I should have known, but my son Jamie had to remind me of the anniversary of my kidney removal; thus, an idea for another column.
Oh yes, Jamie also remembers each year that it’s Hulk Hogan’s birthday and I’m thinking that at least he has something that is connected to this special date as well.
As I pen this column on Sunday, Aug. 11, I celebrated (that’s a harsh word), that special anniversary, not physically but in my own mind.
It is the day I had my right kidney removed 24 years ago.
I wasn’t looking forward to it, but knew it had to be done. One specialist told me I had a mass or possibly cancer, and recommended surgery.
Well, if that’s what it takes to find out, the date was set and it happened.
Here, I was full of infection from an abscessed kidney stone.
Yes, I started getting kidney stones in 1976, almost a year after Jamie was born and it seemed like every 12 years they’d pop up. And, 12 years before that, I had to go to Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati to have a procedure that would place me underwater so I would get shocked so as to, I’m thinking, break up the stone or stones.
The doctors never said but I’m wondering if a stone did not leave my body, causing the abscess.
It doesn’t really matter, it happened and hopefully I will never have to undergo anything like that again. I visit with my kidney doctor twice a year and my family doctor more often than that, complete with blood samples the week before so they can keep tabs on my kidney function, if I’m right about that.
I did miss the Great Darke County Fair that year as I was dismissed from the hospital on the first day of the fair in 2000. I was in pain and didn’t feel much like walking through those crowds for fear of someone bumping into me. I told it before, but my friend Bob Curtis, who has since passed away, asked me to go to the fair with him and go on what they had for the first time there, bungee jumping. Oh no, for sure, I wasn’t going to do that.
Nor would I have done it if I were in great health.
With that, I hope everyone has fun at the fair this year. Enjoy!
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Carol Funderburg and Dereck Lee Neukam.
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Seeking prayers for these people: Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Amy Brewer, Jené Riffell, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Delores Beisner, Mike Hopkins, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Ron Moody, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kent Snyder, (cousin) Carol Byrd, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Chris Clark, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Stephanie Klingshirn, Brenda Schlechty, Betty Burnfield, Dan Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Pam Norman-Penticuff, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Steve Waymire, Nikole Baldridge, Chester Bryant, Lester Beisner, Mark Lovejoy.
Also, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
Aug. 15 to Bridget Brown, Lisa Mayo, Zach Riffell, Dylan Moody, Curtis Yount, Chris Hensley, Amy Barber, Tammany Wilson, Brenda Glunt, Judy Howard Jones, Brianna Morris, Lindsey Newbauer, Zachary Riffell and Shelby Gates.
Aug. 16 to Randy Allread, Elaine Roan, John Widener and Holli Hammaker.
Aug. 17 to Janice Lyme, Terry Brewer, Mary Poor, and Joe Beemer.
Aug. 18 to Jack Henkaline, Linda Reeser, Lora Beam Turner, Terry Sackett, Lynne Bruner Hinshaw, John Snyder, Brian Hiestand Jr. and Randy Partin.
Aug. 19 to Debbie Staver, Hannah Hunt, Chris Norris, Bonita Seger, Betty Wingerter, Richard Yount, Ted Finnarn and Gina Billenstein.
Aug. 20 to Rick Riffell, Richard Yount, Jennifer Amspaugh Gray, Robin Behr, Dara Hardman, Bertha Archey, Ted Finnarn and Gina Billenstein.
Aug. 21 to Kay Jones, Jean Young, Rikki Holton, Suzanne (Mrs. Ron) Smith, Terri Hunt, Otis Stewart, Darrin Fox, Rena Slater and Jean Young.
Happy anniversary to: Shawn and Michelle Phillippi on Aug. 15; Pat and Debbie Barga on Aug. 16; and Dan and Marty Schipfer on Aug. 20.
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Think about it: “The most important attributes a writer must have are faith, hope and clarity. –Author Unknown
