The Surgery Was A Success?

  Well, I just returned from Anchorage this morning. I wasn't sure I was going to make it home today. Last night when the jet was making the final approach to Juneau, it suddenly increased speed and started a rapid accent into the air. It was really foggy and rainy and we couldn't really see much out the windows. It's the kind of thing that makes the heart beat a little faster. Anyway, the captain explained that visibility wasn't good enough to land going that direction so we had to approach from the other end of the runway. Then today, it was still overcast with low hanging clouds and I wondered if I'd make it back or spend the day in Juneau. Fortunately it cleared up and we made it here.  I had gone up to Anchorage to have surgery on my prostate. As you recall, a few weeks ago I had written about not being able to pee after a urinary tract infection. I flew up to see what could be done at the Alaska Urological Institute  and met with Dr. Clark. Anyway, to make a long story short, I had to fly up on Sunday and had surgery yesterday at the clinic. It only took an hour or less. I'm peeing like a Russian race horse right now, although there is some pain associated with it, as one would expect after having a mini camera shoved up an orifice that is only supposed to flow in one direction, to say nothing of the tools necessary to perform the operation. Fortunately I was knocked out for the procedure, which was really good. I didn't want to suffer the humiliation of the remarks that I might have heard from the three females who were assisting Dr. Clark. There's nothing like introducing your genitals to a complete stranger of the opposite sex. However, as the saying goes, desperate times require desperate measures. Prior to the surgery, after the first visit, the doctor was asking what I was taking to relieve the swelling of the prostate. I told him Flo- Max and something else. He was surprised that I wasn't taking Rapa-flow, so he prescribed it, and it really helped, so much so that I almost cancelled the surgery, but thought better of it. The third med that I was taking didn't have a very cool name like Flo-max or Rapa-flow, and it had the unpleasant side effect of making one of my testicles sore. I was telling my friend, John, the shipwright about it while we were working on the boat. He happened to be mixing up a can of Dolphonite, a bedding compound to put on the guards of the boat to seal them. As he shoved the putty knife in the can and pulled it out he said the I should try Dr. John's Testicle Salve, which also happened to be the bedding compound. I guess it's multi- purpose. I declined but thanked him for opportunity to try a new ointment.Though it was tempting if it indeed offered relief of the pain, I opted to just stop taking the less glamorous sounding pills. Of course I can't very well share any pictures of the prostate surgery. Even if I had some, I think enough strangers have seen more than they could stomach, so instead I'm showing some pictures from a bridge up in Anchorage. The potted Begonias were hanging from holders made up to look like fishing rods. I was tempted to lower a few down and reel them back up. It would be the closest thing to fishing that I have done all year so far. I wanted to include a picture of my daughter Autumn who was so generous with her time, running me back and forth for multiple appointments, as well  as feeding and housing me in a grand manner. I don't have a picture of my other daughter, Liz who went out of her way, as always, to pick me up and house me in Juneau. It's at times like these that you realize how blessed it is to  have a loving family. In any event, it appears that everything is free flowing at the moment. One of the (hopefully) temporary side effects of the surgery is that when the urge to go hits, you can't ignore it- there's no putting it off, so if you see me rushing off for the nearest bathroom, please don't stand in my way, otherwise your shoes may get soaked.