Not so amazingly, I made it through my shoulder surgery (December 1st). As part of the pre-surgery procedure, they injected me with a ‘nerve blocker’ that numbed me from the right side of my face, down my shoulder and arm, all the way to the finger tips on my right hand. The nerve blocker, plus the anesthesia, protects you from the pain of the surgery and dissipates in 18-24 hours.
After you get over the grogginess, you feel pretty good, and maybe over confident. Because the next morning you wake up and feel like you took a gun shot in the shoulder. In make case, four gun shots. Let the painkillers begin. Every four hours, without fail.
Add the home therapy (6-8 hours, daily), shoulder sling, and it’s a regular party.
On Friday, the real work began… major league physical therapy. My introduction to a 3-times weekly workout, that supplements exercises at home, for about the next 7-8 weeks. Doctors, with a sense of humor, refer to it as the torture chamber. It comes under the category of necessary evil.
The therapist asked me what I’d like to be able to do after completing therapy. My short list wasn’t complicated, but as well as mundane things like shaving, I’m hoping to play racketball again. He didn’t seem to think that was out of the question.
I’m now able to wear the sling on an ‘as-needed’ basis and return to the computer keyboard in moderate stints. I’m even able to drive, if necessary.
Goal Setting for 2009: I already have a log of big goals for 2009, and I couldn’t help but wonder how these 2-3 months were going to affect my work and life in general. One can’t will this kind of setback away. One can simply adjust mindset and workload. Work through the pain and avoid the easy excuses that lead to procrastination.
When one attends a grieving group after the loss of a friend or relative or enters a workout room for rehab, the one thing you immediately realize is this: No matter how bad your situation may be, there is always someone or several people who have bigger challenges than yourself.
Now, forging ahead is always easier said than done. I look for inspiration wherever I can find it. Let me share two people who inspire me.
Denver Smith & Buffy Lawson collaborate.
I have a small sign posted above my desk that reads: “What would Denver Do Today?” Denver is Denver Smith, a friend of mine since the early 1970’s. He was a musician, composer, arranger all-around talented guy. He passed away in 2000, still a very young man, from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). ALS is one of the most insidious afflictions. It chips away at every function in your body, and you slowly wither away.
Being the creative soul that Denver was, he decided he was going to make one final recording with the help of a variety of collaborators. His persistence, even if it only meant a few notes in a single day, was simply unbelievable. I challenge you to read the whole story: The Last Notes: Dying songwriter strives to hold onto creativity (PDF from Tennessean.com).
My other big inspiration is the lively, energetic, and talented “DJ Big Daddy” Sean McKee. Earlier this year, Big Daddy was diagnosed with a form of cancer that was going to require radiation treatment, 7 days a week, every morning for 2-3 months.
Sean McKee aka Big Daddy
Sound like a work hiatus, doesn’t it? Not for Big Daddy. Each morning, he drove to the treatment center. Our mutual friend, Mike Walter, called him every morning to provide moral support. Big Daddy would burst into the treatment center and a kind word for everybody. He quickly became their favorite patient.
Equally amazing to his attitude was his work schedule. He performed the reckless abandon of a perfectly healthy 25-year old. Seems making clients happy by doing what he loves might be therapeutic, too.
As of a couple of weeks ago, Big Daddy is cancer-free. Talking to him, you would never think there was a single doubt in his mind about a complete recovery. Maybe not in his mind, but one never knows how these things play out.
So now, Big Daddy has me on speed-dial. Like Mike did for him, he wants to make sure I maintain a constant positive outlook.
I offer this inspiration to you: I’m not planning to turn into Superman, but I’m going to work through this challenging period with all the positivity and energy I can muster. I’m going to eliminate useless activity, focus on my marketing plan for 2009, and work through balance of 2008 like a hot knife through butter.
Will I have bad days? Sure.
On those days I’ll remember two things: What would Denver do today? and the way Big Daddy closes his phone calls. To let you know he cares about you, he always closes with: Big Daddy loves you…
Now, go run through a wall!!
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority
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written by Andy Ebon
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