Happy Spring!

Fried Apple Pies

Recently I got some Cortland apples from an orchard in Pennsylvania. I remembered that my mother and grandmother used to dry slices of apples and later make fried pies with them. I dried most of the apples and yesterday decided it was a great day to make fried pies. I topped them with hard sauce and they turned out great. The pastry was really flaky and the filling was just the right tartness so that the hard sauce was a perfect match. Below are a few images.

Chihuly Illuminated

Yesterday we went to Chihuly Illuminated at the Columbus Museum of Art. It's a great show and I would recommend it to everyone. Above are a few of the pictures we took. Actually, I think Mary Ann took all of the pictures except for one.

It Will Never End

Yesterday I saw three doctors and am scheduled for another surgery. One of my vocal cords was paralyzed during surgery. The tumor was wrapped around the Vegus nerve. When they were removing the tumor this nerve was damaged. It paralyzed my vocal cord and has caused me to have quite a bit of trouble swallowing. I am going to get some swallowing therapy and go ahead with a "Vocal Cord Medialization Laryngoplasty." I will have an implant beside my paralyzed vocal cord that will push it to the middle of my voice box to reach the working vocal cord. It is outpatient surgery and I should only be out of work for about 3 days. I should have immediate results and am looking forward to speaking better. So you see...this will never end. I guess this is why some people never go to the doctor. Once it starts you just can't stop.

Keeping Busy

I still haven't gone back to work and I might not go back for a little while. I have a pretty bad cough that has developed due to my paralyzed vocal chord and it is hard to speak. Since I am on the phone for 90% of my job, I think it would be hard to work. I hope that there is something else there I can do because I am getting bored. This morning I woke up and baked an apple pie. Yesterday I dried some apple chips. They are great to reconstitute and make fried pies with. Those will make a great winter time treat. I wonder what I will make tomorrow.

Tonight I have to have another MRI. I hate those things. This time however, my doctor has given my a valium to take before I go. I really hope it makes the time easier to deal with. I never thought I was claustrophobic until I had my first MRI.

Recovery and Laughter

I am recovering well from my surgery with a couple of speed bumps that are frustrating. After the surgery one of my vocal chords was paralyzed and I also have trouble swallowing. My voice is getting a little better, but it is a very slow process. The swallowing issue is hard for me to deal with. I love to eat and now I have to be very careful with what I consume. One thing that I've found easy to eat is pie. I've included a picture of a butterscotch pie I made the other night. I had a big craving and had to make it happen.

One thing that has helped in my recovery is Mary Ann. If it weren't for her I don't know what I would have done. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay her or let her know how much her presence has meant to me. I am sure the pictures I want to include probably aren't the right way to show this, but they are great pictures.

The Scar

Here is a picture of my scar 5 days after the operation. They got a lot of the tumor out but it was intwined in a lot of nerves so they couldn't get it all. It looks as if I will have some more decisions down the road. Right now I am just enjoying being at home and sleeping A LOT!!!
Thanks for everyones cards and support!