out red meat, salt and other things from our normal diet. But I did realize my diet at work needs to improve, a lot....
So how am I doing on my diet? Not bad, but the worst part is watching those tv commercials. You find out what you really can't eat by watching tv commercials. I never ate at Popeyes, but I have a craving for their new dipping chicken strips, french fries and cajun dipping sauce for $3.99. Now that I limit my hamburger intake, they are building a In and Out across the street on Hawthorne and Del Amo. Carls Jr. 6 dollar hamburgers look tempting even though I never ordered one.
I had a carne asada taco the other night and to be honest, did not miss the beef. I do miss tacos. Everytime we eat at a Mexican restaurant I order the chicken soup, but splurge on the chips and salsa.
I still drink a half cup of coffee (caffeinated) every morning, but just can't bring myself to decaf yet. I have a stock pile of decaf coffee that everyone has been bringing me, but Jordan and I have yet to start the neutered coffee habit yet......
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, the one day I will allow myself to splurge. Gayle's brother Cliff is a fantastic cook and it is always a joy to eat his food. But since his health problems earlier this year, even he has changed how he eats. Instead of a pork roast, he chose leaner pork loin, the side dishes tend to be less fatty, but some of the true favorites remain. He did put his foot down when Gayle and Judy offered to make vegan side dishes.
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