Into Spring #VFTC

Playing with some graphics/photography tools.

A found memory and a dream of rolling north on US Rte 15 into spring.
Using tools to create a water color effect.

Used Paint Shop Pro ver 9.0
When PSP was still owned by
JASC software. 

Again just messing around while I heal. 

Thanks for all who've commented and posted
their thoughts and prayers.  I'm healing and going
through the things that we must do.

More to come.

Walt

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Assimilation

Find myself watching a classic Japanese animation tonight.
"Ghost in the Shell 2 Innocence"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347246/

And I got to thinking about what has just happened to me over the past few months.

I've had a heart murmur all of my life.  Anytime a Doctor, Medic or Nurse would listen
to my heart they'd always pause, look at me and ask, "you've got a heart murmur.  Did
you know that?" 
I'd tell them I knew and that it was never a problem.
It really wasn't.  I played a lot of sports as a kid and young adult.
Always running around.  Never turned down any outdoor game. 
Then after a "routine" physical 3 months ago I found out that my heart was about to
blow out and that it wasn't 5 to 10 years before I had to have it fixed.  It was ASAP.
Because no one wanted to guess just how much time I had left.  I was told that waiting much more then
a few months wouldn't be wise.

So, what does Ghost in the Shell and a St Jude aortic heart valve have in common. 
I've become part mechanical and in Ghost in the Shell cyborgs are the norm in society.

I'm not the first nor the last to have a mechanical body part put in and hopefully there will be more
advances in this field.  My wife needs her knees replaced and yet the mechanical knees out there
right now will not last long enough for her to have only one set replaced.

There are folks out there who are against prostheses.  And, yet the world is heading in that direction.
I'm sure that if I did not have the aortic valve replaced I'd be heading to a sudden and violent death.

Driving truck and having the left ventricle burst due to over pressure is not something to joke about.

Please, let's not stop research and development on mechanical body parts.  My new valve
will out last me. 

You know what is weird.  I was given a card with the serial and model number for my valve.
Heh, way cool.
Yeah, I know I've been tagged to a number now.  But, really folks, we all voluntarily
carry around identifiers right now.  Unless you're not using a cell phone, driving a car, watching
tv or on an electrical grid.  I can give more examples.

okay, I just found it weird that I had an urge to watch cyborg movies
shortly after I've been assimilated...lol

Resistance is  futile. 
;)
Walt  

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Somebody's been saying it all along.

Something my Dad told me once.  "Most of dealing with Life is just showing up."  aka..."Get of your ass. (GOYA)"
aka  "To change an attitude, move a muscle". 

When the young fail to listen to the elders, they're doomed to repeating the past. 

I've got to be paraphrasing someone. lol
Walt

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Good morning and a cup of coffee to go.

There comes a time in all men's lives when it just time
to pack it up and roll wheels.

Doc just gave me the okee dokee (official doctor talk))) for discharge.

One phase ends and another begins.  Life's like that.  It's a journey.
Not a destination.

It's about what I do today for today.
Having this valve replacement and seeing how y'all have responded in your ways
gives me great hope that things aren't all that bad.  We're till human and God is
still there.  He always was and still is.

God bless y'all...
Catch me if you can!!!

Next post from the house.
woot!

Walt.

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Breathe, TWiT, CES, @LeoLaporte

Today's status is keep breathing.

Well, I'm staying here one more night.  My
coumadin levels aren't as high as the Doctors would
like.  So, it's at least one more day in here.

That's not all bad though.  First,  CES is in Las Vegas this weekend
and @LeoLaporte and the TWiT crew are covering it live. 
Heh, no interuptions for chores today...I'll get to watch the whole show.
Actually, I've been watching a lot from bed.

Mr. Thomas Merritt and my breathing exercise machine grace
this post today.

Doing what the Docs' tell me to do.  Getting it right so
I can get outta here. 

Smiles from the land of slipper socks and johnnie gowns....

woot!

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Just me and my new buddy

One of the  best things you can do after open heart surgery is cough
and breath.  But, with a broken sternum coughing hurts.  It helps to have
a pillow to hold against your chest.

Update!  Hard to believe but there is a very good chance I'll be
heading home tomorrow.  If my coumadin levels come up I'll be ready to roll wheels to the house.

Then it's quite a few weeks of healing and therapy before I'm back in the rigs.  Thanks y'all for the post and comments.

Btw, it's me in my chair at the hospital pointing to where the valve in my chest is on my new pillow.

Love y'all.
Walt

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

Not safe for lunch

A before and after shot of my heart.  The old valve is bad.  Supposed to be in three part, here it's only a bicuspid valve.  2nd pic is the new valve, nice shiny with green thread.  Up and walking today.  Maybe stairs tomorrow.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous

A Frosty Fender and bon voyage #VFTC

I've been driving professionally for well over 25 years or so.

I've driven taxi cab, cube van, straight truck and big rigs.
I've always humanized the vehicles I drove.  And, of course
Goldie is no exception.

I'm out of trucking for a few weeks or months with heart surgery
and that is a good thing.

Goldie is being put back into the stables as a back up ride for the interim.
She's a good girl and even though I haven't been the greatest caretaker, I'm pretty sure
that when I get back that will change.  She's the best ride I've ever had anywhere and anytime.

We're given tools for life right from the start.  I'm getting mine back.  Makes one consider
just what one does when we ignore our God given gifts and treat them like trash.  Weather it's a
mechanic that fixes the truck or the doctor that fixes the body....as I was told by my cardiologist,
"I'm trying to fix you and you're just tearing it down."
Got a gift going on here and I don't have to abuse it anymore.

Okay, that's it....I'll be posting here as I heal and then I'll be doing more pics from the road.
I think I'll post some oldies for y'all. 
Heavily photoshopped  lol.

God bless all y'all and God's Speed.....

Posted via email from heydriver's posterous