It’s been a while now
In fact it’s six weeks ago today (Wednesday the 5th August) that I had the total gastrectomy and in the interim I’ve made one post, that was a must do for me; and nothing else.
As for the newspapers, I just couldn’t be bothered, The Sydney Morning Herald once a must read, I haven’t read once, they really couldn’t care less at SMH they’re still taking the money out each month for my subsciption. My subscription to the New York Times expired (not auto renewed) and I notice when glancing at my email inbox mail from them telling me it’s expired and will I please renew. I suppose that’s what they’re asking I haven’t really bothered to read or open most of the mail just hit the delete/trash button and sent the stuff on it’s way.
I haven’t read a book since the 24th June, I did take one book into hospital to read, I read but 7 or 8 pages whilst in there but I haven’t picked it up since, still I console myself with knowing how it finishes as I’d read it many times before, hopefully I’ll get back into reading again soon.
There have been some days when I’ve switched my computer on first thing in the morning as was my normal practice, and then forgotten about it for the rest of the day. There have been a couple of times when I couldn’t be bothered turning it on at all; a first in it must be going on 25 years or more. I forget when I bought my first computer, a Commodore with a 5½” floppy disk drive, and never a day passed that I didn’t have the thing humming away.
Three weeks later….. 🙄
Yes indeed, it was three weeks ago today that I started on this post and wrote the few paragraphs above. I’m not going to pretend that it’s been because I’ve been to busy it’s not; I couldn’t be bothered.
Nothing much has happened in those 21 days altough I did something I never thought possible. I cancelled my Sydney Morning Herald subscription, for those that know me personally when you pick yourselves up from the floor after falling in disbelief let me assure you that it’s true. Why, you may well ask, did I take such a drastic step? Simple; I’ve stopped reading the newspapers, in fact I’ve pretty well stopped reading anything.
So what have I been doing? I’ve been sitting around watching the idiot box and I’m now a fully certifiable idiot. And the stuff I’ve been a’watching? I think it’s known as infotainment/lifestyle, fancy words to cover the vacuous stuff that is paraded before me under the pseudonym of adult entertainment. To make matters worse, I’m enjoying this stuff. I told you I was now certifiable! I admit on occassions switching to the “History” channels but most of the stuff they’re throwing at me I already know about and after yelling abuse at the presenters letting them know in no uncertain terms that half the time they don’t know what they’re talkng about I switch off. Who’s going bonkers now?
I’m assuming that this phase will eventually pass and I shall return to my old loveable obnoxious self in the fullness of time but in the interim I’ll post this load of codswallop so I suggest you keep the salt shaker handy.
LordBeariOfBow 
Well, I must be having sympathetic “not giving a rat’s ass about anything” as my own productivity has fallen off considerably. I’ve not had a proper long post in ages, I’ve not snapped many photos, I’ve not read much . . . I have eaten a lot, but I’ve managed to keep losing weight (down to 175 lbs, and I aim to keep going).
I also don’t watch much TV. I have golfed more, and I read more blogs, and I spent time with my wife.
. . . if you are indeed to blame for all this, please get over your slump soon so that I too may return to my prolific ways.
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I’m sorry to hear you’ve eaten a lot, not that I’m jealous it just conjures up memories of all the rubbish you shoved down your throat whilst on your great ocean voyage a few months back which has somewhat of a nauseous effect on me, I just can’t stomach it! Have you gained religion in my absense? Spending time with your wife?
You might try a quick way to reduce your weight you tip the scales at 80kg sounds a lot less than 175lbs.
Anyway I’m glad you’re being sympathetic shows theres some hope for you yet, not much, just some.
I hope that the fault does lie with me for your current shortcomings, I like to be useful!
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Why are people swearing at you?
. . . you’re not talking to them, are you?
Seriously, what’s with swearing at the Lord?
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It’s beyond my comprehension butthat’s not surprising is it? 🙄
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No religion here; I’ve always like spending time with my wife. We’re one of those rare couples that spend 99% of their time in each other’s company (including work when I owned my business).
As for you being to blame . . . if you want that mantle, feel free to wear it. It will give me someone to swear at beside myself.
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No thanks, there’s more than enough swearing at me as it is and I think my shoulders have shrunk in line with the rest of me 😦
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Greetings my Dear Lord, your worship.
A full gastrectomy must be a real kick in the guts for a man like you.
It is good to hear from you again, your honour.
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And to you too m’boy,
The way I look at it if you’re going to have a gastrectomy you might as well go the whole hog and have a complete one, as for a kick n the guts? It’s a full 6 pointer.
The occassional act of obsequiousness will suffice
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Brian,
if you are swearing at and abusing a TV screen, I’d say you have taken the first step towards returning to your “old loveable obnoxious self”. Ira is still offering Rosaries, for your complete return to form. I thought you looked very well considering, when we meet for coffee the other Sunday.
Neill.
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Thanks Neill, but I’m starting to wonder if all Ira’s good work is what’s holding up my speedy recovery, perhaps her sainted great aunt twice removed s waiting for me to come over to the dark side 😈
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Hello! So glad to see you back at the typewriter, if only for a brief moment. (Yes I know nobody but odd ones like me use a typewriter anymore, but I dislike much of modern vocabulary and prefer typewriter to computer keyboard and such.)
I have sent up wishes for your quick, complete recovery. Keep healing. You are needed back!
I’m thinking of just letting my blog go. I don’t know what one does with a dead blog… It’s never been about anything really, except my pompous thoughts of myself as a predestined genius. HA!!!
Again so good to hear your voice.
…Pamela
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Hello to you too Pamela; it will be better when I can get back and churn out more of my codswallop. I have a load of it rolling around inside my head just waiting to get out.
You need to keep writing your posts/essays too Pamela don’t worry whether it’s about your pompous thoughts as you put it, I’ll wager better than 99% of all blogs come under that heading, I know mine do so chin up backs to the wall and start typing. 🙄
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Well it is good to hear from you! As you know, my brother had similar surgery and even though he is a good ten years younger he was lethargic for a long time, and also had a good dose of post op blues. The only time I will be sure he is truly over it will be when he goes out to buy an old used car and calls it an investment. So far I don’t even seeing him cruising the car yards, but he is getting out an about a bit more often and has started to regain a little weight, and is looking healthy. That’s eighteen months down the track now. So, easy does it, and don’t expect too much of yourself. All the best to you.
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Thanks Gwen, yes it’s the lethergy that gets to you after such an op, not that I wasn’t lethargic before 🙂 There are some days when I’m on a real high and the next the drop but I was warned about it so I’m handling it with no worries at present, but at 80 I’m getting impatient to get up a full head of steam again.
By the bye Congratulations on your book launch it must have been an excting exhilarating day for you.
Cheer Brian
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I can empathize with the lethargy. Such an effort to do much of anything. Including, apparently, keeping up with my reading, since once again I’m days late seeing this post. At least you found the energy to write something. More than I’ve done for the last week. There’s just not a lot of food for thought on the idiot box these days.
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How strange, I have justed started writing a new post and called it “Lethargy and me” and up pops a comment from you on that very subject, it must be a good omen but what the post will finish up like is anybody’s guess.
There seems to be a lot of food for thought on my idiot box trouble is it encourags obesity.
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Funny you should mention that. Practically the only thing I enjoy on the idiot box is all the food and cooking shows — an exquisite sort of self torture since my appetite is nil and most anything I eat tastes weird.
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I must admit to watching cooking shows too, a form of self torture as you so rightly point out, I empathize and understand completely with what you are going through. What annoys me is the family tucking into their meals with great relish assuring me that the sympthize and know what I’m going through when in fact they wouldn’t have a clue.
I enjoy pretty well nothing now, and the amout that I devour would not satisfy a four year old.
My worse torture is having a pseudo stomach that seems to be cryng out for food all day everyday.
How’s you chemo going? I thank my lucky stars that I don’t have that to go through, I think I’d throw in the towel!
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I don’t know which is worse, a stomach crying for food all the time or one that must be fed even though it isn’t hungry. I had my last big chemo treatment last week, so now it will be mostly a matter of trying to regain strength and energy. I’m certainly glad to have it behind me, but now I’m (not) looking forward to radiation treatment. There are times when that towel you mention looks really tempting …
Looks like we’re both going to get through it all, one way or another. Take care of yourself.
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You seem to be taking a considerably larger amount of punishment then I was to, at least my operation when over was finished ad done with just the slow recovery process, but chemo then radiation, you certainly got the trifecta for which I do not envy you one bit.
Tomorrow I have the tube/pipe that’s been hanging outside where my stomach used to be for the past 2 months or so, comes out after which I’m expecting a faster road to full steam ahead.
You take care as well and I hope the radiation goes well and is finished sooner rather than later, chin up as we English are wont to say 🙂
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Thanks for the information about Sir Oliver.
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It’s a common mistake, I think you need to be an odd Englishman/woman to worry about such stuff, we are inclined to take it very seriously. Our Yankee cousins butcher it entirely, but I’m thinking you are probably Canadian and like Australia where I am have done away with what is known as the Imperial Honours List.
Trust you didn’t take offence at my comment it was kindly meant.
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I am French-Canadian and I was not offended at all.
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I hope your presence on the internet means you are doing better. I am so sorry for your troubles — not so much the health issues but being reduced to watching the idiot box. Yikes. That’s enough to make anyone want to throw in the trowel. (Trowel for burying crap, rather than towel for . . . whatever.)
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My progress healthwise is moving along very slowly, I was warned about this but it doesn’t make it anymore the enjoyable, and I have another few months before getting anywhere near normal whatever my normal is.
As for the idiot box it will probably send me to the nut house especially as I appear to be enjoying some of the vacuous rubbish that I’m becoming addicted to. I doubt a trowel will be big enough to bury the garbage I watch 🙄
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I clicked “like” for lack of anything more sympathetic to do/say. I hope you get back to normal soon.
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I think we all do that at times Pat 🙂
As do I Pat as do I when it comes to getting back to normal/
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. . . so, the rumors are true; at some time or other you were normal.
Who’d it thunk it!
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It’s a bit hard to believe I know but there are some thunkers out there who will vouchsafe for the veracity of the aforesaid statements regarding the normality of said self
Hows that for a good dose of verbal dairrhoea, and pedantic nonsense? Bet even you can’t top that load of codswallop ej 🙄
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Lo, forsooth I postulate a more facile clamber up the supposititious Olympus than welcoming the notion of Lord’s normalcy, for indubitably them who thunk him so may themselves raise dubiety as to their wits.
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You did!
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