What's on your mind today?

[Velma]

Just back from the hospital again. It appears it is not ulcers, but his gallbladder. The doctors say it needs to come out, but my husband needs to be off his blood thinner for at least five days before surgery. If he hadn't thrown up this morning, he could have been home this afternoon. Now, they want to observe him for another 24 hours.

[Tank]

Just back from the hospital again. It appears it is not ulcers, but his gallbladder. The doctors say it needs to come out, but my husband needs to be off his blood thinner for at least five days before surgery. If he hadn't thrown up this morning, he could have been home this afternoon. Now, they want to observe him for another 24 hours.

Pretty routine op. I know a few people who are quite happy without their gall bladders.

[Sandra Craft]

Just back from the hospital again. It appears it is not ulcers, but his gallbladder. The doctors say it needs to come out, but my husband needs to be off his blood thinner for at least five days before surgery. If he hadn't thrown up this morning, he could have been home this afternoon. Now, they want to observe him for another 24 hours.

Pretty routine op. I know a few people who are quite happy without their gall bladders.

A friend of mine had hers out recently and, while recovery wasn't pleasant, once she had recovered she felt so much better that she wished she'd had the surgery years ago.  Granted ulcers would probably be easier to deal with tho and any time in the hospital is not a good time.  My sympathies to your husband.

[Pasta Chick]

Gall bladders and spleens are pretty much universally evil.

I recently learned that one of my coworkers once accidentally told Jordon Knight he had the right stuff, which is probably the greatest faux paus I've ever heard in my life.

[Velma]

Just back from the hospital again. It appears it is not ulcers, but his gallbladder. The doctors say it needs to come out, but my husband needs to be off his blood thinner for at least five days before surgery. If he hadn't thrown up this morning, he could have been home this afternoon. Now, they want to observe him for another 24 hours.

Pretty routine op. I know a few people who are quite happy without their gall bladders.

A friend of mine had hers out recently and, while recovery wasn't pleasant, once she had recovered she felt so much better that she wished she'd had the surgery years ago.  Granted ulcers would probably be easier to deal with tho and any time in the hospital is not a good time.  My sympathies to your husband.

Thank you.

I had my gallbladder removed years ago. I was in the hospital for a couple of days. Recovery wasn't fun (you really don't realize how many of your abdominal muscles you use to sit up, stand up, or just move around in general). However, I did feel better once I had healed a bit.

[Tank]

Just back from the hospital again. It appears it is not ulcers, but his gallbladder. The doctors say it needs to come out, but my husband needs to be off his blood thinner for at least five days before surgery. If he hadn't thrown up this morning, he could have been home this afternoon. Now, they want to observe him for another 24 hours.

Pretty routine op. I know a few people who are quite happy without their gall bladders.

A friend of mine had hers out recently and, while recovery wasn't pleasant, once she had recovered she felt so much better that she wished she'd had the surgery years ago.  Granted ulcers would probably be easier to deal with tho and any time in the hospital is not a good time.  My sympathies to your husband.

Thank you.

I had my gallbladder removed years ago. I was in the hospital for a couple of days. Recovery wasn't fun (you really don't realize how many of your abdominal muscles you use to sit up, stand up, or just move around in general). However, I did feel better once I had healed a bit.

They do it keyhole now. No real problems I believe.

[Magdalena]

Is what they say about the female mantis' mating ritual a myth, or reality?  I ask because I found a happy mantis just hanging on to the wall the other day, but the next day I saw it it didn't have its head. 

[Davin]

The female mantis thing is mostly a myth.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/mantis1.asp

The behavior [the females eating their mates] appeared to be influenced by captivity: Female mantises were either jarred into unusually aggressive behavior by the unusual laboratory conditions, or they were simply not fed enough by their keepers.

[Magdalena]

The female mantis thing is mostly a myth.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/mantis1.asp

The behavior [the females eating their mates] appeared to be influenced by captivity: Female mantises were either jarred into unusually aggressive behavior by the unusual laboratory conditions, or they were simply not fed enough by their keepers.

But it also says:

Yes, the female praying mantis does sometimes eat her mate. In fact, male mantises will often offer themselves up as food to the female during the mating process, and from a biological standpoint this action makes sense: There's no point to mating with a female who might die from a lack of food before she can lay her eggs and pass the father's genes onto the next generation. This doesn't happen all the time, however, and its frequency of occurrence and the reasons for it are still a subject a debate within the entomological world.

I love the joke: 

That's exactly what the matis I saw looked like.  
...and that's exactly what I thought when I saw it.

[Velma]

My husband we released from the hospital today. The doctor at the hospital he was in wants to do the surgery next week. The VA will probably want he to see one of its doctors. No telling at the moment how long that will take.

[Firebird]

I'm officially taking a break from HAF. I thought it would be best to announce it rather than just vanish and make you all wonder, though I've been here less and less anyway. I'm sure many of you expected that anyway (ahem...Mags ) Firechicklet is not here yet, but there's lots to prepare for, and now that my wife will be at full term tomorrow, she'll be here anytime within the next month or so. Despite complaining about how tired she is and how big she looks, Mrs. Firebird's doing great and we're looking forward to meeting the little bugger very soon.
I might lurk a bit here and there, and I'll be back sometime soon. Take care and save me a few drinks.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Take care, Firebird.  Come back soon.

[Magdalena]

I'm officially taking a break from HAF. I thought it would be best to announce it rather than just vanish and make you all wonder, though I've been here less and less anyway. I'm sure many of you expected that anyway (ahem...Mags ) Firechicklet is not here yet, but there's lots to prepare for, and now that my wife will be at full term tomorrow, she'll be here anytime within the next month or so. Despite complaining about how tired she is and how big she looks, Mrs. Firebird's doing great and we're looking forward to meeting the little bugger very soon.
I might lurk a bit here and there, and I'll be back sometime soon. Take care and save me a few drinks.

Awwwwww....Firebird. This is such a bitter/sweet thing. 
You're leaving for a while, but you're gonna be a father for the first time...Wow! How exciting! 

Enjoy your time away from us, we'll be here when you come back. I think we'll be OK. 
Looking forward to seeing pictures of Firechicklet. 

[Asmodean]

Best of luck, and... See you.

[Recusant]

I'm officially taking a break from HAF. . . .

Cheers, Firebird. I can't think of a better reason why somebody would step away for a while! All the best.