For
those paying attention, this is my first proper "sermon" in almost two
months. To recap--I had my hip replaced... again. Overall, I'm feeling
good. Still a little stiff, but good. I return to work Monday
morning. I'm still
using a cane when I go out, but only as a precaution. I thought I knew
what to expect, having been through the procedure on the other side
twenty years ago. And, by and large, I was right, but a lot has changed
in twenty years--most notably my age. For starters, I didn't spend any time in the
hospital. That's right--the whole thing was an outpatient procedure, of
which I'm still suspect. Of course, there was a catch to this. I
didn't spend a night or two in the hospital, but I did get prescribed
eleven (ELEVEN!!!!) different medications that had to be taken at
different times and in different dosages throughout my recovery. And
that's in addition to the three that I already take daily that had
nothing to do with my surgery.
(A public thanks to my Aunt Gayle who
not only put up with--I mean, put me up--for a month, but also acted as
my pharmacist, chauffeur, and general caregiver. I also want to thank my housemates and dear friends, Jon and Ellie, for taking care of the place while I was gone and pushing me harder than I tended to push myself in the recovery. Finally, I need to thank my other dear friend Tara for driving me to Goshen for Record Store Day... in the rain... before the butt crack of dawn... to stand in line for two hours! More on this in upcoming weeks.)
The
best thing was that, unlike the last time, I didn't have to wait two
weeks to have my staples taken out before I could take a real shower.
This time, I just had a bandage covering my (what I think is an excessively
long) incision on the side of my ass. After one week, I removed it and
threw it away. In the meantime, I could do just about anything with
it, including showering, as long as I didn't soak or swim--not that I
was going to do either of those things a week after surgery anyway.
The
one thing that caught me off guard it that there was virtually no
physical therapy. I don't know why this caught me off guard. When I
think back twenty years, I don't recall having any then. The closest I
got was a series of exercises that I had to do three times a day. That
part didn't change. I still had the exercises. I'm still doing them.
The one thing that has changed is my age. I turned 52 during my little
sojourn, but my brain still seemed convinced that I was 31, which caused
a few strained muscles and setbacks. It only became a problem when it
prevented me from doing the "straight leg lifts," which, out of all the
exercises I have, is the worst.
To
help with these exercises, it shouldn't be any surprise that I put
together a playlist. With the exception of Edwin Starr's "Twenty-Five
Miles" (a song that really makes me want to get up and walk... even
dance), all of the other songs came from the same source--the perfect
inspiration to physically improve oneself.
In
1976, Bill Conti wrote one of the most inspiring scores to one of the
most inspiring films of all time. The film is generally considered to
be the first to feature a "workout montage," which I felt like I was in
ever time I did my exercises. Conti made such an impression, he went on
to score four of the films five sequels over the next 30 years.
Featuring such classic pieces as the Oscar-nominated "Gonna Fly Now" and
"Going the Distance," which always seems to push me to do just that,
please enjoy the soundtrack to the Best Picture Oscar winner Rocky.
This album also features the doo-wop number "Take You Back" by
Valentine, featuring Sylvester Stallone's brother Frank. It's still one of my favourite scores. After hearing it for the
first time, I was finally able to forgive Bill Conti for what he did
to For Your Eyes Only.
Until
next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please, as
always, remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving
definitely isn't for you.
Yours in peace, love, 'n' rock and roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
No comments:
Post a Comment