Vern Is On Drogas (Druggzz)

Amigos y Familia,

We flew to San Diego on Sunday morning, arriving at 10:30 a.m. Rented a car and drove to the Travelodge to see if we could check in early. No dice. Desk clerk took our phone number and promised to call when our room was ready. Sooooo we drove to Pacific Beach, parked on the next street over from our favorite digs, the Pacific Terrace Hotel (now pricewise in the stratosphere), and walked 4 miles along the paved Beach Walk.

It was a brisk wind off the Pacific that chilled the flesh despite that fact that some locals breezed by nekkid from the waist up as they skateboarded, roller-bladed, or biked alongside us pitiful walkers. After we did the 2 miles up to the Life Guard Station at Belmont Park, we walked the return trip thru an alley that runs between houses on Mission Blvd and houses on the Beach Walk. It cut down on the icy wind except where the paths to the beach intersected the alley.

Afterward, we headed up to Jasmine Chinese Restaurant for dim sum (Chinese brunch), my first attempt at ingesting such since my surgery. It was quite enjoyable....I was careful to choose shrimp filled delites instead of pork or any other meat, and I peeled off the noodles in which the delites are wrapped. Well, all except some of the pot stickers, which indeed have ground pork in them and yummy fried dough. I also popped a 1-inch-diameter egg custard into the trough. Everything went down well and I was real pleased to have been able to join Vern for the treat.

As we finished our dim sum, the hotel called, and we journeyed back over to La Mesa, the San Diego 'burb in which it is located. Our first room faced the street, and when the front desk clerk phoned about 5 minutes into our unpacking, she asked how we found the accommodations. I expressed my concern about the street noise (trucks, sirens etc.) in light of Vern's impending slaughter. A few minutes later, she phoned and had switched rooms for us for a second floor berth on the back side of the building. We slept like babes in fuzzy blankets.

What a nice gesture. The place is owned by a family of Asian Indians, who are very cordial and maintain an immaculate lodging. Our room rate is 37.99 on week nights and 47.99 for the weekend. For 9 nights, we are paying 371 total. And, Expedia took $50 off that (down to 320) because i put it on their MasterCard. Great deal. We paid 125 per night for a room at the Hilton Garden Inn during my surgery. Granted, we were a stone's throw from the hospital, but the place did not have a free breakfast (Vern paid 12 + tip each morning) and the rooms were comparable in size. Not the newest interior at the Travelodge, but not Dogpatch either.

On Monday, V had to see the doctor for a mini-physical and visit the hospital for pre-admission tests. He had an EKG, blood work, ultrasound and X-ray. It was a lonnnng day becuz the doc was late to arrive to the office, and there were 2 other surgery candidates awaiting the same tests. He passed with flying colors and we left the hospital complex around 4 pm. A raging storm was underway as we departed. V got soaked fetching the car. Becuz of the weather, we opted not to venture downtown to Vincenzo's for Italian. Instead, V's druthers was Barbarella's, a quaint funky bistro in La Jolla Shores that was empty due to the weather. I had French onion soup with extra cheese, and for his last meal, Vern chose the Barbarella-burger and fries. We were outta there by 5:15, and it was a hellacious ride to the hotel in the wind and rain.

At the hotel, Vern then proceeded to gag down a bottle of cherry magnesium citrate, which of course, by its name, infers the effects of magnesium on one's large intestines. He spent the evening shooting flames from his posterior and continued well into the morn. We arose at 4:30 and headed to the cutting room.

I said adios to him at 7:45, by which time he was heading to dreamland and the OR. I waited til 10:15, when the doc and his assistant doc came in and told me he did just fine. Said it was routine and he would be in Recovery for at least 3 hours becuz he has sleep apnea and they need to monitor his oxygen level to be sure he'll heal well.

I headed back to the hotel to do some office work, and when I called Recovery at 1 pm they said he'd be ready to head to the room in 30 minutes. I departed the hotel in yet another hurricanelike storm. There was a tornado watch thru 3:15 pm for the area, and man, the wind was fierce. I hate driving behind SUVs and of course, semis. Could not see a damn thing. Just prayed for safekeeping.

When V was wheeled out of the elevator around 3 pm, he was alert and chatting with his attendants. But after we got him settled in the room, the meds took hold again and he was snoring for the duration of my 1.5 hr visit. Given the crappy weather, I begged his indulgence, saying that I wanted to leave before it got dark (about 5:30 this time of year).

No problem-o. All he feels like doing right now is ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. So here i am sat in the hotel and writing a summary of the surgery for y'all. I'll be heading back manana a.m. and will update u later in the day. If all is well, he will be discharged on Thurs. We'll spend the remainder of the week and weekend here in La Mesa and he will see the doctor next Tuesday to be released to fly home in the afternoon. He's had his last Barbarella-burger for awhile.....sigh.

I didn't mention that our visit included my seeing the doctor as well for my 3 month appointment. I've dropped 60 lb and feel just wonderful. A very good report indeed, even with dim sum in my belly.

Peace to all.
a