As some of you know, one week after the April Surratt Conference, I ended up in the ER and finally had emergency surgery after the doctors delayed a tad too long (5 days), resulting in gangrene. I just have to add that, when you are wheeled into the OR at midnight, with no other patients anywhere around, you really do expect to see vampires or the grim reaper.

After two weeks in the hospital and the past two months on medical leave from Surratt House, I have finally been cleared to return to work this week. I am still under the care of three separate doctors - all of whom are cute - but we'll get the final issues solved, I'm sure. For someone who has worked since age 14, staying at home has been a bit boring.

That said, the purpose of this posting is to send a rousing THANK YOU to Roger and the members of this forum who have kept my brain (and long-distance mouth) active for these past two months. Without the benefit of spending hours each day on this site, I would be checking into the mental ward next (and I know some of you think I should be there anyway). Sorry if I ruffled liberal feathers along the way, but I am now a very vocal senior citizen who has come to realize that if I don't express my opinions now, I probably won't have the opportunity shortly.

Anyhow, to everyone, thank you, and to those who did know of my medical problems, thank you for the flowers, cards, and emails that you have sent me over those long two months. This is a great group of people, and long may this forum live.

Oh, Laurie, I'm so sorry, I didn't know! And so glad to hear you're on the mend!

(07-03-2018 10:27 PM)Dawn E Foster Wrote:  And so glad to hear you're on the mend!

I second Dawn, and please accept all of our heartiest congratulations on your recovery!

Oh, Laurie!!!! I didn't know. I am so happy to know that you are finally on the mend, however. I know how difficult it can be, when you are sick and feel like you have lost touch with everything that is going on. I love it that you are expressing your opinions!!! Keep it up!!! It doesn't matter whether your a "liberal" or a "conservative" or a little bit of both, you don't have to be a senior to express your opinions! I am glad that you are speaking out! I am keeping you in my prayers and a special place in my heart. Please take care and continue to recover.

(07-04-2018 09:51 AM)Gencor Wrote:  Oh, Laurie!!!! I didn't know. I am so happy to know that you are finally on the mend, however. I know how difficult it can be, when you are sick and feel like you have lost touch with everything that is going on. I love it that you are expressing your opinions!!! Keep it up!!! It doesn't matter whether your a "liberal" or a "conservative" or a little bit of both, you don't have to be a senior to express your opinions! I am glad that you are speaking out! I am keeping you in my prayers and a special place in my heart. Please take care and continue to recover.

There used to be a saying that when one is twenty and a liberal, it means they have a heart; but when one becomes forty and now is a conservative, it means they have a brain.

I used to count myself as a moderate, with a little bit of both heart and brains, but modern politics and society make it very hard for my heart to accept a lot of what is going on. I prefer to trust my brains and common sense in this day and age.

Love that saying, Laurie! Fits me to a "T"...I, too was a liberal in my youth - but now.....!

Laurie, I had no idea either, what you had been through. I'm so glad that you are feeling better and will be okay. It sounds like it was really serious stuff.

So glad you are getting back to normal, Laurie! We've missed you at Surratt House!

(07-04-2018 10:38 AM)L Verge Wrote:  There used to be a saying that when one is twenty and a liberal, it means they have a heart; but when one becomes forty and now is a conservative, it means they have a brain.

What they don't tell you is that when you turn sixty, you get more heartburn and headaches.

Glad you are so much better!

Laurie, so glad your are back to work. Hopefully, everything is completely healed, but if you need to keep visiting those cute doctors, I am sure they will understand.

Years ago, my mother had an extremely handsome doctor when she was in the hospital. She commented that she was so glad he was performing her surgery. If she had to have an operation, she wanted someone worth looking at standing there when she opened her eyes. Since my dad could not be in the recovery room with her, a good looking doctor was much appreciated.

Donna - Your mother and I would have gotten along just fine!

I did make it to work by 8:30, but by 3 pm, I was so tired that I couldn't wait to leave. I managed to stick it out until 4:15 and almost fell asleep at the wheel. To top everything off, this medical stuff has brought me the "pleasures" of enduring gout from time to time. Gout is a form of arthritis, which I have a good case of, and it is triggered by certain foods that produce purines - tiny crystals that form in your joints (usually the big toe or other joints related to the foot) and hurt like heck. BTW, those nutritionists lie when they tell you to ear fresh vegetables and fruits. With my condition so far, those tear me apart!

I managed to get my shoe on this morning, but the foot had swollen so badly by the time I got home that I thought it would take a crowbar to get that shoe off.

Stick with me folks; pretty soon I should have my first year of med school completed just by going through all this. I'll share my findings free of charge.

(07-05-2018 07:26 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Donna - Your mother and I would have gotten along just fine!

I did make it to work by 8:30, but by 3 pm, I was so tired that I couldn't wait to leave. I managed to stick it out until 4:15 and almost fell asleep at the wheel. To top everything off, this medical stuff has brought me the "pleasures" of enduring gout from time to time. Gout is a form of arthritis, which I have a good case of, and it is triggered by certain foods that produce purines - tiny crystals that form in your joints (usually the big toe or other joints related to the foot) and hurt like heck. BTW, those nutritionists lie when they tell you to ear fresh vegetables and fruits. With my condition so far, those tear me apart!

I managed to get my shoe on this morning, but the foot had swollen so badly by the time I got home that I thought it would take a crowbar to get that shoe off.

Stick with me folks; pretty soon I should have my first year of med school completed just by going through all this. I'll share my findings free of charge.

Laurie, your post reminded me of the old Sherlock Holmes movie "Dressed to Kill" with Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone that I saw early last Sunday morning.

It was at the point in the movie that Dr. Watson provided accidentally the identifying clue that permitted Holmes to solve the mystery of who Dr. S. was in the missing portion of a three music box message.

By Dr. Watson mentioning Dr. Samuel Johnson, Holmes was able to determine the correct answer and was able to get to the prize in Dr. Johnson's museum home before Mrs. Courtney and her criminal accomplices were able to get there. Of course, the theatrics of the capture had Sherlock Holmes taking on the role and disguise of a visitor guide, presenting obscure facts and answering questions about Dr. Samuel Johnson's life to the tour group as only the extensively knowledgeable Sherlock Holmes can do.

Now that I have set the stage, here is the conversational tie to your post which I found by Googling "Dressed to Kill" movie transcript:

Holmes in tour guide role: "On this table Doctor Johnson's cat Hodge used to sleep while his master worked. But the strange thing about this cat, ladies and gentlemen, was its love of oysters.They do say that the dear Doctor often went hungry to find the cat that delicacy."

Woman tour member: "What a pity."

Sherlock Holmes: "Now we will visit the bedroom,which is immediately below us in which you will see the very bed in which Doctor Johnson died.

Same woman tour member: "What did he die of?"

Sherlock Holmes: "Gout. Just gout."

This is near the end of the movie when Sherlock Holmes came back up stairs to capture Mrs. Courtney and her accomplices just after they had located the duplicate set of five pound note plates, on the third shelf of Dr. Johnson's bookcase, that would have led to financial chaos and ruin for England without Holmes' intervention.

P.S. I cannot recall seeing in this movie the photograph of Abraham Lincoln on the wall of the apartment at 221-B, Baker Street. Roger, posted the Lincoln photograph in an earlier posting from a different Sherlock Holmes movie.

P.S. I have had gout in my right big toe on a number of occasions, like you. It's like having shards of glass in your veins and it lasts for days at a time. Not enjoyable.

(07-06-2018 01:07 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  

(07-05-2018 07:26 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Donna - Your mother and I would have gotten along just fine!

I did make it to work by 8:30, but by 3 pm, I was so tired that I couldn't wait to leave. I managed to stick it out until 4:15 and almost fell asleep at the wheel. To top everything off, this medical stuff has brought me the "pleasures" of enduring gout from time to time. Gout is a form of arthritis, which I have a good case of, and it is triggered by certain foods that produce purines - tiny crystals that form in your joints (usually the big toe or other joints related to the foot) and hurt like heck. BTW, those nutritionists lie when they tell you to ear fresh vegetables and fruits. With my condition so far, those tear me apart!

I managed to get my shoe on this morning, but the foot had swollen so badly by the time I got home that I thought it would take a crowbar to get that shoe off.

Stick with me folks; pretty soon I should have my first year of med school completed just by going through all this. I'll share my findings free of charge.

Laurie, your post reminded me of the old Sherlock Holmes movie "Dressed to Kill" with Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone that I saw early last Sunday morning.

It was at the point in the movie that Dr. Watson provided accidentally the identifying clue that permitted Holmes to solve the mystery of who Dr. S. was in the missing portion of a three music box message.

By Dr. Watson mentioning Dr. Samuel Johnson, Holmes was able to determine the correct answer and was able to get to the prize in Dr. Johnson's museum home before Mrs. Courtney and her criminal accomplices were able to get there. Of course, the theatrics of the capture had Sherlock Holmes taking on the role and disguise of a visitor guide, presenting obscure facts and answering questions about Dr. Samuel Johnson's life to the tour group as only the extensively knowledgeable Sherlock Holmes can do.

Now that I have set the stage, here is the conversational tie to your post which I found by Googling "Dressed to Kill" movie transcript:

Holmes in tour guide role: "On this table Doctor Johnson's cat Hodge used to sleep while his master worked. But the strange thing about this cat, ladies and gentlemen, was its love of oysters.They do say that the dear Doctor often went hungry to find the cat that delicacy."

Woman tour member: "What a pity."

Sherlock Holmes: "Now we will visit the bedroom,which is immediately below us in which you will see the very bed in which Doctor Johnson died.

Same woman tour member: "What did he die of?"

Sherlock Holmes: "Gout. Just gout."

This is near the end of the movie when Sherlock Holmes came back up stairs to capture Mrs. Courtney and her accomplices just after they had located the duplicate set of five pound note plates, on the third shelf of Dr. Johnson's bookcase, that would have led to financial chaos and ruin for England without Holmes' intervention.

P.S. I cannot recall seeing in this movie the photograph of Abraham Lincoln on the wall of the apartment at 221-B, Baker Street. Roger, posted the Lincoln photograph in an earlier posting from a different Sherlock Holmes movie.

P.S. I have had gout in my right big toe on a number of occasions, like you. It's like having shards of glass in your veins and it lasts for days at a time. Not enjoyable.

Thanks for posting this, David. I always thought that folks got gout from too much booze and rich food. Not in my case, but if I'm going to have this painful thing, I might as well disobey all orders and have my Jack and Ginger and fancy food (lol).