Good News from the Doctor

The tree at the Steamboat Inn in Paradise, PA Christmas 2009.

Who would have guessed that at 56 years old I would be a poster child?  That is what the doctor said to me today -- that I was the poster child for hiatal hernia surgery.  She said it was one of the easiest she had ever done and I am recovering remarkably well.


The first doctor I saw was one of the residents -- a Doctor Richards -- who removed the final two steri-strips.  The skin on my stomach is in bad shape, but hurts a lot less now.  I think a lot of the pain was coming from my adhesive allergy.  There is still some pain left, but it's better.


Dr. Chojnacki was very pleased with my progress.  I asked if I could up my diet a bit from pureed food.  She said that I should avoid crusty bread, things like chips and popcorn (crispy things) and meat.  Other than that, if I could tolerate it and it didn't get stuck in my esophagus I could eat it.  My throat and stomach are still swollen and it will take about another 9 weeks to go back to normal size.  She even said I could have a piece of cake for my birthday.  In fact she said I deserved it.  That's nice.  She thinks a lot of the progress I've made is because I followed their instructions exactly.  I guess a lot of people cheat.  All right I cheated only once, but was very sorry afterwards.  I guess once in three weeks is better than most.


So Christmas, my birthday and New Year's Eve is looking a little brighter for me food wise.  I never thought much about food until I couldn't have it.  Now I look up new recipes and think up new ideas for things that I can eat.  We always want what we can't have.  Human beings are a strange entity.