One huge indication that I’m feeling better is that I can read and retain what I’ve read, which I wasn’t able to do since the surgery on Feburary 9th.  I would read one page over and over again and the words would just leave my mind.

The book I’m reading is one that was suggested by a friend at work.  It’s the “Story of Edgar Sawtelle” which is this richly woven story and just a pleasure to read.  I’m up to page 120 and I just know something huge and heavy is about to happen.  So, I’ll go back to reading since I have nothing really to say for now, just that I’m getting better.

Thanks for the well wishes.  It’s been helping.

It sort of reminds me of when I was a kid, except with TV.  Oh, we had TV…but there were 3 channels and soap operas and lame game shows on except for the occasional fun re-run.  I was too sick to put on my own records, and I just had this horrible little transistor radio that was fine for riding my bike with the thing dangling from the handlebars, but horrible to listen to in my room when I was sick.  Ultra sensitive. 

I don’t remember being out of my room when I was sick with a fever.  Fevers are so interesting because on my side of the family they spike really high really fast.  I used to scare my mom by passing out as a kid.  My son did the same thing.  Seems it runs on my side after a conversation with my father.  Also when I run a fever, I hallucinate.  Seriously.  I was dozing in and out of conciousness in the living room (with TV) and by the time I actually opened my eyes and saw the ad for the new Tim Burton movie of Alice in Wonderland, I felt like I’d been watching it the whole time I was asleep.  Wild crazy dreams. 

Dreams that involve radio as well.  Dreams where I’m wandering into a completely “new” studio with antiquated modes of equipment, or things that never existed at all.  Radio nightmares are common in this occupation.  One that plagued me as a recurring  (or is it reoccurring) dream for years was the one where I would come into the studio and all the records (yes, vinyl) were in white covers and were in no order, and then when I would put one on after the long silence, it would be some horrible song that was not even close to rock and roll.  Like polka music.  I’d wake up all sweaty having an anxiety attack after that one.  The one I had two nights ago when the fever started was one where all the music was on cassettes (which in my 35 years in this business has NEVER been something that happened) and they were completely out of order.  Like going into someone’s dorm room in the early 80’s and trying to make quick sense out of it all.  I can’t even think about it in the light of day without getting somewhat nauseous.  Maybe that’s just the fever coming on at the end of the day.  It seems to do that.

So, this is just an update, and I have no idea what I was just saying.  I think I was hallucinating.  Is this thing on?  I’ll be back when I’m better.  Whenever that is.  Mom, is that you?

“Stay tuned for a major Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers announcement, including new fan club information, coming next week!”

Please announce a tour. Please? Please come to the Gorge. June sounds good. I’m clearing my schedule now.

• In men’s figure skating, American Evan Lysacek upset Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko to take the top prize.
• Lindsey Vonn’s injuries caught up with her. She was forced to bow out of the super-combined race after a fall, but her teammate Julia Mancuso was able to nab her second silver of the games in that event.

In other Olympic news…

• The U-S hockey team trounced Norway six-to-one.
• The International Luge Federation announced on Thursday that it will do a complete review of its Olympic events in the wake of the accident that killed 21-year-old Georgian Nodar Kumarishtavili, msnbc.com reports. The organization will “determine how to best move forward” and make its plans public by the end of March.

• “Every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to you simply and directly: I’m deeply sorry for the irresponsible and selfish behavior that I engaged in.
• “There’s one issue I really want to discuss. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an instance of domestic violence in our marriage — ever… Elin deserves praise, not blame.”
• “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated… I am the only person to blame.”
• “I thought that I could get away with whatever I wanted… I felt I was entitled… [But] I don’t get to play by different rules.”
• I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things… Please leave my wife and kids alone.
• Part of following this path is Buddhism. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are important to me — my children and my marriage.
• I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don’t know when that day will be.

The word actually leaked last night that Tiger is heading back to therapy. But he hand-picked the audience for his statement and no questions were allowed. He wound things up by hugging his mom.

This is one of those “worth sharing.” I should note that I haven’t done all this stuff, and probably never will…but… it’s good to know.

From 2006:

A Harvard doctor outlines basic steps all men should take to stay healthy.

By Harvey B. Simon, M.D.

- Though few men understand it, and fewer still admit it, men are the weaker sex. It’s true, of course, that males have larger frames and bigger, stronger muscles. They can out-lift, out-hit and out-throw their female counterparts. But when it comes to health, the gals are stronger by far.

In the United States, and around the world, women live longer than men. The average American woman has a life expectancy of 80.4 years; men lag 5.2 years behind. At every age, from conception to seniority, males have a higher death rate than females. Men die younger than women, and they are also more burdened by disease during life. They have more chronic illnesses than women, and they fall ill at an earlier age. Why? It’s the $64,000 question. But there is no single answer. Instead, the gap depends on a complex mix of biological, social and behavioral factors. Possible contributors include: biological factors (men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, women two Xs; men have much more testosterone, women much more estrogen; women have higher HDL or “good” cholesterol levels, men more abdominal fat); social factors like work stress and social networks and support systems (men lag behind women); and behavioral factors (men tend to exhibit more risky behavior, aggression and violence, and unhealthy habits like smoking and alcohol abuse, yet they are less likely to see doctors).

Why do men make poor patients? Busy work schedules and competing responsibilities and interests may play a role, but the macho mentality appears to be the chief culprit. When it comes to health, many men put their heads in the sand and deny symptoms for as long as possible. And when they can no longer pretend there is no problem, many grit their teeth and “tough it out” instead of getting prompt medical care. Call it the John Wayne Syndrome or the Ostrich Mentality—by any name, it’s an important contributor to the health gap. Women think about health more than men, and they are more diligent about checkups and preventive care. But men can take simple steps to protect themselves from the heart disease and lung cancer that felled the quintessential American he-man.

Prevention First
Prevention is key to helping men become healthier and live longer. Here are 10 simple steps men can take:

• 1. Avoid tobacco and illicit drugs.
• 2. Exercise regularly.
• 3. Eat well.
• 4. Stay lean.
• 5. Limit alcoholic drinks to one or two a day (if any).
• 6. Avoid excess stress.
• 7. Wear a seat belt and behave prudently to avoid accidents.
• 8. Minimize exposure to ultraviolet rays, radiation, chemical pollutants or other environmental hazards.
• 9. Use protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
• 10. Listen to your body, report any problems to your doctor, and get preventive medical care.

The 40s
Medical care gets more complex in your 40s—but only a little. Most physicians schedule a baseline EKG to test your heart function at about age 40, and then repeat it periodically. And the American Diabetes Association recommends a fasting blood-sugar test at age 45, then every three years. It’s also a reasonable time to start skin-cancer screening, with periodic self-exams, a physician exam with each checkup, and exams by a dermatologist for men at high risk (like those with fair skin, a family history of skin cancer, or who’ve had severe sunburns).

The 50s
Now it starts to get interesting. Along with “all of the above,” turning 50 means adding four more items to your medical checklist:

• 1. Colon-cancer screening. Men at average risk can choose from four options: an annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) with colonoscopy for a positive test; a FOBT plus sigmoidoscopy every five years; a colonoscopy every 10 years; or a double-contrast barium enema every five to 10 years. Individuals at higher-than-average risk (like those who have had previous colon polyps or colon cancer in a parent or sibling) should choose colonoscopy; it’s the most arduous test but also the best.
• 2. Prostate-cancer screening. Colon-cancer screening is a no-brainer; every man should have it, though each can decide which type to have. But prostate-cancer screening is controversial. It is surely the best way to detect prostate cancer in its earliest, most-treatable form. Still, it is far from certain that early treatment will prolong life, and for some men the side effects of treatment will be worse than the illness, which is often very indolent. Annual PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams should be offered to men starting at age 50 (or at 40 or 45 for African Americans, or men with fathers or brothers with prostate cancer). Doctors should discuss the pros and cons of screening with each patient, who then has the burden of deciding for himself. Testing is unlikely to be helpful beyond age 70 to 75.
• 3. Eye exams by a specialist every one to two years, starting at age 50.
• 4. An annual flu shot.

The 60s
In terms of medical tests and treatments, a 60-year-old is just a grayer 50-year-old, with two exceptions. Men who have ever smoked, even just 100 cigarettes, should get an abdominal ultrasound test to look for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) at age 65 (a family history of AAA is another reason to get the test). And all men should roll up a sleeve for a pneumococcal pneumonia shot at age 65.

The 70s and Beyond
In time, even the healthiest of us will experience diminished physical and mental abilities. With good health habits, good medical care, good genes and good luck, the decline will be gradual—but it will occur. While it’s important to keep working to stay healthy and active, it’s also important to understand, accept and adjust to new limitations. But that doesn’t mean dwelling on what’s been lost. Instead, focus on all the good things in your past and keep looking for good things in your present—and future.

One of the few entirely good things about becoming an octogenarian is that you’ll need fewer routine screening tests. Prostate-cancer screening is downright foolish, and many doctors believe the value of colon-cancer screening diminishes as the years roll on.

If you’ve made it to your 90s in good shape, your wisdom and experience are likely to include the value of good health habits and preventive medical care. Although it’s impossible to single out any one bit of advice, the American aphorist Mason Cooley did a pretty fair job in 1922: “The wisdom of age: Don’t stop walking.”

Harvey B. Simon, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Health Sciences Technology Faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, a monthly newsletter, and the author of six consumer health books, including “The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men’s Health” (Simon and Schuster, 2002) and “The No Sweat Exercise Plan. Lose Weight, Get Healthy and Live Longer” (McGraw-Hill, 2006).

A source tells Radar Online, “It wasn’t a case of Tiger not wanting to go out – it was Elin telling him he wasn’t invited. She hasn’t let him near her.”

Tiger is back home in Orlando after a stint at a sex rehab clinic in Mississippi, but the two are reportedly living in separate houses. The source says, “The marriage is not good. She barely interacts with him.”

This time, I’m taking an appropriate amount of time off, and including a vacation at the end of the medical leave to make sure I’ve got things right.  Jeff Mitchell is doing a great job filling in for me and I’m thankful he’s there to help. 

Right now it’s great to just watch the Olympics, the Pebble Beach Golf tournament (I used to go every year when I was a kid), and DVD’s that I needed to catch up on.  I’ve got 3 books started, but with the pain medication I can’t seem to stay focused.  Just how many times can I read the same page and not understand or remember what I just read? 

In between the rain squalls, I manage to get a good walk in every day, and that’s been huge in getting my energy back.   

I plan to return on March 15th.  Workforce Payroll will be well underway by then.  In fact, it starts on Tuesday, so if you aren’t registered…well, you know the drill.  I hope you win lots of money. 

Until then, stay well.  As the Stones said…”Miss You.”

Iris