David T. Music And Stuff

Hi friends and family,

For those of you who have missed my posts and/or Don Tschirhart  stories . . . . . . Sorry . . . . . .

On June 23rd , I went to Emergency at Beaumont Hospital, Troy, MI. I had suffered from increasingly painful abdominal issues since about October, 2017 including, losing weight (not so bad), not eating well and random vomiting, sometimes lasting over an hour. My gastroenterologist (I can spell that!) put me through a barrage of tests during this time including, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasounds, CT-Scans, Endoscopy, . . . You name it! Finally, I went to him with a written list of  complaints and symptoms. At the end of that office visit, he figured out what I had! He was able to see and touch a three-inch lump under my belly button (it hadn’t appeared during previous exams). The doctor called it an “Umbilical Hernia” (look it up). He immediately sent me to a surgeon across the street and said, if I couldn’t get in immediately, then go to emergency. This was on a Thursday. I waited until Saturday as Sue had just started back to work and it would look bad to take important days off, already. And, I had suffered this long so, could wait another day.

After ordering and fitting a new suit from Men’s Wearhouse for (not my funeral!) my daughter’s wedding on the following weekend, we went to Emergency. They got me in quick and I saw the surgeon. We scheduled the surgery for the following day and decided to take out my Gall Bladder  at the same time, which was full of stones and would probably cause problems in the future. The surgery took less time than they anticipated using laparoscopic techniques. I woke up with four half-inch incisions and a sore belly. But!!! After being beaten up by the surgeon, I still felt better than I did before the surgery! Wow!

I spent a couple of days in the hospital on a liquid diet (still better than what I was eating pre-surgery) and went home with lifting restrictions and a catheter . . . Oh boy! I had the catheter taken out on Friday morning, tried on and picked up my suit at Mens Wearhouse and went back a few hours later to make sure I was urinating . . . Oh yeah, I was!

We drove out to Flushing, MI for my daughter’s wedding rehearsal and dinner, spent the night in a Motel and enjoyed a very beautiful and memorable wedding on Saturday.

I’ve had two weeks off work and will see the surgeon this week to see if I should go back to work, next week. I have to say that I have enjoyed this recovery period. I spend nearly every day outside working on guitar projects. I’m building a Fretless 4-String P-Bass and a Semi-Hollow Offset-Design 6-String Guitar. Lots of sanding and staining. I prepared a previously built guitar for sale and did some modifications (lowered the action and buffed the top to make it shinier) on the Violin I built, previously. I keep thinking, “So this is what retirement feels like.” I have two and a half years to go . . . I think I can make it . . . Or maybe I’ll find more surgeries to have done . . . Not!

Don Tschirhart posts (only a couple left) will resume, immediately. I’m sorry about the delay. Love to all,

David T

p.s. Comments are very much appreciated.You can write comments and like or dislike below each story.