Yes...it's been awhile!

Of course its been awhile I'm recuperating ya knuckleheads! Anyways things are going well on this end and recovery is right about where it should be. I am merely a few days away from losing the cane and walking on my own! Anybody ever says "don't get back surgery" to you have them call me. I know sometimes it doesn't work, but in my case I had no choice! I could walk, my spinal cord was partially compressed, but the surgery has worked.

Moving on, I see the fire station was defeated and honestly I don't think anybody should fault the Fire Chief for trying. As a department head he has the responsibility to bring forth what he believes is necessary for his department to function. He had a plan and the voters didn't see the need. Usually it takes a tragedy in the community to get things done! I am glad to see however that the Finance Committee stated publicly because I won't let them forget it either that "schools are the priority in this town now." More on that later on.

Nice weather is here, enjoy it because rain will come because the carnival is in town. Don't forget this is River Rat Weekend. There is a spaghetti supper Friday night at the Athol Congo Church and of course the Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning!

Hi-del-he-hoe!!!!!! Just Vote No???

Sometimes in life you just got to laugh as current happenings in Athol government. I knew it would be sooner, rather than later that some key figures would resurface in town politics. Having stayed the course and not become embroiled in any talk about the proposed downtown fire station, I just to clarify a few things I read today in an editorial in the local paper.

Having served on the Needs Assessment Committee at the time when it was the most politically fired up process, I can assure you..the FIRE department never said NO to a public safety complex. In fact it was my desire, still is today to have built a building that would have satisfied the needs of the Fire and Police departments for years to come. We traversed many evenings being banged about the forehead by individuals that had individual hatred towards the police, or towards the fire department. We bantered between Lyman Ward for a complex, 206 Exchange Street etc.

In twenty years of serving on the fire department one statement that clearly shows a lack of understanding of the time factor in Fire/EMS or even Police response is ......" The whopping three minutes it takes to get downtown." Well I say you hold your breath for three minutes. Don't move, don't breathe. The difference is life or death. I think the key here is that people need to get out and vote on April 7th and make their own informed choice.

In Recovery.........

Well, I made it back from the halls of UMASS Memorial in Worcester and am home recovering from the back surgery. I have some pain in the surgical site area but the leg and butt pains are gone! The foot numbness is still in the left foot but should subside in a week or two. I am still looking at probably 6-8 weeks before I can return to work on a full time basis. But thanks for the concern and I'll be around!

A few thoughts........

Well as you can see when having trouble sleeping, pain twinges, etc. you tend to be up at weird hours typing away on the old keyboard. Of course there will probably be no sleep tonight awaiting the big day in the city on Wednesday. I got my fill of pre-operative testing Monday. It's funny go in for back surgery and the pre-op moves you from room to room- EKG this, blood work here, stand up, sit down! Ummmm, people do you see the crutches? My big thrill though was to get the showering instructions for tonight and Wednesday morning. They gave me the antiseptic soap- yeah the orange stuff. What a complete thrill as I will certainly look like The Great Pumpkin that I am sure even Charlie Brown wouldn't want!

I did have a couple of people email and ask me for the right email to send well wishes and even a couple more asked for my mailing address: The email is lchauvette@verizon.net and the mailing address is Lee Chauvette, P.O. Box 592, Athol, Ma.01331. Again I truly appreciate the support this blog and the new website are getting. As soon as I am able to return to the keyboard, probably Friday or Saturday I'll update you on the progress. Course some have always implied I was a pain in the back side, but a little lower than my proposed surgical site! Thanks again.

Surgery Day!

Well finally folks, the old Brightomaster wilh have his day in Worcester on Wednesday March 26. The back/spinal surgery will take place at UMASS Memorial Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Arno Sungarian. From what I am told I am very lucky to have him and to have such a speedy date for the operation. Now I know some have said "don't have surgery" well after a month with no ability to bear weight on my left leg and not being able to walk without crutches or a walker....IT's TIME. I have researched on my own and surgery is the answer that keeps popping up. It will be about a 6 week recovery period. But if I don't stop picking on the Boston Poilticians I may have alot longer recovery period! My posting from below regarding the Casino vote made its way to the Worcester Telegram website blog and also on myfoxboston.com which is Fox 25's blog! Anyways thanks again for the emails, prayers and hope.