A poem from my nine-year-old niece

A Book
by Kristina Burrill

If you are reading a book
it is written
because if it wasn't written
you couldn't read it
it was written in the past
because if it was written in the present
it would be written right now
and if it was written in the future
it is not written yet
but someday you will be able to read it
but that day hasn't come yet
and it will be written
but not yet

PS: 4

Last night I was feeling sore. I felt like my stomach had been stretched. This may be because it had. They filled it with gas to blow it up to make it easier to navigate around in there during surgery. However, I think it may be due to all the coughing yesterday. Or possibly I haven't been takin' it easy enough (which hopefully isn't the case, because I'm hardly doing anything).

I laid down on my back and put my knees up and fell asleep last night for about an hour. This was just start of what turned out to be a 12-hour sleep session. I feel sick. I finally slept like I was sick.

I still feel sore this moring. I still feel like I have a cold, but I I do feel rested.

Post-Surgery: Day 3

Basically, I found as long as I stay drugged up enough I feel okay.

In addition to the Vicodin I've been taking a variety of medicines. I have a cold and allergies that are adding to my symptoms. When it has been more than 6 hours since my last Vicodin I can tell.

I learned from my mom that pressing a pillow against the lacerations in my stomach while coughing will mitigate the pain. That seems to be helping. I still haven't figured out a pain-free way to blow my nose.

When I'm not in the act of sitting up or coughing I don't hurt much. Today the pain from coughing was the worse part. I think I'm progressing fine. I feel a little ill, but everything is tolerable.

My sub called me this afternoon. He had a very good day with my kids. I finished up the last few pages of Water for Elephants. I watched the Sharks win tonight on the road.

Post-Surgery: Day 2

I spent most of the past two days with no shirt on and still feeling a little too hot. I even started running my AC again, which I haven't used in months.

Yesterday, I had a mild sore throat and an occasional cough, but in my condition these symptoms were barely worth mentioning.

Today, we opened up the window to enjoy an outside breeze, but that bothered my allergies. I took some Benadryl for my itchy throat around noon. At 3:00pm I sent my parents away and dozed off for a half hour.

I woke up freezing. I put on my winter coat and a beanie and dug out my thermometer. I wrapped my legs in a blanket. I was seeing if I could stretch the time a little between Vicodins, but I guess I'm not ready for that.

After taking my temperature I ate some soup and took a Vicodin along with an Ibuprofen. I laid back down for a bit. I took another Ibuprofen a few minutes ago, my fever should diminish soon, and I should feel better by the time I'm done writing this post.

Basically, things are much better than yesterday. I have more symptoms, but more tolerable symptoms. It still hurts a lot to cough, blow my nose, and sit-up. However, it is easier to find comfortable positions both laying and sitting.

I was allowed to take a shower today. I took a nice long shower.

Today I have more ill, but less pain.

Last night I made sure I had two working Vicodins and an Ibuprofen in my system before going to bed. I was able to lay down without too much discomfort, but still could not fall asleep. After an hour or so I got up and took a pill to help me sleep. It did. (So I guess my insomnia isn't cured.)

Fevers are easy to regulate. I've already removed my winter jacket and beanie. In fact, I'm starting to get hot again. The problem with the fever is it makes me wonder if I'm contagious. I don't want my nice visitors to get sick.

Summary for day two: Iller, but Better.

Post-surgery: Day 1

I was discharged around 8:30pm. Orlando, my nurse, wheeled me out to the car. Despite recently being injected with my third medicine for nausea I still felt like I was going to throw-up. Fortunately, that subsided on the ride home. Having hardly slept in recovery I was anxious to go to bed. When we got home I had a small bowl of soup and a Vicodin and promptly went to bed.

Simple tasks like rolling over, sitting up, and going to the bathroom were all uncomfortable. However, I managed to fall asleep easily. I proceeded to wake up every hour (like clockwork) the entire night. Each time I woke up I went to the bathroom and had a very unsatisfying urination. My body was unable to relax and just pee it all out. So when I was done I still felt like I had to go, which makes sense because I did go again an hour later.

Despite waking up often in regular intervals I was able to fall back asleep quite easily. This was by far the most times I have fallen asleep easily in one night. Maybe my impacted gall bladder was causing my insomnia (only one night I'm not drawing any conclusions.) Overnight I didn't feel like I was going to throw-up, and the pain was tolerable. Overall, I would say it was a good first night.

However, today has been a little bit different. I think the drugs in the hospital were much stronger than what I have now. Each time I enter my bed, attempt to roll over, or sit-up I cringe. I tried to take a nap earlier, but it just hurt too much to lay down. When I find a comfortable position I don't want to move. I finally got comfortable in bed a little while ago, but unable to sleep I got tired of just laying there, so I got up. I seem to be okay in a sitting position.

My parents have been staying with me in my one-bedroom palace. We've actually fit okay, and there help has been appreciated.

Only, now do I realize why they said the recovery time could be two weeks. I guess I didn't really believe them before. However, I expect to be feeling much better tomorrow.

Sans Gall Bladder

Its my last night with my gall bladder. I feel like I should go out and eat pizza dipped in ranch dressing and wash it down with beer. Instead I had a salad, with the dressing on the side.

...

In less than 6 hours I will be in my 30's.

Weird.

Last Time

Last night I met a girl at the party.

She stuck out her hand and said, "I'm Jade."

I responded, "Kevin. I'm in my twenties."

My Fantasy Team: Case Ace

12-Team League

1. Grady Sizemore
2. Ian Kinsler
3. Alex Rodriguez
4. Dan Haren
5. David Ortiz
6. Shane Victorino
7. Rafael Furcal
8. Rich Harden
9. Joey Votto
10. Scott Kazmir
11. Justin Upton
12. Brian Fuentes
13. Matt Capps
14. Matt Garza
15. Edwin Encarnacion
16. Randy Johnson
17. Rick Ankiel
18. Fausto Carmona
19. Wandy Rodriguez
20. Cameron Maybin
21. Brad Penny
22. Brandon Inge
23. Chris Perez
24. Pedro Martinez
25. Mark Lowe

The Alarm

I woke up over two hours before my alarm sounded. I don't like having health concerns, but a day off mid-week is great. I got a lot done this morning.

One Dollar Bills

I got up to the teller and reached into the Safeway bag I was carrying and pulled out four plastic baggies, each filled with fifty bills. I deposited 232 ones. The girl behind the counter acted like this was totally normal. It took over five minutes to count them using the machine. When she finally returned I asked her if she had trouble counting them because they were in such poor condition. She responded, "not as much as I thought I would."

My Car

I just was going through my old mail and came across a letter that said, "you purchased your vehicle 60 months ago." I guess I bought in Jan of '04.

I'm not paying for the additional warranty, but I was wondering how long I've had that thing. Good to know. I wonder if I remember how to still drive stick?*



*The above question was not literal. Of course I do.

I'm doing horrendous sir, you?

I walked in to the office at lunch time. A well-dressed man, whom I have never seen in my life recognized me as being someone also over the age of 14. He smiled and with a friendly greeting said, "Hello. How are you doing today?"

I was doing horrible. I got sick. I can't remember a time where I have felt much worse. I was actually walking by him to head to the bathroom to see if I should vomit and go home, or if I could teach my last two classes.

I said, "okay."

Which leads me to wonder if we should limit our greetings to strangers and acquaintances to comments like, "Good afternoon."

Grandpa

About 7 or 8 years ago I was sitting with my grandpa in his family room. He told me he had lived a good life. He was proud of his children and grandchildren. He sighted how many of them were “walking with the Lord.” He told me that he was ready to go.

“Now, I’m living a sedentary life.”

I looked at him with a confused expression. He asked, “Do you know what that means?” I did not.

Sedentary:
1. Staying in one or the same place
2. Characterized by or requiring sitting or slight movement

Up until this last year I went out to visit them every summer. Every time I left I wondered if it would be the last time I saw him. Ever since that conversation whenever I wrote my grandparents for a holiday or to send a thank you note I always said something like this:

I appreciate how you raised my mother. I’m happy with the values I was taught in my own upbringing. Thanks for thinking of me again. I love you guys.

That way no matter when he died the last thing I said to him was: Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate how I was raised and I love you.

Grandpa died this morning.

He was proud of his family and happy with the way he had lived. He was ready to go. He was living a sedentary life.

Contentment

I spent much of my day today building the bed of my new furniture set. Now, I'm eating chips and salsa, drinking beer, and watching baseball.

The World Baseball Classic

Baseball. America's Pastime. The World Baseball Classic. It is taking place right now. Never heard of it? Then you are like most people in the United States. The inaugral WBC was in 2006. It was a tournament where the top baseball players in the world competed, but not for their American teams, but for national pride. Which country has the best baseball players in the world?

I'm not a huge pro-American guy. I don't have any shirts that contain the American Flag. However, I was dissapointed with our showing in the first classic. It wasn't that the United States lost, but who beat us. In 2006 the American team lost games to Mexico and Canada*. It is one thing to lose to Japan, Venezuela, or the Dominican Republic. These countries play baseball. Canada and Mexico? This is the baseball classic, not hockey or soccer.

I know nobody here really cares about the World Baseball Classic, but I'm rooting for the U.S.

*The U.S. did beat Canada in the first game yesterday. I will admit Canada had a very impressive line-up featuring top major league hitters.
**I went to the semi-finals of the WBC in '06 in San Diego.
***You can find more information on the argument against the WBC here.

To be a toddler

Steph brought over the kids last night. Alyssa (turns 3 in May) on the way up the stairs asked if I had a lot of toys at my house. She walked in and first asked to see my bedroom, and then after looking around a few seconds asked, "Where are the toys?" I found some poker chips for her. She dumped out all 200 and then put them back properly into the plastic rack. She thought the toys at my house were a lot of fun.

The NHL

Yesterday the Chicago Blackhawks made the mistake of passing out souvenier construction hats to their fans. Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews got his first career hat trick. The helmets went flying on to the ice two different times.

My question:

Since when did hockey have hot bikini-clad girls on skates ready to help pick up the helmets?