ThomWV is back...

[CC27]

ThomWV Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list    Sat Nov-19-11 10:44 AM
Original message
I'm back now - and thank you all very much again. (warning - horrible photo attached)
   
This is sort of a personal post; a thanks to all those who wished me well and offered up their thoughts and prayers to me about a week ago when I announced I would be gone for a while because of a medical issue I am having. So really don't expect it to be of much interest to a lot of people and to those who continue to read I want you to understand that as a general statement I'm not the most likable guy you're ever going to run across. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm the nicest guy in the world but there are lots of other folks who think, and maybe deservatively so, pretty much an asshole. I thank them for their thoughts and prayers too.

Now the long version.

I don't believe in prayer at all, but something dam sure worked. I'm not kidding one single bit about this. We walked into a very bad medical situation last week. It was life threatening, immediate, unavoidable. Learned and experienced experts agreed that the set of procedures I was about to undergo might be the end of me. No one was giving me much better than a 50/50 chance of being alive last monday night. The very short version of what I was facing is this. I had developed a tumor growing from the inside of the large vein that returns blood from bottom of the body to the heart. A long section of the vein - which is a little larger in diameter than a typical garden hose - would have to be removed and replaced. A great deal of blood loss was expected and preparations for transfusion had been made. The tumor had grown through of the wall of the vein, extended out to engulf my right Kidney and all of its plumbing. From there it brew down below and around my stomach but more importantly involving my Pancreas and the ductwork from it and my gallbladder to my intestines, which was going to have to be removed and rebuilt.

To do this work I was fortunate to enlist the talents of two of the most capable Surgeons in the country and their staffs. Their skills were going to be tested, and both of them were completely honest about it to me before we began.

As I said earlier this last act in the program began last friday when we (my wife and I) went to the Cleveland Clinic for the last round of testing before the surgery. As bad luck would have it all of the results of the day's testing were not available by the end of the day. The Surgeons could see that the mass had grown, but the quality of the imagery was not such that they could tell with clarity how much or where. Never the less by this time it was clear to all that the right Kidney would be lost and an extremely difficult second procedure was going to be required. We were braced for that news, we had been expecting it all along; it was on our plate as they wheeled me into the room and the universe went dark. The dual-surgery was scheduled for 265 minutes.

Eight hours after the surgery was begun, with all those thoughts and prayers ricocheting around the universe, I was wheeled out of the operating room and into the ICU. A few hours later they moved me to the recovery facilities.

Here is what I can only ascribe to your work on my behalf. When they rolled me into the recovery area I still had both of my kidneys, my entire pancreas, the super-scary procedure to reattach ductwork long ago destroyed proved unnecessary (the second surgical team was dismissed and went on home at the half-way point). The entire tumor was removed, not a speck of it to be found anywhere but in the dump on this fine day, and not a single drop of anyone elses blood was required to accomplish all this.

In short not only had everything gone well, in fact virtually every aspect of this operation went far far better than could have possibly been expected, but that entire portions of it became unnecessary and at its conclusion I am (aside from hellacious pain and discomfort) like the flick of a light from on to off, I am "cancer-free". They got it all, it was all cut away. No chemo is planned, no radiation, no nothing. All I have to do is heal up and get on with my life. We'll be watching my gut like a hawk for the next couple of years, but for now regular checkups are all that is in the plan.

My god, I can not thank you all enough.

And now the very very morbid part. I was not much for wanting to the the gory details of the operation but I had never seen a cancer tumor. I had sort of a picture in my mind of what it might look like but I really didn't know. I sort of mentioned this in passing during a conversation with my main doctor and he asked me if I wanted to see pictures after the operation. What? They could do that? "Sure" he said. So he took a dozen or so photos during the operating including a couple of the tumor all by itself just sitting on the table. I am going to post that picture below. If you want to see what a potentially man-killing tumor looks like you've found your page. Its right below. I'm going to put in enough blank spaces that no one should stumble across this by accident - it it a very ugly thing, just looking at it may make you ill, but if you ever wanted to see one here it is:

The picture is nasty. BTW Thom, with socialist healthcare you would be six feet under right now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2343302

[franksolich]

Okay, best and sincere wishes for a rapid recovery for the mountain man primitive.

One hopes that as soon as he's well, he'll get back to providing top-notch material for the DUmpster.

[commonguymd]

Okay, best and sincere wishes for a rapid recovery for the mountain man primitive.

One hopes that as soon as he's well, he'll get back to providing top-notch material for the DUmpster.

I am concerned that perhaps this was the discovery of the cause of liberalism.  Maybe it's not just a mental disorder after all, and it originates in filthy disgusting tumors that create the mental problems.  Chicken egg thing.  If so, there is a chance he might not provide the great comedic material he once did.  That would be a shame.  To be determined I spose.

[franksolich]

I am concerned that perhaps this was the discovery of the cause of liberalism.  Maybe it's not just a mental disorder after all, and it originates in filthy disgusting tumors that create the mental problems.  Chicken egg thing.  If so, there is a chance he might not provide the great comedic material he once did.  That would be a shame.  To be determined I spose.

Yeah, it would be a shame, because the mountain man primitive's been remarkable in the past, for all the good fodder he gave the DUmpster.

The mountain man primitive's 65-66 years old, drives a great big diesel-consuming pick-up truck across the recreation areas of West Virginia, a college degree in economics, retired from government work somewhere.

A kind of squat, phlegmatic guy, the mountain man primitive is.

One of his big deals is his non-acknowledgement of God; even the bitter old Vermontese cali primitive had to get on his case about it one time.

The mountain man primitive alleges himself to be an atheist, but that's not true.  He fondly and firmly believes in Jack the Father, Bobby the Christ, and Vast Teddy the Holy Ghost.

[commonguymd]

Yeah, it would be a shame, because the mountain man primitive's been remarkable in the past, for all the good fodder he gave the DUmpster.

The mountain man primitive's 65-66 years old, drives a great big diesel-consuming pick-up truck across the recreation areas of West Virginia, a college degree in economics, retired from government work somewhere.

A kind of squat, phlegmatic guy, the mountain man primitive is.

One of his big deals is his non-acknowledgement of God; even the bitter old Vermontese cali primitive had to get on his case about it one time.

The mountain man primitive alleges himself to be an atheist, but that's not true.  He fondly and firmly believes in Jack the Father, Bobby the Christ, and Vast Teddy the Holy Ghost.

Not sure her expertise is in religion.  I was thinking it was more in line with dirty windows and bugs that infest cafes.  So his God's bare a Kennedy aura.  That's unfortunate but I guess everyone needs a higher power to bang drums to, even if mere men.

[franksolich]

Not sure her expertise is in religion.  I was thinking it was more in line with dirty windows and bugs that infest cafes.  So his God's bare a Kennedy aura.  That's unfortunate but I guess everyone needs a higher power to bang drums to, even if mere men.

The mountain man primitive was boasting about how he'd shut up a sister-in-law or something, at a family dinner, when she wanted to say Grace.  It was at her home.

Surprisingly, there were actually some primitives who jumped all over the old grump, and the bitter old Vermontese cali primitive was one of the most vigorous, commenting about his intolerance and selfishness and bad manners.

He'd lit the campfire, expecting accolades (as I myself did, when I saw it lit), but it didn't burn that way.

Sometimes the primitives do surprise.  But usually not.

[commonguymd]

The mountain man primitive was boasting about how he'd shut up a sister-in-law or something, at a family dinner, when she wanted to say Grace.  It was at her home.

Surprisingly, there were actually some primitives who jumped all over the old grump, and the bitter old Vermontese cali primitive was one of the most vigorous, commenting about his intolerance and selfishness and bad manners.

He'd lit the campfire, expecting accolades (as I myself did, when I saw it lit), but it didn't burn that way.

Sometimes the primitives do surprise.  But usually not.

Well, that seems a bit over the top to assume going into someone else's home and disrupting a normal American ritual and routine of religion.  Glad he was put down for it on DU, but Cali is no expert I presume on that subject regardless.

[BattleHymn]

He fondly and firmly believes in Jack the Father, Bobby the Christ, and Vast Teddy the Holy Ghost.

[67 Rover]

The picture is nasty. BTW Thom, with socialist healthcare you and your tumor would be six feet under right now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2343302

Slight tweak.

[franksolich]

Yeah, he does.

I suspect the mountain man primitive even has icons of the dead Kennedys hanging in his house.

[GOBUCKS]

Considering his dental work, I'm surprised the DUmbass didn't operate on himself.
He can go to hell.

[BattleHymn]

Considering his dental work, I'm surprised the DUmbass didn't operate on himself.
He can go to hell.

Is this the guy that pulled his own teeth, or something of that nature? 

[GOBUCKS]

Is this the guy that pulled his own teeth, or something of that nature? 

Yeah, he claims he pulled them all, then threaded them onto a necklace. But he's a DUmp democrat, so 98+% of what he writes is a lie.
That includes all this whiny Cleveland Clinic bullshit.

[BattleHymn]

Yeah, he claims he pulled them all, then threaded them onto a necklace. But he's a DUmp democrat, so 98+% of what he writes is a lie.
That includes all this whiny Cleveland Clinic bullshit.

My wife's biological father pulled all of his own teeth, with a pliers and a bottle of alcohol.  He was also strung out on meth (and I wouldn't be surprised if he was strung out right now on meth, either).

Even he had the common sense to discard the teeth into the garbage when he was done. 

[Paul Heinzman]

The pic of what they cut out of him is damn nasty, and cancer is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, but I couldn't help thinking that DUmmies equate that big, nasty, malignant tumor with an unborn child.

[Rebel]

The mountain man primitive was boasting about how he'd shut up a sister-in-law or something, at a family dinner, when she wanted to say Grace.  It was at her home.

That would be right before he got his sorry ass booted from my home.

[franksolich]

That would be right before he got his sorry ass booted from my home.

Incredibly though, the sister-in-law didn't.

[franksolich]

That would be right before he got his sorry ass booted from my home.

I'm trying to find that thread; it was posted here.

I thought I'd brought it here, but apparently not, or at least I haven't seen it yet.

I keep getting detoured by other rich material the mountain man primitive gave us, including his complaint about imported charcoal.

You know, because of his illness, I had been contemplating exempting the mountain man primitive from the Top DUmmies contest this year, out of compassion, but now having "searched" some of his work, I don't see any reason why he can't be nominated and even selected.

Damn, he's given us a lot of great comedy material.

[Ballygrl]

I'm glad he came through everything OK!

Not nice that he told someone not to Pray before their dinner though, and very rude to do that in someones own home.

[franksolich]

Not nice that he told someone not to Pray before their dinner though, and very rude to do that in someones own home.

"told"?

"told"?

He ripped her to shreds, right at her own table.

That's far more than "told."

I'll find that thread; I'm having intermittent internet outages right at the moment.  The weather.

[Tucker]

I knew he'd be back. I had no doubt what so ever.

[I_B_Perky]

Yeah, it would be a shame, because the mountain man primitive's been remarkable in the past, for all the good fodder he gave the DUmpster.

The mountain man primitive's 65-66 years old, drives a great big diesel-consuming pick-up truck across the recreation areas of West Virginia, a college degree in economics, retired from government work somewhere.

A kind of squat, phlegmatic guy, the mountain man primitive is.

One of his big deals is his non-acknowledgement of God; even the bitter old Vermontese cali primitive had to get on his case about it one time.

The mountain man primitive alleges himself to be an atheist, but that's not true.  He fondly and firmly believes in Jack the Father, Bobby the Christ, and Vast Teddy the Holy Ghost.

Hmmm... I think I know who this guy might be. Sounds like the guy that writes in to our local liberal rag, the Charleston Gazette, from time to time, railing against the evil repubs and how they want everyone to die. If I am correct, he worked for the federal government and then became a state employee, can't remember where now, and then eventually retired.

Now for the questions:
1. If he did work for the state or local government, why does he only have SS to live on? State government retirements are pretty good. 2 percent for every year worked in WV
2. I remember that he said he had investments... that he lost his ass on when Bush supposedly killed the economy, but he only has SS to live on now?
3. If he did work for the state or local government, he had PEIA (public employees insurance agency) supplemental  after going on SS, which is pretty good BTW, so why is he pulling his own teeth?
4. Degree in economics? Might have been a prof at one of the local colleges... which is a good gig if you can get it. So why is he only on SS?

Hey Thommy in WV... why don't you come over here and 'splain it to me Lucy?

BTW... glad you lived. I guess my prayer worked you atheist. 

[franksolich]

The mountain man primitive has a campfire going on over on Skins's island, about the guy in the bed next to him at the hospital, but I didn't feel like bringing it over.

The guy had some sort of really bad kidney condition, and no insurance; was probably going to die within days.

The mountain man primitive went on and on and on about how much work the hospital and others put into getting this guy financial assistance for his medical condition, which they did.  The guy was taken care of.

The mountain man primitive bitched about this, that it's too bad somebody has to go through this ordeal.

I had different thoughts on the matter.

Remember, I was in the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants, living their lives, seeing things up close and first hand.  I saw plenty of people die because their medical needs weren't taken care of because they had no money.

This guy here in America, with no medical insurance, was treated.

I'm starting to suspect that while the mountain man primitive's an old geezer, he really hasn't seen much of the world.

[I_B_Perky]

The mountain man primitive has a campfire going on over on Skins's island, about the guy in the bed next to him at the hospital, but I didn't feel like bringing it over.

The guy had some sort of really bad kidney condition, and no insurance; was probably going to die within days.

The mountain man primitive went on and on and on about how much work the hospital and others put into getting this guy financial assistance for his medical condition, which they did.  The guy was taken care of.

The mountain man primitive bitched about this, that it's too bad somebody has to go through this ordeal.

I had different thoughts on the matter.

Remember, I was in the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants, living their lives, seeing things up close and first hand.  I saw plenty of people die because their medical needs weren't taken care of because they had no money.

This guy here in America, with no medical insurance, was treated.

I'm starting to suspect that while the mountain man primitive's an old geezer, he really hasn't seen much of the world.

I doubt any of what he said is true, Frank. Thommy is just a liar. Kinda like the guy over at the dump with the handle of mrh... who supposedly had a masters in engineering... petroleum I think it was, that lived down in Texas, and just could not seem to get a job in the bad Bush economy. I remember him saying he had been unemployed for 5 years back about 2005. I wish I had screen capped that.

[Ballygrl]

"told"?

"told"?

He ripped her to shreds, right at her own table.

That's far more than "told."

I'll find that thread; I'm having intermittent internet outages right at the moment.  The weather.

That's awful if he did that, I'd love to see that thread.