Surbery Vancouver General - Pat and Cliff

[Guest guest]

Well Cliff is slightly OT because his surgery today was a neck

renovation as he likes to call it. He need to expand the vertebrae

around his spinal cord at C3 to C7 and clean out around a few nerves -

a double op and all is well. He can't move his neck for 6 weeks but

he has already begun talking about getting back on the ice again... I

did not realize how nervous I was until I got the call from the doctor

that all had gone well.

Happily he and Pat both had surgery today. Pat got her new right

Durom this afternoon and boy is she doing well. She had a spinal and

was awake through the whole thing (for that alone I think she needs a

brain resurfacing - but gosh she revelled in knowing what was going

on). When I saw her at 5:30 ish she smiling, totally with it,

feeling wonderful and could hardly wait to get on her feet - they are

making her wait a day or two (perhaps two because her left hip is also

very bad, but they are not doing it until September). She was so

excited when we ran into her before the operation and even more

excited after....

I will be checking in with her tomorrow - largest possible latte in

hand - actually one for each of them - and will let you all know how

they are doing.

As an aside I see in today's paper that Vancouver is about to become a

major hip research centre and perhaps that bodes well for current and

new hippies - I sure hope so although if they don't get the wait lists

down people are still going to travel for surgery. The good thing is

though that perhaps we will have the best and brightest in Canada

right here in our midst.

OH and other Vancouver hippies - Pat tells me today that there has

been some discussion that we should all do the Sun Run in 2005 and

raise money for the Arthritis Society/Research - While I would prefer

to skate it than walk (believe me I ain't running) I think this is a

wonderful idea and we should all do our best to participate.

More news to follow....

Pamela

lbhr De Smet Oct 23/02

[Guest guest]

- Pat tells me today that there hasbeen some discussion that we should all do

the Sun Run in 2005 andraise money for the Arthritis Society/Research - While I

would preferto skate it than walk (believe me I ain't running) I think this is

awonderful idea and we should all do our best to participate.Pamela,

Keep us posted on the Sun Run. That would be a great NW get-together! Run,

walk, skate...I'd love to try it (I'm not running either).

Cindy

(sorry I missed the other get-together...sounded like loads of fun)

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