Burying the lead with Gratitude
Hi folks, It's been 12 days now since I was discharged from Swedish Hospital (and a mere 19 since I had a little something like major spinal surgery and additional hardware installed in my body), and I'm still trying to find my bearings, settle on a baseline and process all that's "happened" over this past month.
What I know with absolute certainty, however, is an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the love, support, good vibes and prayers you've shared with my family, friends, surgeons, nurses, Rhythm and me since I first announced my intentions to go through with this serious "roll of the dice" many months ago.
I'm also aware this didn't happen in a vacuum; my life has been infused with love that's allowed me to live fearlessly, take risks, and navigate challenging circumstances with confidence and joy (albeit a little clumsy and painful at times) because of the ever ubiquitous safety net you've helped stretch beneath me.
With all that being said, there is still so much more to unpack and share here on fasterbarnacle — the general as well as the very specific. Most of it will probably be relatable to all, but from time to time I will go into the weeds to share some of the more nuanced minutia surrounding this particular surgery for those living with syringomyelia.
Gratitude was the no-brainer way to begin, as I’m so full of it. Any way I can express it feels just plain awesome and flows freely (unlike other areas at the moment #opiateconstipation #qaudsurgerysideeffects #puffybelly #scilife). I get that beginning the story where I am — despite my claim to be "still processing" could also come across as burying the lead a little, but I assure you this has been a dizzying experience from jump.
So for those who haven't heard, let me bring you up to speed.
After a little hiccup that set me back a week, I had a successful shunt surgery and the untethering was ultimately canceled (more on all of that later). Day by day I feel improvement of some kind. But I'm not going to lie, some days are much heavier and gnarlier than others.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for having my back (too obvious?) this time and always. I can’t imagine going through such a challenging experience without you!
Big love, Tony
