[ref http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/afk-tp4671942.html afk ... ]
While this post does have a whiff of EV stuff to it, it is mostly OT about my medical stuff (so, lets try to not post OT medical responses if possible - and if you are not interested, please delete this message now ... ). I had checked into the VA Hospital yesterday morning, and my big/large mouth had no problem taking in the breathing tube down my windpipe which my anesthesiologist was quite concerned about after seeing on the CAT scan that my left side thyroid goiter (growth) was pushing on my wind pipe, narrowing it and pushing it to the side (I did not notice any of this as I was in no pain, but all the VA doctors were hot to yank the whole thyroid, but got them to back off a bit and only take the left side which was causing the issue). I am really glad I do not remember most of the beginning before they knocked me out. Though my memory isn't as sharp as when I was younger, I can still replay my life experiences a little too well (a good memory did have its upside, when I could remember/visualize in my mind my homework pages I had done the night before when taking a test that day - it let me be an A student). All in all, I awoke doing pretty well, with all the doctors and staff looking at me amazed at how large the goiter was (?). I had a large bandage across my throat (looking something similar to ... ) http://magnoflex.de/media/images/info/7082.jpg Later, in a recovery bed and after most of the anesthesia had worn off, though sore, I found I could talk which is something I was concerned I might lose (it would be hard to talk plugins to the public if I could not speak, etc.) After a night of not sleeping that well (strange place, lots of noises to wake you up, people coming to wake you up to take a blood sample or a bp reading after you had just gotten to sleep, etc.), this morning I got word that I wasn't going to have-to stay the days they had said I would (in comparison to a previous VA ward experience where they did not want to let me go, it was like this ward was anxious to get me out of there ... ?). So, until the release order came though, I had what seemed like anybody and everybody wanting take a look at and or talk to Bruce. At one point a group of ten (doctors and staff) came in (with me nak'd under a sheet covering me up). A lot of 'WOW! that baby was HUGE!' (referring to the chunk they cut out of me). I said with all these people wanting to see me, with a sleepy smile I asked, 'What was it some kind of Guinness record?' (they all laughed at that). The surgeon said no but it was huge. I asked how huge? Meatball size? (partially closing my fingers like I was holding golf ball sized meatball). She said no, more like (holding out her hand like she was holding a large grapefruit). At the end of our crowd chat, I asked if they were going to put it in a medical alcohol jar to gawk and laugh at (they chuckled at that, as they then filed out of my room). Later, the surgeon came by, and she too was quite impressed in its size. So, I suppose it is a good thing it is now out of me. She said my scar would likely not be that bad as they were able to blend the cut along one of the (old-man) folds that was already on my throat (would look something like ... ) http://www.shifrinmd.com/sites/all/images/2-weeks-after-total-thyroidectomy-11-27.jpg At that point I thought to myself, the scar was nothing as I was just glad I could still speak so as to continue doing my EV-cause EVanglizing (i.e: talking to the public, etc.). As it turned out, later one of the several people that came by to talk to me was a mature RN, that I got express my joy that I could still speak and mentioned the EV-cause efforts I had been making since the 1990's. She said she and her husband had gotten a really good deal on a Ford Focus Electric lease that they just could not pass up (they were only looking at the huge money discount Ford offered). Even with a sore speaking voice and all the pain from the surgery, I dropped into EVangel mode and congratulated her on a nice EV (Bruce was excited to talk EVs again). But I also had her write down for her (techie) husband to know http://plugshare.com where he could look up where all the public charging was all across the U.S. (her eyes got wider like she did not even know that existed). That led me to say it was too bad that her nice Focus EV did not have level-3 charging. Keeping it brief and simple, I explained that whereas the L2 charger they had in their garage would take hours, a L3 quick charge would have only take 15 minutes (I say 15 because most drivers do not come in totally empty, and it is an easier figure for the layman to remember). She expressed they like their Electric so much, but wished it had a longer range. I told her that the 200 mile range packs were coming. I used the analogy of like the old VCR tapes that originally were once $6 each, in high production their cost dropped in price to a couple dollars each, etc.). I told her of Tesla's Reno NV Gigafactory that was going to produce large amounts of batteries, and of Tesla's lower cost Gen 3 EV soon to be produced in the $30k price range (again they not heard of any of this). Lastly, in mentioning the recent De Anza College Record EVent http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-507-EVs-In-One-Place-New-Guinness-World-Record-eaasv-org-NDEW-tp4671722.html where I got to sit in a KIA Soul EV, and told her of how roomy it was even for the person sitting behind me with the driver's seat all the way back, and that the Soul EV was touting a 90-110 mile range (her eyes showed they liked that). And (I still trying to drive that L3 quick charging point that her Ford dealer rep likely never mentioned), the Soul has L3 charging. I used the scenario that she and her husband might be driving around with visiting family or friends and just coming back from the Pacific Coast (Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, etc.) and then deciding they want to go north to San Francisco for a nice dinner. They could L3 charge their KIA Soul EV for 15 minutes and then be on their way again (she liked that). So, I ensured she wrote down for her husband to explore: plugshare, Kia Soul EV, and lastly, to know what the plugin community calls an EV-grin (I said it was that fun feeling you get when they two are driving Electric, and their faces would light up with a big grin (she smiled at that description, like they must have done that already, but did not know to call it an EV-grin). After that EVangelizing, my throat was sore, but I was quite pleased I could still 'do-it'. I backed off speaking to try to take it easy on my voice (save it for the EV-cause). OK, enough of that. I am still under the influence of some pain medications (so please forgive any mistakes or goofs), but I have some news items I had prepared before-hand, that I hope to post tonight ... Enjoy :-) For EVLN posts use: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Dsearch_page%26node%3D413529%26query%3Devln%26sort%3Ddate {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/OT-Alive-back-home-after-surgery-and-working-on-getting-well-tp4672023.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
