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Sifu_Jeremy
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« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2009, 07:50:16 PM » |
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Dear Students, Parents, and Friends,
Thank you to everyone for your calls, prayers, cards and flowers while I was in the hospital. Everyone's concern definitely helped the healing process. I wanted to give everyone a few details but first I have a special announcement:
Meng's Martial Arts of Centerville will be closed from Wednesday, June 24th to Sunday, July 5th. Classes will resume on July 6th with a week of preparation for testing, and testing to follow during the 2nd week of July.
We normally close the school for a week in honor of July 4th and I've extended that time frame due to my health and the need to fully recover. Talking with several friends on Tuesday, two different people, at two different times and places asked the same question, 'Which is more important, teaching or your health?' I love to teach but I know - and Tuesday night proved it to me - that I can't do everything, all the time, and maintain the high level of service and quality of teaching to which I aspire in my current condition.
I was out of the hospital in 6 days this time instead of 11, but I also have a mild case of pneumonia that I'm fighting.
This was not an easy decision, as I hate to fail or give up on pretty much anything but I do believe it to be a necessary, short-term
solution.
However, if any of the adults want to get together for training, Teacher Wayne has volunteered to make himself available to unlock the school. He can be reached at: 937-361-1980.
While in the hospital I underwent two procedures: Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) and Pleurodesis. The VATS basically
involved making two holes in my chest - one to insert a camera and the other to insert of tool - and manually checking my lung for adhesions and 'blebs' (those are little balloons pointing outward that sometimes form on the lung and sometimes pop, leading to a collapsed lung). The Pleurodesis involves placing talcum power in my chest to scar up the pleura (which is tissue that surrounds the lung itself) and help it stick to the walls of my chest/ribcage. Once recovered, I'll have about a 3-5% chance of having another collapsed lung.
My right lung collapsed (again) on Tuesday, June 16th during the 7p-8p class. I was training with the class, we were doing 3 minute rounds on tombstones, focus mitts, and heavy bags - holding tombstone or mitts for one round, hitting tombstone, mitts, or heavy bags one round, with 60s rest in-between. I did the first 4 rounds just fine, went to the wall to do a wall sit for 60s, and then on my turn with the heavy bag, my right side felt empty. Long story short: ended up at the hospital after dinner and was admitted with a 50% collapse in my right lung early the next morning. Hospital stay wasn't too much fun and was glad to get out. Recovery is going slow but I'm making progress with my lung strength each day. The one challenge is that the talcum powder causes the lung to scar so it might my breathing might be changed for the rest of my life. Only time will tell. Awesome. Oh, wait... "That's my favorite part!"
Please enjoy your July 4th weekend, and I'll see everyone on the Monday, July 6th.
Sincerely,
Sifu Jeremy
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