H-Hour Approach-eth

I’ve had a long internal debate about how much to share on Frail Deeds about my prostate cancer diagnosis and the impending laparoscopy with radical prostatectomy and nerve sparing by retropubic approach with robotic assistance. Now that’s a mouthful, in reality think much further south. I don’t think I can get in trouble with HIPAA laws if I choose to self-divulge about my situation, but who knows. What I do know is the important advice I’ve gotten since my diagnosis in the messages I received from a couple friends who’ve been through the same procedure. One is a high school classmate while the other is an Army buddy. Getting their counsel and support meant more than I can say as I faced this unexpected blip on my personal radar.

Literally Wrapped in Family Love with my New Quilt

In light of that, I’ve decided to share what more poetically inclined people would call “my journey” over the next couple weeks in case someone facing the same diagnosis and procedure wants to see what it was like for me. Tomorrow I go under the knife and have to spend at least one day in the hospital. I’m going through the prep phase right now which involves the inevitable Covid test which cam back negative. Today I’m in a colonoscopy kind of prep day. Clear liquid diet with a powerful laxative ingested. I’m told this is in order to create space for the surgeon to work inside my lower abdomen. That being said and considering the personal treasures in that geographic region, I’m going to be semi-religious about following the instructions. My stomach underwent a farewell ceremony yesterday as my wife created some of her peerless peanut butter blossom cookies as well as consuming the odd creamsicle. The grocery store was unfortunately out of whoopie pies but I doubt there was room anyways.

The Haul Last Night But Now I can't
Touch them until Saturday at Earliest :(

The earliest I’ll be back up on Frail Deeds should be Sunday, if all goes well (which is the current plan). I’ll be as honest as I can, without grossing you out, in case some future reader of this blog is also facing prostate cancer. It’s not totally altruistic because I’ve found writing about this situation allows me to laugh at it and myself which is never a bad thing, laughter, of course, being the best medicine. Friends and family have been fantastic about reaching out to me. I had a great conversation this morning with none other than the Cantankerous Friend who once again displayed the heart he tries so heard to camouflage in normal conversations; just a great friend.

Front Yard This Morning

In yet another example, I opened a package that arrived yesterday thinking it was the new computer corporate has been promising me for over a month. It turned out to be something incredibly more poignant. My far-flung cousin in Oregon sent me a handmade quilt she created with instructions to wrap my Favorite Panamanian and I in said quilt in my Man Cave. She also sent a nice card reminding me I was loved and had the support of my fabulous family and friends. This was a pretty awesome medicine in and of itself. I consider myself truly blessed when it comes to cousins. We’d hoped to visit her on our cross country drive this year which the pandemic and the cancer diagnosis put the kibosh on; next year.

Front Door With Granddaughter Pumpkins

My Favorite Panamanian is being extremely supportive (did I mention the cookies!) and the last few days have seemed like the first where I’m actually retired. We ran some errands together on Tuesday and today I was out helping her decorate the front of the house for autumn. We added some more flowers to her vast garden complex as well as the obligatory front step display. She puts pumpkins out there every year but this year added three small pumpkins as well, one for each granddaughter. In less pandemic times we would have them around to decorate each.

FBR As Dancing Queen Last Night

The BRS and BR3 continue to test their parents with some sleep cycle regression techniques. The BRS is obviously concerned about me every time she sees the bandage on my nose and yesterday was trying to give her younger sister a ride around the first floor in her bassinette despite the determined contrary efforts of my son. It was almost too funny to watch. We were later decisively engaged by the FBR in a more than one hour FaceTime call where following dinner she invited us to a dance party which had her abuela gushing with happiness. We were required to dance to the music from Disney’s Tarzan which isn’t my wife’s first choice of dance music but at this point in Pandemia we’ll take what we can get. Talk to you on Sunday, fingers firmly crossed.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

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 [JP1]