Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Greetings tailgaters, football fans, friends, family, and all.

September is here, which Adelaide would tell you means it’s time for football. She’d also remind you that her birthday is in September. And that Jack’s birthday is after her birthday. And who else’s birthday is after my birthday? The conversation would probably then drift toward dance class, mermaids, and cupcakes with lots of hand gestures involved, but, actually, I digress….

September means football, the happiest time of the year. On Saturday, at 6:00 p.m., our beloved Tigers take on the Racers from Murray State University. Located in Murray, Kentucky, they claim to be “Kentucky’s Public Ivy University.” If I was them, I’d change my name to that. PIU has a nice ring to it.

You can impress your football neighbors by letting them know that Murray State’s all-time leading rusher is a gentleman named Don Clayton, from Malden, Missouri. (Go Green Wave.) Don was my high school football coach and had a brief stint with the Patriots before a knee injury ended his career. All proves to show that dolts whining about Missouri coaches not ‘sealing the borders’ in recruiting have a long history of being right. Or that it’s impossible.

We’ll be tailgating in the same spot again this year, Lot D, as the Tigers embark on the school’s first ever 14-0 season. For the Murray State game, we’ll again be joined by the fine folks from Miller’s Professional Imaging. Food provided by Buckingham’s BBQ, to be served beginning at 4:00. I’ll likely be at the tailgate by 2:00 or so. Or maybe noon. Any and all are welcome.

On the health front, since we hadn’t visited enough hospitals recently, I went to MU Urgent Care on Friday morning. They liked me so much that I stayed overnight and they invited me back. I’ll have my gall bladder removed tomorrow morning. So when you see me next, be sure to punch me in the gut.

on a side note, screw ku.

Several times over the last few months I’ve awoke at about 2:00 a.m. with fairly severe back pain, sometimes abdominal pain too. It’s always lasted a couple of hours, then that was it. Something to be concerned about for sure, but we’ve had other more pressing things to deal with.

On Friday of last week, same thing, except for the couple of hours part. It seemed to hurt worse, and absolutely did not go away. Kids were going to daycare, I had a slow day at work, so off I went to Urgent Care for some drive-in medical care. I would have gone to my family physician, but I didn’t realize when I was assigned to him that he was a resident and soon would be moving away.

It’s a walk-in clinic, so I was the first one there and was seen immediately. They poked, prodded, asked some questions, did some tests, all good, to conclude I had a gall stone and would almost certainly need my gall bladder removed. The only question was now or later. This was around 11:00 a.m. My response was “There’s no time like the present, let’s go.”

After a bit, they concluded I needed another test. This was at the request of surgery, who had now been consulted. Although I asked, I was never quite clear what the purpose of this test was. If anything, the test proved that my gall-bladder was completely blocked which was a further indication for immediate surgery, or so the pamphlet I read beforehand seemed to indicate. However, I became convinced that the test was purely for stalling purposes, because unscheduled surgery on Friday afternoon wasn’t very convenient.

During that test, I finally got a little pain medication. I then returned to the clinic where I got more pain medication, the first two items of relief all day. This would have been about 2:00 p.m. A few minutes later, a swarm of physicians (surgical residents) came in to check on me.

My pain was better, amazing since I’d just received pain medication. They indicated that surgery on Friday night was difficult, because of the propensity of college kids to do stupid things requiring emergency surgery. Also, since my pain was better, that probably indicated I was going to get better and didn’t need surgery immediately. Revised plan was to admit me to the hospital and watch me until I got better. Surgery was scheduled on Saturday morning, if still needed.

Upon admittance, I was allowed hourly dosages of morphine, as long as I remembered to ask for it. Since I was still in quite a bit of pain, did those quite frequently. Finally, around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, the pain had completely gone away.

Saturday morning, the swarm reappeared and confirmed that Friday night was crazy and it would have been difficult to get into surgery. Since I was feeling better I could just come back next week and have surgery when it was convenient. For them. When I asked about already being scheduled for surgery Saturday morning, they indicated that was just if I needed it and someone else had already been taken in.

So, revised revised plan was to come in to surgery clinic on Monday morning, to meet with the surgeon and anesthesiologist for consultation and consent. I asked if any of that could be done while I was already there, and they indicated that since the office staff wasn’t in it would be difficult.

Went to surgery clinic as asked on Monday morning then. Entire process took about 1.5 hours and everyone was helpful and friendly. Except that I couldn’t talk to the anesthesiology folks, but I had an appointment for 10:00 on Tuesday. Wouldn’t that be OK? No, it really wouldn’t.

In the end, went back to anesthesiology at 10:00 on Tuesday. That entire process took another 2 hours or so. From both meetings combined, I confirmed my address, health insurance info, and phone number 4 times, none of which had changed since I was there on Saturday. There was a grand total of 10 minutes of useful time for me, when I was being told about the procedure and the anesthesiology.

Finally, surgery is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. I need to be there an hour earlier, because it takes time to verify that I haven’t moved, changed my insurance, or changed my phone number in the last 48 hours. Also, I finally get to meet the actual anesthesiologist.

The care I’ve received has been great. People have been friendly and knowledgeable. However, I’ve had my fair share of hospital visits lately. In contrast to some other places we’ve been, the only worries about convenience since I first arrived on Friday morning, have pointed at the physicians/staff, not the patient.

If I’d have had surgery at around 2:00 p.m. on Friday, as it seems likely I could have, I would have almost certainly been recovered enough to return to work on Monday. As it was, I was in pain for another 12 hours, had to miss another 4 hours of work in preparation for the surgery, will likely be out two more days of work from the surgery, and had to invest at least fifteen minutes typing up this saga. Certainly was convenient for me. I’ll bet I get a discount.

On a side note, screw ku.

Here is a recap of some random stuff that is happening in our lives right now.

• Right now, I am extremely annoyed that something about my computer and this software will not allow me to enter an apostrophe. No contractions in this post.
• Since we have not visited every hospital in the country yet, I decided to go to University Hospital early Friday morning. Ended up being admitted and stayed overnight. Headed back there shortly to schedule laproscopic surgery to remove my gall bladder. That will probably happen later this week, unless it interferes with the football game on Saturday inappropriately.
• We have started finishing the attic space. No matter that we’re not (hey, look at that, I accidently snuck an apostrophe in there. I win, computer loses.). Anyway, no matter that we’ve never finished the upstairs bathroom, never taken out the old kitchen, and still have trim work and painting to do in the upstairs bedroom, on to a new project. We’re building a bedroom and playroom upstairs for the kids to share. Fortunate to have found someone we know to start the work for us, and that is going well.
• Sarah is not taking pictures for Inside Mizzou magazine anymore. That sucks, as they paid her. I can’t see how that magazine is going to exist anymore, but maybe I’m wrong there. She will still be taking pictures at football and basketball games, probably for the athletic department in some fashion.
• Adelaide is busy planning her fourth birthday party. Somehow, she has it in her head that she needs a Mermaid party. Has her costume, including green shoes to compliment the tail part, all figured out. Also believes we’ll need a slip and slide for the mermaids to play on. I have no idea where any of this came from, including how she even knows what a slip and slide is.
• People at work are mad at other people at work. That makes it fun for the HR guy. Speaking of which, I hate being introduced or referred to as the HR guy. Mostly because I tend to hate the HR guys, so I don’t really want to be in that grouping.
• How does Jim Edmonds suddenly develop post-concussion syndrome from an injury in late June? Coincidentally just around the time the Cardinals start saying maybe he isn’t worth the money. I’ve been saying that for years.
• Football season starts Saturday. Tigers play Murray State in the home opener. Tailgating beforehand with many, including the Miller’s crowd again.
• I’m truly convinced that me owning a Segway “human transporter” would make our lives easier. I want one. Or two, but one would do. Damn materialistic society.