It's important to keep a perspective on the emotional angle to help your recovery. You really need to reconcile all the past, the present and the future and feel both comfortable and confident about it all to be able to overcome this huge beast that post-surgery recovery is all about.
Having all the information on the surgery, I was not exactly sure I was going to come around on the flip side a 100%. I was not sure I was going to come around at all, actually. But I was too chicken, too afraid to face possibilities that were negative to make those phone calls, write those emails, post those last postcards. I just hoped, stalled, and wished for the best...
And here I am, three weeks, post surgery, and I feel almost better in so many ways. And, I started making phone calls, writing emails, sending those cards. Good time as any, actually, because it is Christmas time after all.
I spoke to one of my oldest, dearest friends – Graham Smith, my ex-boss, ex-partner and ex-fill-in-the-blanks guy. I felt I needed to call Graham, say a big, huge thank you. To him, to Linda, his awesome, generous, tolerant wife. Who put up with me day after day, week after week, just so that I could get a break. Unselfish, giving, kind, – I just owe them.
Graham worked incredibly hard at getting me into the UK when it was impossible almost – and achieved it. Graham pushed the envelope when I worked with him, always asking for more tha what the client wanted. And Graham was there, just there for me. That was such a big thing for me.
And for that reason, as I was headed into that whitelight of the surgery, I had this reason, this pang, of calling Graham and saying goodbye just in case.
Thank heavens, I did come out on the other end, nasal fed tubectomy and multi level lumbar fusion and all that, and I can write this now. In acknowledgement and a bow. To my friend Graham. Thanks forever.
Having all the information on the surgery, I was not exactly sure I was going to come around on the flip side a 100%. I was not sure I was going to come around at all, actually. But I was too chicken, too afraid to face possibilities that were negative to make those phone calls, write those emails, post those last postcards. I just hoped, stalled, and wished for the best...
And here I am, three weeks, post surgery, and I feel almost better in so many ways. And, I started making phone calls, writing emails, sending those cards. Good time as any, actually, because it is Christmas time after all.
I spoke to one of my oldest, dearest friends – Graham Smith, my ex-boss, ex-partner and ex-fill-in-the-blanks guy. I felt I needed to call Graham, say a big, huge thank you. To him, to Linda, his awesome, generous, tolerant wife. Who put up with me day after day, week after week, just so that I could get a break. Unselfish, giving, kind, – I just owe them.
Graham worked incredibly hard at getting me into the UK when it was impossible almost – and achieved it. Graham pushed the envelope when I worked with him, always asking for more tha what the client wanted. And Graham was there, just there for me. That was such a big thing for me.
And for that reason, as I was headed into that whitelight of the surgery, I had this reason, this pang, of calling Graham and saying goodbye just in case.
Thank heavens, I did come out on the other end, nasal fed tubectomy and multi level lumbar fusion and all that, and I can write this now. In acknowledgement and a bow. To my friend Graham. Thanks forever.
Tom
ReplyDeleteYou've always been an inspiration to me - your incredible enthusiasm for life and work, your infectious sense-of-humour and the fact that you can pick up the phone and call me and it seems like only yesterday that we spoke - I feel privileged to call you a friend and I miss working with you every day! But most of all I admire your bravery for undertaking this life-changing operation and then sharing your experience for the world to see - giving hope and courage to thousands of others.
Tom, you're a very special person.
Graham