Achmed's Blind Date, October 28

So finally the waiting for news is over and the waiting for an actual blast has begun. On Wednesday October 28, Achmed and I will be having an intimate meeting with a 40,000 pound nuclear reactor.

On Friday evening, just after I got back in town from Uncle Pat’s funeral, Tammy called me from Winnipeg to let me know that my case has been accepted by the Gamma Knife team and they wanted me up there as soon as I could make arrangements. I will be flying out of here on Saturday, Oct 24 to make sure that some kind of weather delay doesn’t make me miss my long awaited date. Living in Newfoundland this time of year that has to be a consideration, it is not like I am only going to miss a day of vacation by showing up late.

At the funeral I was getting bombarded with questions on when I was going to Winnipeg. I know that people were only asking out of concern, but by the end of the two days I was getting tired of saying that I didn’t know and hopefully I would find out in a few days. In the back of my mind, every time I answered that question I worried a little tiny bit more that my case was going to be rejected and I was not going to be a candidate for the Radio-surgery, forcing me to go the ‘real surgery’ route. I can’t even explain the weight that was lifted off my shoulders when Tammy told me I was accepted by the doctors in Winnipeg.

Friday night I had to go to a fundraiser for the CNIB, where I was also bombarded by questions of when I was heading to Winnipeg. It is amazing how much things can change in a few hours. I went from being more frustrated with each question, to being happier each time I was asked the exact same question.

To say I am looking forward to getting zapped is not really an accurate statement. The fact is I am not looking forward to it at all. I am, however, looking forward to it being over and getting on with the recovery stage of it all. One of the great things about the Gamma Knife is that the recovery is a lot faster that ‘real surgery’, in fact I should be back to work within days instead of months. The headaches and the roaring and the dizziness will be worse for a while, but when the aggravation of Achmed is over, things will start to get better. I am planning to be on skates again before Christmas.

This is Thanksgiving weekend and I know that I have a lot to be thankful for, if you are able to read this, so do you, and hopefully you realize it as well.

From Achmed and Me… Live Life!