D-Day, or Dx Day

I don't really mean to equate my own personal milestone with the day in which our troops stormed the beaches at Normandy, knowing that in order for their mission to be successful, odds were in favor that some of their lives would be lost. To do such would be trivializing the sacrifices made by many of the greatest generation. Additionally, it would make me 100% guily of self-aggrandization.

Still, this is a signifcant day in my life, or at least I hope it will be. In a few hours, my father will drive me to a hospital lab, where the technicians will procure samples of body fluids and will determine whether or not my kidney infection has been cured and that no other nefarious bacterial or viral infection has popped up to take its place. If the results are as anticipated, I will have auto-bone-grafting surgery. Pieces will be taken from both hips to put into my leg in order to help the fractures there mend themselves. That's for tomorrow, however. What I'm looking forward to is today.

Test results should be in by noon-ish. If everything looks good, at that time, I'll put on my swimsuit. I'll take off my ace bandage that immobilzes my arm because of the broken clavicle. Then, once my suit is on, my dad will re-wrap the ace bandages to immoblize my arm. I'll put my leg inside one plastic garbage bag, then tuck the top inside the cast. I'll put my leg into another garbage bag, and attach a rubber band around it. I'll put a third plastic bag over the first two, and attach a rubber band even higher than the first two.

Then I'll go into the pool. With the extra weight of the cast and the overall lack of mobility of at least two extremities, I won't be a very effective swimmer. I'l mostly float around clinging to a flotation device, with my dad swimming nearby because he thinks I require a personal lifeguard, and it's conceivable that I will. Still, I've been waiting for this since April, and I intend to have fun if it kills me. Several friends are coming by for my pool party, and we'll order pizza at some point.

Despite my best efforts, the cast will probably still get wet. This is why I'm not allowed to do this unless surgery has been OKed for tomorrow. Since the cast has to be cut off anyway, what's a little water? My dad said I'll be surprised to learn how moldy and smelly it will be just one day after getting wet, but I dont care. I GET TO GO SWIMMING!

I am so pathetic that all it takes is floating around in a giant tub of water to cause me to be excited practically out of my skin, which my brother kindly pointed out yesterday, but I don't care. I GET TO SWIM TODAY! YIPPEE!!!!!!!

Happy Father's Day to any fathers who may read this, including my own father, my Uncle Steve, my Godfather Uncle Ralph, Judge Alex, and even dear sweet Uncle Mahonri. Have a blessed day, everyone.