Scalpels – photo from the public domain
Yup, major back surgery.
A double lumbar laminectomy, tentatively scheduled for Monday, five days from today. I still have a hoop or two to jump through before it’s set in stone but at this point it appears to be likely.
I’m announcing it now because it’s also likely I won’t post every day, or at all, between now and Monday so I wanted readers to know why. Between all I have to do to prepare for surgery and the crappy weather forecast between now and then, everything is up in the air when it comes to posting to Feathered Photography.
And if the surgery actually happens it gets worse after that instead of better. It will be a slow and painful recovery so it’s hard to predict when I’ll be shooting and posting again. If I can wean myself off of the serious pain meds soon after surgery I should be able to drive quickly and that means I can get out with the birds and post to my blog but I’ll have to play that timing by ear. It may be a week or two. Possibly longer but I sure as hell hope not.
I’m really dreading this but I’ll admit it’s probably my time to pay the surgical piper. In my 71 years the only surgery I’ve had was a hernia repair in 1966 when I was 19 years old. If you can believe it they were still using ether as an anesthetic back then. Every cell in my body and every breath I took for two days after that surgery reeked of ether so at least I won’t have to put up with that this time. 53 years later I can still taste that nasty stuff just from writing about it.
This has been a difficult post for me to write for several reasons, among them the fact that I’ve been posting daily to my blog for going on nine years now (over 2500 posts) and just about the only time I’ve skipped a day or two was when I flew to Florida to be with my daughter Shannon after her accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury.
I have an image going through my mind – of me recovering from surgery and trying to get off of the serious pain meds. I see myself moaning, twitching and drooling and the doctors thinking I’m having drug withdrawal symptoms when in reality it’s only withdrawal from birds, my photography and my Feathered Photography routine.
A bit of a stretch perhaps, but not by much.
Ron
Ron, you will be missed while you are away. Take care of yourself, have a successful surgery and get well soon! Hopefully you’ll be back in the field in no time.
Best of luck and quick healing to you. I hope it goes well and you are out with the birdies again soon.
Get better soon Ron. We will all miss your posts and be hoping for your speedy recovery. Stay strong my friend.
Lots of love and good thoughts going out to you to wish you a successful surgery and speedy recovery! I hope you are back doing your what you love sooner rather than later – for our sakes as well as yours 🙂
Hope this relieves all the pain and suffering your have been having with your back and gives you a new lease on life – and bird photography.
Perhaps some of the medical personnel will understand your negative reactions to being away from your beloved “sport” for such a long time. That comment made me smile.
All the kind responses to this post make it obvious why I’m going to miss my interactions with all of you during my “adventure”. Thanks so much everyone!
Best wishes Ron that this helps you a lot. I really am sorry you have to go through this. It does not sound pleasant at all. Take time to heal. Your readers and birds will be here when you are feeling better. I will spend this time catching up on your blogs.
Take good care of yourself we can all re-read your past posts until you are up and shooting photos again. I hope the surgery goes well. My friend had a similar procedure 2 years ago, her was so successful she can’t believe the difference. I am not too far away give a holler if you need a hand!
Wishing sure hands to your surgeons, and for your return to health to be as swift and low-pain as possible.
You will come through this fine, although, as you say, there will be tough spots. I think you got the right idea about the drugs, although remember they are there for pain management. Listen to your body and you will know when and how to cut back, but talk to the doctor about this because if you cut back too soon you will suffer for it. It will all get better in the end and you will be thrilled to see the birds again although I am sure you can work them into your recovery. You may not believe in prayer, but I will say a prayer for you. I will have cataract surgery in 4-6 months and I will be thrilled to spot and see my feathered friends again and get focused, clear shots.
Wishing you a speedy convalescence, but we’ll all still be here whenever you get back.
Ron, I had this same surgery when I was quite a bit younger. I wish you a speedy recovery. I hope that you are able to get rid of some of that absolutely awful back pain.
All my best thoughts are with you, Ron! Hoping for a speedy recovery. Hope you cleared your time off with the state. They will have to plan on what they are going to do with all those extra photons you won’t be capturing.
Good luck and a speedy recovery. Remember, everything happens for a reason. As painful and inconvenient as it seems, in the end, it may turn out to be a good thing.
I’ll keep you in my prayers
As `long time, although silent, followers of your blog we want to wish you speedy good results on your upcoming “adventure”. Good luck, Gay & Howard Sain. (April Olson’s parents)
Thank you Ron for letting us know about your surgery and the possibility of no posts from you . I hope the surgery goes well and your recovery is swift ! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Oh dear, so sorry to hear this news, Ron — but add me to the very lengthy list of admirers/fans hoping this procedure will take care of your painful and annoying back problems once and for all! We’re all rooting for you and we’ll all be waiting for your return, as will your beloved birds. All the best to you for a successful surgery and speedy recovery! 🦉
Good luck Ron! The surgery should relieve your pain, so hopefully you can kiss those pain meds goodbye! I was on them for one day after an ankle surgery, and that was enough for me. Sending you good thoughts and wishing you the best.
Carol
Good luck with your surgery, Ron – I hope you have. a quick recovery.
Just so you know, you made me smile with the bit about bird withdrawal!
So sorry to hear this and wishing you the very best and quickest recovery, Ron. The birds will miss you and so will we.
Wow, I’m overwhelmed by all the kind and thoughtful comments. Thank you, all!
It turns out that sitting at my computer bothers my back more than any place else I regularly sit and the best “chair” I own is my pickup seat. So despite our overcast I spent the morning on Antelope Island. Not much to photograph and the light was lousy but the island was almost deserted so I enjoyed the solitude and one very friendly coyote.
Amazing the number of people you and your beautiful photos and information reach! With all the good thoughts , vibes, and prayers from everyone, you will have a great surgery and recovery time! I for one will get my daily fix trying to cover more of your past postings. Thank goodness for those. Surgery has come a long way from the days of ether…the techniques, the types of anesthesia, everything involved has changed so much you will have a speedy time in both the O.R. and recovery time. Take it one day at a time! You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh my, Ron. Understanding the trepidation you express, but you are going to be fine. You can deal. You are amazing. Best of luck.
Oh Ron.
If the good wishes of your readers could heal you, you would be out the door camera in hand aa soon as the anaesthetic wears off.
Holding you in my heart and hoping your recover is smooth and quick.
You are in my prayers. I wish you the best.
You will be fine and your pain after won’t be as bad as what you have been putting up with of late. I will be thinking of you, your impish smile and the joy you bring us each and every day and I know you won’t be long getting back to us. Take care of yourself, the thought of surgery is always worse than the surgery…..hugs Ron!
Ron, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery so you can get back to what you love and what we all look forward to seeing each day; your amazing wildlife photos and educational discussion about those photos.
Reid
Wish you all the best and speedy recovery Ron.
We all wish you the very best and assume it will all go well. I too remember the days of ether for a surgery when I was 12 (59 yers ago). Just 2 years ago I had another surgery and all went so well I was released the next morning, so there are huge advances in medicine that will be to your benefit. If I need my fix of Feathered Photography I can look back at your many excellent past examples. I know there are many more great things to come, but in the meantime, make yourself your first priority. We will have you in our thoughts.
OMG! Please surround yourself with the beauty of birds which you have made possible for your followers and be at peace. I’ll be praying for you and your family.
You’ll be in my prayers. I’ll be watching the birds at our feeders and thinking of your recovery.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery so you can get back to what you, and we, love for you to do. I empathize with the ether; as a child, I had eye surgery in 1968 and will never forget the smell of that ether and how scared I was in the hospital overnight, with both eyes bandaged up. Surgery has progressed a long way in 50 years and I predict you will do great!
At 80, my mother decided to have a double knee replacement. She taped a photo of the Sierra mountains on her hospital wall with “DETERMINATION” penned above it. You have demonstrated that you too have the determination to recover quickly.
As an avid daily reader of your blog, I can survive by going back through your old posts so I won’t have withdrawals. So, get well my friend.
Good grief Ron! I wish you all the best. I’ll think if you and your blog every day as I feed a beautiful pair of house finches that eat seeds of my downtown patio!
Ron, I want to wish you the Best recovery on your surgery. I hope you will have some home care person to help you.Just take your time and it will go smooth. I know it is hard to be home bound, or in a recovery nursing home. You will do fine. All your friends and birds will be waiting to hear and see you soon. What a deal our retired life brings us. You will wish the surgery had been done earlier. Trudy
Possibly a silly question – can we send you a laptop so that you can work from your convalescing bed? Or may we send you some Madlibs or sudoku?
Thanks for the thought and the offer, Nicky but I have a laptop – the one I use to post to my blog on my camping trips.
Wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery. We will miss you, but know that you will be back on your feet and swinging your big lens around soon. You may have to start with your 100-400mm while you are recovering.
Wishing you a speedy recovery! You’ll be back at it in no time.
Take the time to heal, we’ll be waiting for your speedy recovery and return to posting. Joan P
So sorry to hear of your pending surgery but hope that the bump is a very small one. Wishing you a successful outcome and speedy recovery. Wow! You have an amazing record of posts and I know how much this means to you. I will miss my daily dose of Feathered Photography but know, that as a former Montana farm-boy, you’re up for any challenge!
Absolute best of good luck with this surgery, Ron (I’ll be watching and considering the possibility of having to do the same) …. winging sincere thoughts of quick healing, blissful freedom from back pain, and good spirits your way.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Prayers for a successful surgery Ron. Having my knee replaced on Tuesday 😔 I’m sure you like I are about done with being in pain so let’s get it over with ❗️ Listen to the doctor, rehab people and everyone who’s involved in getting you back to good health ❤️
Your birds will be patiently waiting for you.
Take care
Ron — as I woke up late this AM, I’ve been scrolling thru this absolute MOUNTAIN of affection and good wishes you’ve inspired by your gift of all these years of wonderful posting……..
My wish for you is that you ‘ll be able to make use of your fine sense of humor–“twitching and drooling because of bird withdrawal”–in the time to come. It helps a lot.
I’m happy for you that there is good hope that you may yet have years of improved function without the pain you’ve been enduring for so long…….that’s the best “carrot” I can think of
for you to have— just think of all the bird-seeking you’ll be better able to do once you’ve recovered ! New horizons……….
o
Best to you Ron, We will have you in our thoughts and prayers.
Hey, Ron – I wish you easy molting. . .I have had 3 spinal procedures, one of which involved removing a tumor pressing on a nerve and scraping out the insides of the facet joints at L4-L5. That was 2011. I was back on my feet in the brace on the meds within 10 days. I did the physical therapy, and then returned to swimming in warm pool with surgeon’s permission. In the 8 years since then, surgical technique and post-op medicine have improved astronomically. If you start taking powdered collagen the muscles will come back on line fairly quickly, ditto the nerves.
The good news for you is you will recover and the pain will begin to diminish quickly. And you don’t have a boss demanding you come back to the office right now and trying to talk to your surgeon…
Best of luck, the birds and all of us will be thinking about you.
Don’t fret. The Bird Gods will take care of you for all you have done to help people better know and care for our avian neighbors.
Ron,
I hope the surgery is successful in relieving the pain and that you have a quick recovery. Betty, my wife, had a similar surgery several years ago and it led to a big improvement in her lifestyle.
So sorry to hear about your upcoming surgery, Ron. With your grit and determination to get back out into nature, I bet your recovery will be speedier than expected. Until then, I will dip back into your archives looking for back-brooding Grebes, flying Shorties and gliding Harriers. Take care, my friend, and be good to yourself through this latest challenge.
Ron, As a relative newcomer to your site, I didn’t realize that there were 9 years of posts. What an accomplishment! Perhaps you can review your images as you recover … although if you only give yourself one month for recovery, you’d have to review 83/day. If you are gentler on yourself and take two months, you’ll still have 41/day to keep you company. If physical therapy takes a bit longer, you’d still have 28 to enjoy for the nest 3 months…and the weather should be much more pleasant by the end of April. But most of all, your birds are there with you in your imagination and they will be waiting for you whenever you are ready. You will be in my thoughts and prayers until you post again. Elizabeth
We’ll all miss you Ron…But do what you have to do and I for one will be here checking every day waiting for you …Good Luck and a speedy recovery..I know the birds will miss you too…
Ron,
While I hardly ever post on your blog, I want to take the time to wish you a speedy recovery. LIsten to your doctors! Before you know it you’ll be with your camera and the birds. Every one of your photos teaches me something. Every one of your photos makes me say ‘Wow’!! Will be thinking about you and looking forward to your return and so will the birds!!!
God’s speed and I’ll miss your blog. Hurry back!
Had a surgery recently. Absolutely no memory or pain involved. I asked the Doc later what on earth they gave me. His reply, “I don’t care juice.” Indeed.
I hope my surgeon has access to some of that same juice, Larry!
Ron, I’m so glad you let your readership know what’s going on for you, and I’m so very sorry that the surgery is necessary for you. I know that I speak for many more people than myself when I say that you will be in my thoughts and prayers, even though I’m an agnostic. We will be missing you terribly too, as we go through our own withdrawals from your posts, though hopefully not twitching and drooling…
Oh wow, Ron!! I will be praying like mad for you, big Guy!! I hope you have the very best surgeon & everything goes smoothly. My best friend of many years had back surgery way back in 1979 & it was successful at a time when you heard about a lot that didn’t!! Be sure to do the PT to help your healing. Do you have people to help you when you 1st get home. Wish I was closer – I’d be c\glad to help. I know Mia will be there but she’ll need someone to help fill in!! Good Luck!!
Yes, I’ll have some help, Jo Ann.
Well HELL! Sorry it’s come to this, BUT if it needs to happen, it needs to happen and, hopefully, it will mean a HUGE improvement in your life even if a lot of work to get there…… Yes, the surgery situation has improved exponentially since the 60’s………never did the ether thing tho had a hernia repair in that time frame and they didn’t get you up very soon then with predictable results……. 😉 Know back surgery is a “crap shoot” as far as results and a major decision. Hoping for the best for you. At least we still have a “kazillion” old blogs to entertain ourselves with….. 😉 Take care of you and keep us updated as you can!
Best wishes to you, Ron, for a speedy reovery.
Take the time you need to feel well.
Hey Professor. You take care of you. We will peruse the archives and enjoy ourselves, right gang? I know I will miss your posts a lot but I’d rather think of you getting better. So go get better. That’s your job now. 😀 Bossy me!
Ron,
Now is the time to take care of yourself to insure a speedy recovery. The birds will be waiting for you as we will also be awaiting your return. Listen to your doctors and therapists and before you know it you’ll be back out there and in better shape than ever.
Cindy
All the best Ron. Hope you have a really fast recovery.
Ron, good luck!I hope the surgery will be successful and your recovery fast and without complications. Can’t wait to have you back!
Take care, Ron.
Will be thinking of you and sending you good vibes!
Speedy recovery!
Best wishes. The birds will be waiting . . .
Wishing you all kinds of good luck and speedy recovery! Withdrawal from being outside with a camera is a very serious situation. 🙂 All the best to you!
Hey, Ron–The surgical procedures and anesthesia of today are much more effective and easier to shake off than the stuff they used on us in the 50’s and 60’s. The last time I had surgery, they gave me something in the room before they rolled me out and I slipped into a nice little nap before I hit the surgical suite. No more looking up at all those masked faces and “counting backwards from 100”. A much better surgical experience than I’d ever had in the past. In your recovery, you’ll figure out pretty quickly how to manage the pain. You’re a salty ole rascal and there’s no way you’ll turn into some kind of degenerate opioid junky. Ain’t gonna happen.
I hate to hear this, but knowing you as I feel I do, you’ll hammer this out and get on with everything in life that gives you pleasure. If you start feeling a bit crazy, well, just remember that yer gonna be crazy for a little while and roll with it. 🙂
Best always….Mitch
A friend here just had that surgery about 3 months back and is doing very well. Best wishes for a successful surgery and a rapid recovery Ron. Will add you to my prayers. God bless.
Everett Sanborn
Prescott AZ
Ron, Best wishes and bon courage! You bring such joy and light to my life…through you I know more about and have seen more birds than ever in this 3/4 century! I like your image of getting of the pain meds and healing, healing healing…I will be sending you healing thoughts and I know the birds are with you!
Wishing you a smooth, successful procedure and a swift recovery.
Remember, we need you.
Best
Best of luck, I had to read what you were going to have done, Common procedure, so even with that being known take your time coming back, the birds will still be there. It is your health that matters and we all enjoy your pictures and can’t wait for when you are back.
We will miss you but best wishes for successful surgery and uneventful and speedy recovery!
Ron, wishing you a successful surgery with a speedy recovery. Will be thinking about you and sending good vibes your way.
Best of luck Ron!
I will be sending healing thoughts! You will be so missed. I love your blog – I have learned a lot and it brightens my day. This surgery will be zero fun – it just sucks. But I look forward to your return. Best of luck with all of this.
Shoot!, sorry to hear this Ron. I am sure I will have some withdrawal symptoms of my own for not being to have your posts along with my coffee. More importantly, I wish you the best of luck with the surgery and a speedy recovery.
Not to be selfish, but I’ve come to look forward to your morning posts like my first cup of coffee. Hope everything works out and you’re back in the saddle soon without the pain.
Successful surgery and a quick recovery!
Charlotte
You are a gift to bird & animal lovers shareing your spectacular talents.
Sure you are aware Today’s surgical technique’s do minimize much of the problems and minimize recooperation. Having had many surgeries in my 84 years I still suffer through anxiety.
Thoughts and prayers are with you, please keep those in the forefront.
A former birds of Prey federal rehabber.
Good luck to you, Ron. I hope you have someone to be eagle-eyed for you in the hospital! I will miss my daily bird fix, and look forward to your return, back pain-free.
Been there, done the cervical version. I send you all my good juju,( not saying it’s much) but also sending you empathy. It’s scary and it sucks, but you do what Ron does to get through it as gracefully as possible by harassing the good looking nurses and using expletives when you need them. In the meantime, people can just go to Farmington Bay Education center to see some genuine Ron Dudley greatness, and it is greatness!
All the best to you.
Your reference to my Farmington prints made me smile, Suzanne. Thanks for that.
Luck to you, sir. We are all rooting for you. We will re-read many previous posts to pass our daily time 🙂
Have a speedy recovery Ron. We gonna miss you.
Larry
Ron, I wish you the best! Don
Best of luck, Ron. I hope you find relief and soon.