An Excursion

Today’s post-op check-up was to see not the surgeon himself, but rather a nurse practitioner in his office, an energetic dude named Ed. He said Mick was doing well, and that both incisions were healing very nicely. He took the little bandages off the anterior incision (already just a hairline seam), and with sterile tweezers and great care set about removing the sutures from the back incision. Mick stood with his hands on the examining table while Ed sat on a stool and went to work. It reminded me of two things: 1) Scarlett holding the bedpost while her corset strings are yanked, and 2) removing hooks from fish. I’m not terribly squeamish about stuff like this but the couple of times Mick yelled Ow, I flinched sympathetically. When the sutures were all gone, our boy was noticeably more comfortable.

This morning Mick’s feet were more swollen than ever, likely a result of yesterday’s spirited stroll, and he could barely get into his sneakers and socks. We had sort of expected Ed to prescribe a diuretic or something, but he said that the swelling was a normal neurological response to this kind of surgery (for some reason the nerves in the back decide to send fluid to the lower half of the body), and that the situation would correct itself in time. Later in the day, blogger had an appointment in the Union Square area, and went shopping on 14th Street. Mick now has socks for shoe sizes 12-to-16, and a blindingly white pair of size 12 sneakers. He’s already tried them on, and they fit nicely. While his new posture and bearing preclude proper gangsta swagger, wearing them he looks a little like he could have been rapping on the Grammys last night.