Latest from xkcd: “Like This One.”
Bonus “Iceland” from xkcd.
Like This One
We Got Rid of the Cow
When mom had her gallbladder surgery, we got rid of the cow. The backstory? We kept one cow on our family farm for milk and dairy. Mom was the primary milker because dad was usually up at 4AM to start his workday either getting ready for market or getting ready to spray fruit trees or maybe just fixing apple crates. My job before school was feeding the hogs. So, when mom went to the hospital, the cow had to go, because a cow has to be milked every single day. No mom, no cow, no fresh milk and butter. Simple, see?
I thought of all this recently as I lay on a gurney in the Skyridge ER waiting for my own emergency gallbladder surgery. On the ceiling above me was this sign, which is timely advice when you are lying flat on your back hooked up to an IV and badly need to go pee.
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The other gallbladder story that came to mind, and perhaps more critical to my fate, was that of my paternal grandfather. He also had this surgery, which is called – for those who care about such things – a “cholecystectomy.” And the preferred muscle relaxer used by anaesthesiologists for a cholecystectomy is called “succinyl choline.” Now as it turned out, my grandfather had a rare recessive genetic mutation known as an “atypical pseudo-cholinesterase” which prevented his body from metabolizing succinyl choline. What all that meant was, after his successful cholecystectomy, he failed to wake up for a very long time. And that’s something hospital administrators tend to frown upon, and anaesthesiologists like to avoid if they can. So, they told all of us grandkids to tell any doc to not use this muscle relaxer for surgery, even though our chances of having inherited the gene was relatively small.
Which I dutifully did. First to the ER doc who admitted me. Then to the surgery resident. Then to the surgeon himself, who said “Be sure to mention this to the anaesthesiologist – who you will meet, just briefly – on your way into surgery.” OK then. First it’s “Be Sure To Call Before You Pee.” Now it’s “Remember To MentionThis One Crucial Detail Before They Knock You Out.” Got it. Thanks, doc. I think.
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The upshot of the story is this: My surgery was successful. I am now at home minus one gallbladder, and on the mend. They used something other than succinyl choline for a muscle relaxer, so I woke up on schedule in the recovery room at 2AM after my 11PM surgery. Oh, and I did get to pee. So, all’s well that ends well. Except for that cow. Because in the end, she really did have to go.
First Day
From the last day of 2023 to the first day of 2024…
…there’s nothing quite like a hike.
Good article on “First Day Hikes” is here. Four of the six listed are go-to places close to home for me. Not to beat a dead horse, but you can read all about them here, here, here, and here. Or better yet, hit the trail yourself. What are you waiting for? Another year? Hey, it’s New Years Day already, so better get moving!
Some of you may already be familiar with Amber Share‘s “Subpar Parks” series of hilarious 1-star National Park reviews. There’s a Colorado-specific version of the same thing here. My favorite?
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: “Went to get a funnel cake well before the end of the concert and was told the concession stand is closed. He sent me across the plaza to another food stand and they said they don’t make funnel cakes and are also closed,” 1 star, Nick M.
Self-Improvement Bonus Wisdom for a New Year.
