O brothers and sisters of the wheel,
Ana brought me home Friday morning, but only now have I gotten around to picking up the powerbook. It's very good to be home and sitting up on my own furniture and sleeping (however fitfully) in my own bed. In a little while, I'll take yet another of the many short little walks about the house to keep working the stiffness out of my body where I can. That walk will take me past the garage door, and I'll open it and look out at my bikes and know that at some point not too far down the road I'll be back on them.
I'm expected to make a full recovery - I understand the surgeon was absolutely beaming after the operation, as he was apparently surprised at how much heart function had returned before surgery, and more seems likely with the restoration of regular blood flow. We can't officially credit anything, but I suspect lots of cycling helped paved the way for a good recovery, and I know the prayers and positive thoughts made an enormous difference. You cannot imagine the effect this produced for me and for my family, and we're all most, most grateful.
An odd cycling footnote, which Ana mentioned in passing. After I'd donned the hospital gown and sheet for shaving and pre-op prep work, and I'd done my bad Julius Caesar moment ("Friends, Surgeons, Countrymen, lend me your ears!"), we joked about what I would say when I came out of the anaesthesia. Apparently, "yo quiero Campagnolo" fell out of my mouth first thing - quickly and wisely followed by telling my wife I loved her very much. It could just have easily have been a request for Stronglight parts - but at least I didn't wake up complaining that, despite my requests, my aircraft had not yet been painted red.
best regards,
Russ Fitzgerald
Greenwood, SC