All Things Rowdy

in the pre-op, obviously wound up and anxious me impersonating michael jackson's sleeping routine no staples, no stitches, no problem cliche, you can't keep a good man down there is a worry about a hernia near my belly button in the future as that part has been cut through 5 times. my view for days on end. i never turned on the TV once in 4 days

i'm back! surgery monday afternoon, home thursday morning. that is freaking amazing. really almost unbelievable. wow..... thank God for modern, western medicine! otherwise i would have died years ago!! i am home, i can eat some solid food with some restrictions. i'm limited to walking or riding a stationary bike. i'm sore. i'm tired. i have 3 new scars and 9cm less of intestine. just steri strips this time, no staples or external sutures. soon i will post up some pics, as you no doubt expect!

So if you want a faster update of my condition and progress, you need to check my Facebook wall. Search "Rowdy Matt" and you should be able to find me easily. It is sooo amazing how many people have helped me, offered their thoughts, prayers, love and concern. I really have a lot of people in my corner. I feel really special and I hope I live up to your friendship. Just saying. See ya in a week or so...... Whether your down with it or not, I'll say it. "I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen me."

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The hospital, Kaiser on Zion in San Diego, where I am having surgery is visible from my house. During one of my admissions my room's window was such that I could see my house from my hospital bed. Is that pathetically sad or what? Also, I hate the ugly, brown, one size fits nobody, gripper socks they give you in the hospital. I get a pair of $9 corduroy slippers from the drugstore like millions of diabetic old grandpas wear. Then as soon as I am released I throw those suckers away!

I think I was given a jiu jitsu name that might stick..... My brown belt friend Jessica tagged me with "Orange Crush" today on FB... I think I am going to have to buy a few t-shirts and cut them up and make some gi patches out of them.(since I can't seem to find any patches like in the pic above, sadly)

My beautiful tummy with it's single 9.5" scar from 4 previous surgeries. What will it look like after this next surgery? As soon as I get out of the hospital in a week or so I will show you!! (whether you like it or not. ((maniacal laugh)))

A few months ago I posited the question, what have you done every single dang day of your life that wasn't an autonomic body function? I've gone 24 hours without eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, showering, brushing my teeth, walking. I really couldn't think of something that was in my control that I have done every single day of my life. That got me thinking today what are things in my life then that I can't live without? What do I absolutely have to have in my life? My initial list that didn't take much thought is: God Freedom Family And it would definitely by much less of a life lived if I didn't have: motorcycles brazilian jiu jitsu health clean water So yeah... can't really think of much else. Just trying to keep my mind off of Monday morning...........

There are three Nile rivers. The white, the blue and the De. As in Denial. Or in my case denied. Today I got the courtesy call that I was not moving forward in the interview process. I'm not sure what to think about this, so I'm not saying anything about it now. I'll just go with the classic throwing my hands up in the air and going "oh well!" A bemused Rowdy pic from something else I missed:

Mom Noreen-this is in no way a list of things you need to make me. It is just me brain storming about things I've never eaten that I might possibly want. The things you want to fix me are going to be great!! So don't take this as a "to-do" list. =) Just brain storming around, I think I am going to eat a few new dishes when I can eat again. (I can eat now, but just barely) Lobster macaroni and cheese as in the latest issue of Saveur. BBQ-ed oysters on the grill. Shrimp jumbalaya. Pistachio eclairs. This is actually harder than I thought it would be.... I've eaten soo many cool, unique, gourmet and delicious things that it is hard to think of something totally new to me.... Any ideas?? If you need help I'd go to www.saveur.com for some inspiration!

vampires do exist. they are little filipino phlebotomists. take a deep breath in, hold it. breathe. why did they ask me if i work around chemicals??

Remember a long time ago, yesterday, when I wrote about how a bad day of riding is better than a good day of work and/or a good day or riding is better than most everything else? Well today was kinda a bad day of riding, but guess what? It WAS work! Today was the day we got to see and ride most of the new 2011 models. So the first 4 hours was riding, in my case I went on the mountain bike ride. Some did a road ride. So 17 of us went out on a mountain bike ride. Almost 4 hours later only 2 people had NOT gotten a flat tire and 4 people had to be picked up by cars. Only 5 of us completed the whole ride. And I was one of them! Woo Hah! I got you all in check! And then the final 4 hours of my work day were the typical death by Powerpoint work affair. Which of course also equals random doodling too. But guess what, I got paid to ride bikes today for hours. And I won two t-shirts. And free lunch. All in all, not that bad......

if i am healed enough to do the half marathon, even if i have to slow jog it at a 10min pre mile pace, i am going to. i think i am going to get a t-shirt made that says this down the back: I have Crohns disease diagnosed 1983 surgery #1 1987 surgery #2 1992 surgery #3 2000 surgery #4 2005 surgery #5 Sept 13, 2010 running NOW! what do you think? just a simple column of block letters for the font and layout. Ok, after some feedback this is where I am headed now, centered columns down the back: diagnosed with Crohns 1983 first surgery 1987 second surgery 1992 third surgery 2000 fourth surgery 2005 fifth surgery 9-13-2010 running a half marathon 12-5-2010

A bad day riding is better than a good day at work. Well today was a good day riding, so what is that better than? This was the view from my balcony at 7am this morning. 2010, the year of the absent summer in San Diego. The rig that get's me there! My second Taco and oh what a feeling. What are you doing sitting around? Get riding ya turkey! The Ride! What happens when you forget half your pants? Nothing, business as usual! I think the smile answers my first question, what is a good day riding better than? Almost everything.

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