I'm gutted, again :-(

Back on the 5th, I told you about my operation to remove a troublesome section of my gut. Unfortunately, the OP didn't completely fix the problem and I was deteriorating rapidly. So we pulled the ripcord and I went back into hospital for a second OP, this time a reversible sigmoid colostomy.

This appears to have fixed the problem for now, so after a fortnight of antibiotics etc I'm just now home again to recover. Hopefully this fix works and in 6 months time I can get another OP to reverse the colostomy :-) Meanwhile, if people call me an asshole, I can say "1 asshole? I've got 2 ;-)"

Meanwhile, Hattie has more severe health problems, lung cancer, so stop by her blog and spread some sympathy!

Blogging will be light here over the next 6+ weeks...

Addendum Feb 5th: Thanks to all the bikers, blogreaders, cachers, friends and the just-plain-curious who all visited me in hospital. Thanks also to all the blogreading well-wishers who mailed/whatsapped me too. Much appreciated.

Copyright ^© Ole Phat Stu on January 31, 2017 permalink Comments Email

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TOO! MANY!! EXCLAMATION!!! MARKS!!!!

Enfolded within my weekly magazine yesterday were some of those awful advertising leaflets. You know the kind : ALLCAPS, garish colours and far! too!! many!!! exclamation!!!! marks!!!!!

Why advertising people think I'm more likely to buy their crap if it is overemphasized by the use of superfluous exclamation marks, I do not know. Here are examples from just one flyer, yesterday.

Into the New Year!!

Save up to 66% with our coupons!!!

Valid from 2nd January!

More Information overleaf!!!

Valid from 15th January thru 12th February!! (sic, see 2 lines above)

Not combinable with other offers!!!

Valid until 28th February!(sic, see 2 lines above)

Photo similar!! etc. etc.

None of these exclamation marks are needed. They add NOTHING to the message being conveyed; they merely serve to annoy customers like me. Dear ad-agencies, I've told you maybe a million times : DO NOT exaggerate!!!!!!!

Comments (1)
Cop Car (USA) wrote " You are so right, Stu!!!!"

Copyright ^© Ole Phat Stu on January 9, 2017 permalink Comments Email

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I'm gutted :-)

One of the advantages of being an Atheist in a predominantly Catholic area, is that I could get a hospital bed over the 12 days of Xmas when all the believers try to be at home, illnesses permitting :-)

And so it came to pass that on 23/12 I was operated upon by the talented Dr.Diller who removed the bad section of my gut (about 10 inches) which had been playing up since the end of october. The photo below shows a xmas day photo as I start my recovery, very weak but confident all will be OK.

Now I've just got home again, stitches removed monday, and am making slow but steady progress :-) Of course, I am limited as to what (soft) foods I can eat : no fry-ups or steaks before Easter and no heavy lifting :-( But all is going as expected, so I'd like to thank Dr.Diller here for her excellent performance. I'm part of the 97% success-rate for these OPs. :-)

On the downside, it'll be April before I can ride my motorcycle again, and then only accompanied (until July), because should I drop it, someone else will have to pick it up for me (no heavy lifting until the stomach muscles are strong again).

In response to UK blog-reader Barbara's question : The initials AFK under the previous december post are not the photographer ; AFK is an acronym for "Away From Keyboard" :-) Posting may be light for a few weeks.

Comments (6)
John (USA) wrote " I've been thinking of you since your last post (late December) and as you've not missed posting for so many days in the few years I've read your site, a bit of worry had set in. Glad to hear that you're still able to "sit up and take nourishment" as my grandfather used to say. I send my best wishes for a rapid and complete recovery." Thankyou, John, for your wishes :-)
Cop Car (USA) wrote " When I read your "AFK", I pictured you and a bud or two out on your bikes making another tour. That kept me thinking happy thoughts of you for the interim. Gee! Had it been so! I am sorry that you weren't out gadding about; but, so happy for you that you got your plumbing work done. If you need any heavy lifting, give me a ring and I'll be right there. Oh, yeah, in 16 hours or so. Do mind your physicians cautions. I don't want to read that your lamentations over injury received through lack of heed. Heal, quickly, friend! May your next AFK be for something enjoyable!" Thanks for your best wishes; most thought I'd been sliding down hills on pieces of wood (but I no longer own that kind of skeleton ;-)
Doug (Canada) informs me that while I was in hospital " The One True Church strikes again. Hope all is well with you and Frohes neues Jahr für Sie und Ihre Frau." That doesn't surprise me at all; up to par for the OTC.
Gerald (D) wrote " I read about your hospital stay including operation in your blog: I hope for your speedy and full recovery. Still it will take some time: Be patient and clever about it! Best wishes for New Year 2017." Thanks Gerald; New Years greetings to Sabine too.
Schorsch and the Diemelsee gang(D) sent best wishes and a link showing a prototype of a Honda bike that stay's upright on its own! Doug (Canada) sent a similar link.
Hattie (Hawaii) wrote "Just finding out about your surgery. I think you look better after major surgery than most people do when they are well and up and about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get completely well soon!" Thankyou; I just hope all those exclamation marks were a sly comment as a result of reading thursday's blogpost ;-)

Copyright ^© Ole Phat Stu on January 5, 2017 permalink Comments Email

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