So, when I say “I got yelled at for…” I don’t mean actually yelled at. I mean that I was told why I should stop doing something I am doing, or why it is important that I start doing something that I’m not doing. As in “I got yelled at for not doing my rehab exercises because if I don’t I’ll never have full range of motion again in that shoulder.” That sort of thing.  Of course, I didn’t really get yelled at, but I was exhorted in such a way as to actually change my behavior which, ironically, is not something that actual yelling would accomplish. So, I got yelled at this morning.

Well, no, not even “yelled at” but D did raise an issue about medical awareness that my have resulted in me changing my thinking about what I’m (not) doing and therefore sort of feels like I got yelled at. But I didn’t.

As anyone who knows me knows, I do not blindly follow authority without good reason. But for some reason I find myself yielding control regarding this very complex, multi-staged operation. Some of it is laziness. Some of it is not wanting to know, not wanting to think about how much residual pain and discomfort there will be and for how long. I know what’s coming is bad, but I don’t want the details on exactly how bad. I will just plow ahead until it is all behind me. 

D is more of a medical skeptic who wants a second opinion on everything and who wants to know what is happening, what is “normal,” and which issues to be aware of. That way she is less likely to be caught off guard or be in the tall grass when an unforeseen event arises and decisions need to be made. Smart woman.

“Or someone close to you” she says. Ah, my escape hatch. Once again finding the lazy way out of my discomfort zone and dumping it on my wife. Nice. My wife who has zero interest in the gory details or the worst case scenarios. My wife who hates hospitals, maybe more than she hates heights. 

Yes, she of the corner office with huge windows, go figure…

[Goes away, does some research, reads procedural descriptions from Sloan Kettering, but then ends up at Youtube…]

Yea, ok, that’s not going to happen. Feel free to talk to me, but actually watching the procedure on Youtube isn’t going to happen. If you want to know more, the thing to search for is Mandibulectomy and Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction.

There. My work here is done and I am moving on. Will keep you posted as things develop.