Out and About – Week of March 23rd

I’m at the age when some of my friends are having body parts either removed or replaced. A hip replacement here, a knee replacement there, or a gall bladder removed eventually. Someone once said that you should do any desired traveling while you’re young enough to enjoy it, because later on, you’ll be too busy having things done to your body.
Last July, I was scheduled to have spine surgery, because my left knee was in pain and was weak. I mentioned in a previous column that I was prepped for surgery and was having a final conversation with my surgeon. It was at this time that we decided the surgery was not necessary. They removed the IV from my hand, and I got dressed and went home. I praised my surgeon and the staff at Borgess Hospital for all they did for me. I am now walking without the use of a cane. It definitely made a believer out of me. They thought more about my well-being than the money that they could have made.
About a month ago, after much discomfort, it was discovered that I had gall stones. I met with my doctor here in Three Rivers, and with a surgeon in Kalamazoo. On Tuesday, March 10, I once again made the trip to Borgess for an outpatient procedure. I checked into Borgess at 9 AM, and by 4 PM, I was back home resting in bed. My gall bladder was no longer a part of my insides. I wanted to bring it home with me and keep it as a memento of the experience. This didn’t happen.
My mother had gall bladder surgery back in the fifties. It was a different procedure. She stayed in the hospital for several days recovering. My dad said that we almost lost her. After her release, she was still sore for quite some time. I feel very fortunate to be living in a time where modern technology has reached new heights.
I want to publicly thank the staff of nurses and doctors at Borgess Hospital. If you’re ever in need of medical care, Borgess is worth the half-hour trip north. The entire staff could write a book on bedside manners and professionalism.
If you’ve read this column for any length of time, then you know how I feel about volunteers and the tasks that are accomplished by caring individuals without any concern about being paid for what they do. The same goes for those caring organizations made up of volunteers. The Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) is such an organization. They care for those animals that have been neglected and abused. I can’t thank them enough for what they do.
Every year ARF holds a dinner/auction fundraiser. Saturday, April 18, is the date for this year’s event, which will once again be held at the Three Rivers High School cafeteria. Tickets are now available at Beam Sound and Video, 1125 West Michigan Avenue, Three Rivers. Tickets are limited, so it is advisable to purchase them as soon as possible. Adult tickets are $10, and for children 12 years old and younger, the price is $8. The mostaccioli dinner will start at 5:30 PM, with doors opening at 5. The auction will begin right after dinner. The money raised from the event will go towards providing food and medical care for abandoned and abused animals here in St. Joseph County.
Here are some interesting facts. I haven’t checked them out to see if they are true, but they are definitely good conversation starters:
The human mind is ten times more creative at night than it is in the morning or afternoon.
It takes six months to build a Rolls Royce and only thirteen hours to build a Toyota.
Falling air pressure causes pain in birds’ ears, so if birds are flying low to the ground, it usually means a thunderstorm is coming.
See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman