Hello Doug (Grey),
I'm very happy that your friend's surgery went so well. My sister had bypass about 12 years ago, plus about 4 angioplasties in that timeframe, and she's still an amazingly active 70 year old grandmother and sports fanatic. She's gone with me 8 times now on my 300-mile drive to Vanderbilt for my followups.
I hope his good recovery has taken some of the stress off you and lessened your worries about him being able to help you out some during your treatments.
You remind me so much of myself in that you have your furry best friend for company. I love the picture of you and Dot. I have two Lhasa Apsos who make me laugh out loud several times a day at their funny little ways. They are 9 years and 13 years old and on many days, they rescue me constantly from my own worries.
I don't know about you, but I find that I have way too much time to think and over-analyze most everything when it comes to my cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Finding this site and having others to share some of my anxieties with has been such a huge help because before there was no one really to talk about it with. My family and friends do not want to hear me say that I have fears about the cancer returning, or that that is even a possibility. They just want to think the surgery fixed everything for good and that's that. That left me feeling very isolated for the six months between surgery and stumbling upon ABCS and these amazing people.
I do hope you stay plugged in with us even if you don't have any questions. Just check in to say hello, or see what funny comments have been posted by some of the regulars. Being able to find a little humor each day is such a saving grace during those times when our world looks humorless. Even "cranky" Mike is a pretty funny guy, and George cracks us up on a regular basis, along with several others. It's a weird place to find fun, but somehow we manage to do that too.
I see lightening out the window so I'd better get off the computer. Give Dot a pat on that cute little head for me!
Catherine