Day Two & Day Three (following): 24 hours after leaving Johns Hopkins Hospital and arriving home I feel pretty darn good about the impending abdominal aneurysm surgery. I have so many aches and pains as a result of these two herniated lumbar that it is good to know there is a major other source to pains. It confirms my description of feeling like my legs, butt, feet were not getting enough oxygen, as when you might cramp up while swimming or in the middle of the night. This is a result of an occlusion the the vessels next to the aneurysm but as long as the doctors say it is eminently" do-able" though in an old-school open surgery, well, I am happy to be rid of the pain. And! I am also happy to be free of a life threatening condition even if it did come a coupl'a years earlier than fore-cast back in `09. If not for the lumbar disks I may have not found out, Ka-boom! in time for anything other than a painful death so there is the relief that forbids me fear...I am safer now than I have been in ...who knows when it developed to this diameter of danger.Soooo, with that good cheer, to me and I print it here to allay the fears others have expressed, I shall bid y'all a very good night's peace, fun, and sleep. Any literary or entertainment suggestions away from the HarborPlace festivities please feel free to commednt them here or post on my wall if they are of the nearby literary sort..., PEACE, BE`WELL and GOOD NIGHT..., Tim

Day Three: So, just as yesterday I spent a lot of time resting because, well, pain is painful and fatiguing, and I had a lot of Hospital time/stress to think over and calm down about. Today I spent much of the day, Midnight - 1:00 p.m. today, also resting/sleeping because the pain/stress/insomnia/dreams kept me up `til 5:00 a.m. Almost e very extra twitch/spasm/ache on my left rib to pelvis side is now become a worry that the aneurysm shall explode or is on its way to leaking. I have been told by the doctors that the pain is excruciating when it goes and to watch for any changes, soooo, are the changes mild before they become excruciating? Hmm, I hope not to find out. I believe I should call my Primary Physician asap Tuesday the 3rd even if I have to buy the coffee and danish. good enough reason for a danish anyway and I do have to pick up medicines right there at the Clinic. If this is read by anyone anytime soon give me a comment on how not to be freaked out. I do NOT suppose that is entirely possible since the extra aches and pains of the two lumbar disks and their concomitant pains are constant and the difference is hard to discern especially while sitting. Sooo, I guess I shall just have to try to be reasonably scared and tolerably patient while attempting to "zen the pains and fears" into a part of everyday existence..., ANY IDEAS...,