Well good evening friends, I know a lot of water has gone over the dam since my last posting. I guess I have just had a lazy streak, but it’s over now and get ready for some real intelligent monologue. Big words for a dumb ole country boy like me.

Let me bring you up to date, WOW some awesome adventures. OK the last posting was a kinda lame so forget most of it and here goes the update.

We had to go down to Charleston Monday evening October 13 to be there for an am appointment on the 14th– pre-opt. I drove and my darling wife was so sick she even wore a mask for the next 4 days, ain’t she sweet; she finally is feeling better today. I arrived at the office and tried something this country boy ain’t never done, I used the valet parking, it was a little price but it was worth a try. Parking at the Hollings Cancer Center, where my doctor’s office is located, no I don’t have cancer and just have not mentioned it to you. The young man held the door open for me and gave me a tag, figured out that was how I got the van back, I did not lose it. I wondered on up to the office, signed in and sat for a while. The nosey nurse, you know the one who ask you a bunch of questions and still weights you just in case you lied, called me back and I passed all the questions. Passing that test won me a prize, that was an ECG, of course it was a 12 led meaning a whole bunch of sticky stuff all over my chest and 12 hairless spots. The NP then came in and asks some more questions, you know the same question just in a different order, but yet again I passed. That then brought the doctor in and we chit chat for a while then he went off in some other language, pointing at the paper and telling how dangerous this surgery could be and if things went bad what my chances of survival was, I sat there with my mouth open nodding up and down and signed where the X was, I did and it was over. He really did explain it where I could understand it and the parts I could not understand I just stopped listening, I signed the paper and we was all happy. He then wanted blood work, that was just down the hall to the vampires and he also wanted a CAT scan. I went and got stabbed by a sweet lady whom I did not know and then they sent me to the new hospital. OK they just pushed the limit because I have never been to the new hospital. I gave my piece of paper to the young man out front and he took off and in just moments he was there with my van door open. I did not want to look dumb, I know hard for me, but I was not sure if I should tip or not, so I reached in my pocket and got a fist full of lint and other pocket jewels. I looked at my findings and decided that it was just not worth giving up so I found a couple of dollar and gave him instead. I was off in a cloud of dust to the Ashley River Tower Hospital. I found the front with no parking but offered valet parking for $6.00 I thought ain’t no way so I left looking for the parking garage. Well I found it and entered that was an adventure for quite some time I got hung up on the 3rd level going round and round, every sign I saw was one way and that was not the way I was going. I finally just stopped and got out, I found the elevator and another sign that said ART, I was wondering who was ART. I walked on the elevator and I was the only one on there and the elevator talked to me and you know what was worst than that I talked back. I enjoyed talking to the elevator so much I got off on the wrong floor and had to talk some more. I wobbled in the hospital following instructions and got signed in and waited for them to find the cat. Once this was over I was tired so I just sat a spell in one of them big halls full of glass. People thought I was weird while I was a sitting there they should have seen me in the elevator.

I went back to the motel and sat some more and Daddy & Deda came on down so we all went to Hyman’s and boy did I eat some good ole grubs. We had a very enjoyable evening but had to retire early due to the 0515hrs arrival time at the hospital.

We got up about 0400hrs and off to the hospital we went, they signed me in and before I eve got to sit down they carried me back. In minutes I did not have nothing on but a smile and a gown, sorry for that visual. Preacher Mike, Claire and Abigail came back for a short while, then they let Daddy & Deda come back. The nurse did a little doodling on my left side and a doctor came in that said he was going to start a line. He did but you know I missed that rascal when he shot the juice to me because the next thing I knew I was a sleeping good and here are people wanting to wake me up just to fuss at me. They then brought the gang back, probably just to get them out of the waiting room.

The doctor said everything went well and we would have to see what happens. I had an IV, another set of wire all over my chest in new spots, a foley catheter and a hose pipe coming out of my chest but the doctor said everything was fine, well it did not look fine but what could I do or say. Claire spent the night with me at the hospital Wednesday night but it was a rough night. Each day since then has gotten better and as of right now the VATS with talc pleurodesis has worked. I have no tubes hanging out of me, praise God. I have to go back in two weeks for a check up, the doctor said it would be up to 6 weeks before we would know for sure if it worked. I have had some bad days but I have not had to take pain medication for the past three days. I want to thank every one for the prayers, phone calls & visits.

The posting is in dedication of my donor, Shawn Bissell and in honor of his family. May God bless them and I thank God for these Christian people and you know had these precious people had not decided to Donated Life to me, I would not be writing in this post tonight. Shawn as the newspaper described a gentle fall, God rest his soul and I pray that God will be glorified and I pray that one day I can tell them Thank You, face to face. I have had an awesome week because I received a letter from Shawn’s sister. I have lots to learn and to tell you about my new extended family. Thank You and God Bless You. God Is Great All The Time.

God Bless You,

Pel