Three weeks ago today I had brain surgery. A fortunately benign mass pushing on my left temporal lobe, causing my brain to swell, was removed.
I woke up in the ICU after surgery, and my family was there, waiting for me to wake up, and doing the cross word puzzle in the back of The New Yorker. As soon as I was conscious, I began providing answers. I was very lucky it was found by accident. It could have easily been missed and caused bigger problems later in life. In many ways I've never felt better. The experience has me super aware that there is nothing like living absolutely present in The Big Now.
The only regrettable side effect of my medications is that I wake up in the middle of the night fully awake, thinking about the day. It's 2 AM, and I'm sitting here typing. In about an hour and a half, I'll go back to bed. I don't think the day is ruined, but I'd much rather sleep for a straight 8 hours.
Last year The Avalanches, an Australian electronic duo's 2001 album, "Since I Left You" found me, and this song, and video "Frontier Psychiatrist" cracks me up, and hopefully you, too.
It's pure plunderphonics, and seamlessly assembled.
22 comments:
Oh man - glad you are doing fine. Back in 2009, I fell down a long flight of concrete steps (backwards and head first). Woke up 5 days later in an ICU with a ceramic plate now as part of my skull.
Take care of yourself, amigo.
Get well soon and thanks for everything you do.
best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Wow, that's amazing. The tumor was benign, and you woke up with cognition intact. Brain surgery ain't rocket science, but it's done now on a regular basis with astonishing precision. Something is interfering with your sleep patterns (maybe steroids?), but it sounds like the primary aftereffect is gratitude. Thanks for sharing, and best wishes for your continued wellness!
Sending best wishes from the NE of England. As Warren Zevon said - Enjoy every sandwich! A.
Wow, that is quite a procedure, to say the least. Sending you positive energy as you heal from the surgery.
Wow BBJ - so glad the surgery was successful and the tumor was discovered in time. Wishing you a full/speedy recovery!
Get well soon and hope your recovery is quick.
Great news, if scary! But waking up at 2 am for an hour, being productive and then going back to bed? That's how everyone used to live. It's called second sleep! For some reason I can't post a link, but you can look it up. V interesting. Search for BBC: The Forgotten Medieval Habit of "two sleeps."
@jonder
I just got off the steroids.
Hey BBJ -- Wow!
Glad things are trending the right direction.
I prescribe lots of music!
Get well soon.
I had Brain Surgery last year and am still kicking. Glad you're recovering well
Glad you’re rockin and rollin with your characteristic panache, pal.
Holy cow, that's scary. Glad to hear surgery was a success and wishing you the best in your recovery.
Enjoy every sandwich - Warren Zevon was right (about many things).
Aloha. I didn't know. Glad to hear you're doing ok. Gonna keep the groovy new hairdo?:)
You'll be on the beach in no time. Attitude is everything. I had a friend who had a lemon sized tumor removed from his brain. He didn't experience any symptons till a couple of weeks before the operation (severe headaches). He had bumped his head on an open cupboard door and thought his aches were due to that. His tumor was benign too. I think you're in the clear.
Just out of curiosity, is the surf any good in Massachusetts? Went backpacking in Vermont a couple of years ago. It was pretty psychedelic. Cheers to you and best wishes.
VR
BBJ. glad you're doing better, can't think of a better album to discover than SILY, I have worn out at least three CDs of the US version over the past 22 years, if you like what you have heard, I found the Australian version on discogs as well, it's a slightly different mix because certain samples of the eleventeen thousand the album is made up of were only cleared in Australia, as when they made it, there was no idea of actually releasing it internationally (excellent documentary on the making of on YT, plus the Questlove Supreme podcast episode they were on about a year or so ago they do go into it somewhat), and what could be cleared fir the US/UK changed up some bits just so...there's also a promo CD called The Album, which is basically the holy grail for SILY obsessives, as it has a song that does not exists on any released version (though as I understand it, it was released as the b-side of the megarare Frontier Psychiatrist single) called With My Baby...I found it ripped in flac on Reddit, about as close as I think I'll ever get to actually having it (search on discogs has found NADA in over 5 years)...and it contains all the original cleared and uncleared samples, the patient zero if you will. I could seriously do Desert Island Discs with just SILY. :)
@Frederic Beondo
The copy of "Since I left You" I ordered on discogs is apparently a "promo" CD.
You might be the only person who I would *not* mind losing that particular promo to, but I do have that Zomba Records promo specifically marked, it's still in the wind. Like Sal, I know you're more towards vinyl/physical media, as am I, when it comes to certain music, but if you are interested in the other two versions I mentioned, once you've received yours and become more familiar with it, I'd be glad to drop you my digital copies of them for perusal earwise 👍🏻
@Frederic Beondo
It's a promo, but not THE PROMO. Doesn't really matter it's still great.
Congratulations on pulling through! I've had similar things and lived to tell the tales. Appreciate you.
Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery from dear old Blighty
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