Lubbock In My Rear View Mirror

It is ten twenty tuesday morning, 26 degrees out this morning, breakfast is consumed, google searches made, pogo played,XM blasting on the internet, country classics playing soothing sounds of my promised land. Some phone calls made.
National Weather promised rain, it came in the form of snow, started yesterday morning, got hard for a while, but still just a trace, more cold than wet.I am recovering from hernia surgery from last thursday, called Dr.yesterday, wanted to know if he had any objection to me driving to Denver , sounded like a motorboat on the other end,they still havent called back, makes me wonder , maybe he and my urologist should talk, or maybe they have, I can get more out of him in person, My Urologist thinks i am scarey, or maybe just crazy, either will work.I rode to new mexico in a month from radical prostate surgery, you would think that in 5 days i could drive to denver from a little hernia surgery.The gas they fill you up with for laproscopic surgery is the worst part of it, it has a lasting effect, usually for 5 days or so, very uncomfortable, once past that you are home free or at least i have been the last two times i had it.
I was told i had prostate cancer early last summer,with a friend's help and support, i found a very competent urologist in Lubbock, that performed the laproscopic robotic procedure, you will find that knowlege is the best weapon combating this disease, knowlege and a very positive attitude.
Every one is different, but few men will escape the tribulations of having to be checked for this problem, dont put it off, we never had a family history of prostate cancer in our family, so when the time comes, make sure you take care of you. Get the yearly DRE and PSA, it can only save your life, I was very lucky , You see God still looks out for fools and goldwingriders, and maybe not in that order.A very personal friend contracted it the year before, i wasnt far behind, but if you are faced with it, meet it head on, on your terms, Learn all you can,find a procedure that fits the way you feel, and the way you feel about your self, Your partner and mate will want to be a part of those decision making processes, it affects them as well if you have an ameciable relationship.If not you may find your self riding in Montana and Wyoming for a couple of weeks.
Fortunately, my bike is my therapy, when i got back to Denver, i was pretty sure what I needed to do, but at that point hadn't found the machine or Dr. I needed, but that information was forthcomeing too, just wasnt aware of it at the time.
I get really impatient some times, things don't go my way or the pace isnt fast enough , sometimes for good reasons,God is better than the A team, some times the players dont get the drift and he has to nudge them in the right direction, in my case, He may use a sledge hammer from time to time, but in time i usually get the drift.
I never realized how much water my cell phone could tolerate, on the way to colorado from Dallas i got caught in a terrible rainstorm in western kansas, Stood in the rain under a underpass for over an hour, when i finally reached civilazation again stopped in a burger joint first town i came too, may have been an A&W took phone apart, and dried every thingout, used part of a packet of napkins out of the holder to accomplish my mission , didn't realize they could hold that much water, after an hour the keyboard came back to life, but i didnt think the LCD would make it, sighed and close it all up , back in holster and back on bike, to finish my trip to denver.
when i go to aurora, in the garage and off bike, i offloaded every thing i needed and went to bed,
got a pleasant surprise the next morning, lcd was back and operational, figured it would be doa, and would probably have to exchange it some time that morning , if i could find a cingular dealer that would honor my warranty plan.
At my age, i realize that i can no longer put things up in a safe place, they will be gone forever, since the surgery's have started, i have to date put up a very good knife, and my blue tooth head piece neither have been seen again, also if you fine my green and white shirt jacket, i would be eternally grateful to get it back, but will still purchase another one today or tomorrow, as that is not likely, may be in the same place all my socks go,I can keep hanes in production at the pace i lose socks, i get a personal christmas card from them now, and expect to be on a first name basis by this time next year.
One more thing on the prostate cancer, keep checking on it, do the yearly exams, and psa with out fail, they are finding new things out daily and any one of them can save you life, even if you have to have the surgery, you will find, the people closest to you will want you there breathing, living , regardless of what you lost or percieved you have lost , there are certain things that change for ever, just figure out in your heart and mind, how you need to proceed, and dont forget to ask for help, your loved ones will do any thing they can, if given a chance, to help, friends are especially important here, you will need lots of support before, during and after.
Don't be afraid to sign up for a support group, they are there and available, you have to find and join them, lots of very good resources here, if not more than reading what is said, you have to find what works for you.but remember, smile, makes them wonder what you are up to.