health and wellfare

Well, it's been just another day here. I have been sick for the past several days and it has really taken a toll on me. We have also been dealing with slow internet service. Between the two I haven't been able to get much done. I don't have any pictures from our Thanksgiving dinner because I forgot my camera and Jeff took all the pictures (check out his blog at http://roadtobalad.blogspot.com/ to view some of the Thanksgiving day decor at our chow hall). About the only thing that I have done is get Jeff sick. He really doesn't like me right now. He's pretty miserable. There's one other provider that may have gotten ill from me as well but I think if you can't share a little sickness with your friends then what can you share? It's good for them. It weeds out the weak and right now I am one of the weak ones.

I have managed to take another "lump" off of Jeff's head. Yea, his head is like a potato only instead of the eyes he has cysts. I removed the mother of all cysts from his head a couple of weeks ago and then I removed another one just a few days ago. See I remove them one by one so I can charge him for each surgical excision...wait a minute I almost forgot we're running a free clinic so I am just creating more work for me. I think removing them one at a time and allowing healing to occur between excisions is less traumatic for him. The only problem to doing them all at once is I would have to shave his head and I don't think he would go for it. So I will just take them out one by one. I think I might be able to get them all out before we come home. If you go to Jeff's blog you can see pictures of the first cyst excision. Pretty kool. I was able to get the entire sack out without it rupturing and I think he's keeping it as a souvenir-pretty gross.

As far as the holidays... Thanksgiving was just another day. I had to work and having dinner with the guys just wasn't my idea of a Thanksgiving dinner. I was able to talk with my two girls via webcam as well as talk with my family. That helped to make the day better. There's a lot to be thankful for. I have my family. I have all my friends and loved ones that have supported me during this deployment. And lastly, I have Jeff's cysts that are keeping my surgical skills current and even maybe sharpening them.