Important Moments

It's about 7 am on Sunday morning and I'm up writing to all of you. My wife, mother, and brother are still asleep upstairs and the house is quiet. Even our little brown dog, Tate, is off staying with a friend for the week. The sun is coming in through the back windows, and the day is clear, bright and cold. I am content.

During the past few days, I've had alot of thinking time and I've used it to think about me. When your health changes, you turn inward, analyzing, and diagnosing. You try to control all of the small parts of your life that you still have to control. Its an odd time. For instance, my typing skills have improved remarkably since the surgery. I'm not fast, but I'm extremely accurate and my prose flows out remarkably easily. Its one part of my life I can still control, and I've noticed its importance to me again.

While thinking about me, however, I really noticed all of the beautiful people in my life that are working to help me. Curt and my mom have been at my house on and off since the surgery. Last night, at 4 am, when I had too much pain to sleep anymore, my mom was up talking to me in the kitchen, helping me through the pain, and working to get me in a better place again. We haven't had moments like that since I left for college, and its really nice to reconnect with them.

Jane has been the best through all of this too. Anytime of the day, she's been there to help with medicine, and even cooking our first batch of Nathan-friendly spinach soup last night. I count myself lucky.

As for friends, the emails have been great, but last night, I had my first phone call. I talked to Nicole for a bit and it was nice to reconnect with friends again. Paige stopped by yesterday to check on me, and we watched a movie. I helped her make some pizza, and I drank a Boost shake. Paige and I don't know each other very well, yet, but I appreciate her concern. All of these little connections are very meaningful.

Anyway, my point of all of this reflection, is that up with my marriage day and my marathon day, my surgery day has become one of the most transformational moments in my life. Its certainly tough, but I'm fighting through it, and when I come out the other side, I'll be much stronger for the process.

Post-op (Heading Home)

  

Pre-op

  

Surgery Update

As many of you know, I had jaw surgery on Wednesday afternoon to correct a long-term imbalance in my facial structure. Eventually, without surgery, I would have developed a TMJ-like condition in addition to tooth and bone loss. Yuck.

I'm on the other side of the procedure now, and my life has been turned upside down, but in doing so, I've gained a new level of personal calm and public appreciation for all of you have lent your time, talents, and kind words to my cause. I've really needed all of your help these past few days and I will probably need it even more so in the next few weeks as I put myself back together again.

Rather than retype all of the details, lets summarize as follows: I had jaw surgery. The staff that helped in the surgery were all excellent and I appreciated their kindness and humor. Jane, my family, and our friends, have been so helpful in aiding us back on the road to good health.

If you are interested in seeing some before and after pictures, please visit my website: http://www.pedretti.org/ and follow the link for the surgery pictures. Just a warning, some of the post-op pictures are rather messy. Surf wisely.