I was at the hospital yesterday telling someone AGAIN about you wonderful folks here in The Lounge.

[MiddleFingerMom]

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I started semi-weekly outpatient physical therapy yesterday
for some pretty severe pains in my shoulder where they cut my
pectoral muscle to form a flap to help cushion my split sternum.
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The therapist I'll be working with told me he had worked with
me ONCE in the hospital and I had to admit that I didn't recognize
him (he had had a beard AND my first month or so in the hospital
was pretty much a blur anyways).
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His boss came out to help him with a computer problem and told
me that he remembered me from my stay, even though he never
worked with me -- I had become somewhat legendary because of
the length of my stay and the enormity of my complications and
was known also for being nice to work with and for having such
a positive attitude no matter how many setbacks I had.
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I told him about all the vibes and support and encouragemwent
and laughs and even love that I got from so many of you here --
and how HUGE a role that played in my ABILITY to stay "nice"
and to stay "positive".
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Never doubt the positive effects you folks can have on someone's
situation.
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And though I will never be able to thank you all enough...
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... THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING YOU GAVE AND DID FOR ME!!!
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:grouphug:
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[nolabear]

1. Awwww, schmoopie...

As somebody on M*A*S*H* once said, it's nice to be nice to the nice.

Sorry about the lingering effects. You got pretty much rearranged, didn't you? I guess it makes sense that things would be going "wtf?"

Hang in. And you might want to check and see if you can suddenly do a killer version of "Puttin' on the Ritz"!

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. The therapist's eyes widened some when I showed him my surgical scars.

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When I saw the plastic surgeon several weeks ago who had done my
chest flap surgery back in June, he told me that, if they made me
self-conscious -- they could do some work on reducing the scarring
somewhat.
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I asked him why the hell I would want to do that!!!!
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And told him (I've almost certainly told this in here before) that "if
chicks DIG scars... they're gonna EXCAVATE me!!!"
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That joke never fails me.
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And I LOVE the picture of me in top hat and tails... singing Peter
Boyle's part in "Puttin' On the Ritz".
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I had a reputation for forgetting lyrics onstage -- so that would
be PERFECT!!!!
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[polly7]

2. Having not spent too much time here and not knowing anything really, about

anyone, I'm sorry you've faced what sounds like some pretty serious medical trouble, and am happy you seem to be doing so well. For sure, a good support system means everything when you're down and out. Really glad so many here helped you through it.

[MiddleFingerMom]

13. Open-heart surgery that seemed to work and should have meant 2-3 weeks in the hospital...

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... went south with MAJOR complications -- within a week flatline death and
three days on a respirator to survive... znd almost three full MONTHS or
hospitalization.
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People here rallied and were largely responsible for my being able to stay
positive through the entire ordeal (and there were some times they were
truly NEEDED).
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It was a pretty impressive display of the power and the beauty and
the humanity that run JUST below the surface of this often silly
and "pointless" little oasis. Not just empty bombastic CLAIMS of those
qualities -- but a physical demonstration of them.
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[ohiosmith]

3. Who are you, and what have you done with MiddleFingerMom?

:rofl:

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. That's me in the back with a special message for you to let you know I haven't changed a bit.

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[ohiosmith]

10. Dude! Don't scare me like that.

:scared:

[7wo7rees]

6. Chicks dug Peter Boyle too.

Nice to have you back!

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. M-m-m, Madeline Kahn... better yet -- Frau BLUCHER (horses whinny in fear in the distance). n/t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear MiddleFingerMom!

It has been my privilege and honor to help you, sweetie...

I feel so fortunate that I was able to be there for you...

After all, it's not every day that I meet someone as special as you...

I'm so glad to hear you're doing well.

:hug:

[MiddleFingerMom]

15. My dear CaliforniaPeggy!

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I'm extremely positive and over the years have discovered an
inner source of strength and resolve that have surprised not
only others... but myself. But (and you and Kali would have
been the only ones I let see a little bit of this), around month
two of that ordeal (and setback number what... 10 or 12?),
in the darkest hours of the night, I came close to despairing --
started to get a picture of them just holding on to me with
fingernails as I was slipping away piece by piece -- two steps
forward and THREE steps back. I started wondering whether,
despite their best efforts, whether or not I was just slowly
and inevitably dying. It was the support and energy and
encouragement from you and Kali and everyone involved that
got me through that stage -- otherwise my understandable
negativity might have gotten the best of me and been a
factor in that "slipping away".
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I really believe that I'm alive today not only because of the
physical healthcare I received -- but the mental and emotional
"healthcare" I received from those here in The Lounge.
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You all done good. You all done REAL good.
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[SwampG8r]

9. did you get the

kidney i mailed to you?
its a nice one

[MiddleFingerMom]

12. IT'S TRUE!!!!

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Fava beans and a nice Chianti. MAGNIFI-FUCKING-CENT!!!! Thanks.
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Watch your mailbox for a styrofoam cooler.
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[pacalo]

11. And thank YOU for brightening OUR days.

You make the bus ride so MUCH more fun...

[MiddleFingerMom]

16. Believe me -- it brightens MY days. Good likeness of me driving the bus - 'cept he's not nekkid. n/t

[elleng]

14. And again,

:grouphug:

[MiddleFingerMom]

17. Not just a smilie to me -- I can actually feel that.

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[Old Troop]

18. Thanks, but the other 99% of the staff still plans to murder you.

[MiddleFingerMom]

21. You misunderstood when they said they "want a piece o' him". n/t

[texanwitch]

19. Take care of yoursefl.

Rehab can be fun.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[MiddleFingerMom]

22. Thanks, texanwitch!!!

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Even if it's uncomfortable/painful... getting rid of this MAJOR pain
will be well worth it. They're very nice at the hospital rehab center
(which is different from my outlying rehab center -- this one's in
the hospital itself -- but OUTpatient).
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:hug:
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[applegrove]

20. I'm so glad you are out of that hospital and doing great. The lounge was not the same without you.

(((((MFM)))))

[MiddleFingerMom]

23. Thank you, applegrove!!!

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I was not the same without The Lounge.
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:hug:
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[rurallib]

24. whoa - flatlined?

did you have one of those crossing over experiences? Did you see Jesus or even George Carlin?

Seriously, there was a tension in the air waiting to hear the latest news on you. People were seriously worried.
I actually felt some relief when it was reported you were back home and appeared to be healthy.
Not sure we could stand another couple months like that ourselves.

[MiddleFingerMom]

26. It's funny you should ask about "seeing George Carlin"...

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I wasn't aware of how BAD things had gotten until a month or more after I "died" this time. I pieced it
together bit-by-bit -- often from a chance piece of conversation with some other person who assumed
that I knew how bad things had been.
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Even though post-surgery this time was probably the deepest I had gone toward death (a tamponade --
high mortality rate -- the sac around my heart filled with so much blood that it was unable to keep
beating against all the pressure and the -- unbeknownst to me -- 3-4 days of needing a respirator to
breathe and keep living), it was not the most "cross-over" interesting (though it had nothing to do
with "going toward the light").
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That occurred several years ago when I had gone to the ER because I felt like I was slowly fading/dying
and I couldn't wait the one more day I had to go to my scheduled cardiac specialist's appointment. It
wasn't busy (fortunately) and I was taken back within 5-10 minutes. I had just enough time to put on
an examination gown and had been lying on a table just talking to the doctor for less than a minute when
I started to fade and KNEW I was dying (I was -- my heart was shutting down). The doctor seemed to
be from India or Pakistan and had the calmest voice and the kindest eyes I've ever known. I remember
hearing him say, "We know what's happening. We have you. We will not let you go." His eyes were the
last thing I saw.
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I had always been immensely curious as to how I would react if I were to know beforehand that I was
actually dying. I was VERY worried that I would go all hypocritical and call out for forgiveness and
Jesus and the like -- just to be "safe".
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Well, given how happy I have been and how full my life has been... it doesn't surprise me that my
overwhelming thought was something as simple as a Kurt Vonnegut chapter ending ("and so on").
Myoverwhelming, repetitive-yet-calm thought was, "It's OK. It's OK."
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So it's funny you should mention George Carlin. When I died, I didn't channel Jesus (nor George
Carlin). I'm pretty sure that I channeled Kurt Vonnegut.
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:rofl:
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[tblue]

25. Hey, MFM...

WE LOVE YOU BACK!

[MiddleFingerMom]

27. Hey, tblue...

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