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.

The survey says...........POW!

I am quite disappointed today to see that the House of Representatives caved to Speaker of the house Sal DiMasi's usual politic antics and voted down Governor Patrick's casino bill. Apparently the House feels they can under DiMasi's leadership find hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to replace casino gambling. They are:

1. Multiple bake sales in the Rotunda of the State House.
2. Two Democrats and two Republicans that support the bill will sell candy bars at the chamber doors before the next session.
3. Several spaghetti suppers planned throughout the next session.
4. A sausage booth on Yawkey Way during home Red Sox games.

All these and many more ideas will save Education, Local Aid and will bring thousands of jobs to the Bay State. Oh yeah one more thing, there will now be a booth located just prior to the Connecticut border with Massachusetts students in it waving and holding signs that say:

" Now leaving Massachusetts, and the Connecticut economy thanks you!"

The verdict is in........

I just returned from Worcester where I saw Dr. Sungarian who is an absolute professional and we discussed all options available and unfortunately we have settled on back surgery early next week. (which is good) He had hoped to be able to be as non-invasive as he could but feels he may need to perform a "discectomy" on at least one disc which is causing the entire leg issue. I feel confident under his care, I will fully recover however it appears I will be out of work for at least another 4-6 weeks. So Brighto and the Blog may suffer a bit with update for a week or so but we'll get through it! Again I personally appreciate the calls and emails of those concerned and thank for your prayers as well! Lee

Well today is the day!!!!!!!

Today is the day I go to Worcester to meet with the neurosurgeon to discuss what options are available to me with regards to my back and pinched nerves. Hopefully what ever the option chosen is, it will be scheduled right away. It took four long weeks to get the appointment. So at least that wait is over. I will update the readers of this blog later on tonight. Thanks for your readership and your concerns!

You asked for it, you got it....BRIGHTO

I have been asked by many readers of the blog to return the full Brighto website, so you will be fortunate enough in life to go to http://www.brighto1.net/ and see the full website! There will be a link on the site to the blog as well. IT'S READY!

Thanks!!!

I just wanted to update the readers of the blog on my condition as I have received emails and calls of concern from alot of people. Here is the current status. I recently began traction during physical therapy. Let me first state that I have been very fortunate to receive such quality and compassionate care from the Physical Therapists at Athol Memorial Hospital. It was a good session, not a lot of pain during the traction. Today, I am paying for it a little but bad. I am still in need of crutches and the walker.

I am travelling to Worcester next Tuesday the 18th to see Dr. Arno Sungarian who is a Neurosurgeon and one of the best in the area I have been told. My wishful thinking wants me to be admitted Tuesday and surgery on Wednesday to get it over with. It has in fact been a long haul dealing with this injury and all because of shovelling. Hopefully I am on the road to recovery so I can return to my full time job as well as the Daily Grind very soon. Again thanks for the well wishes. Don't be afraid to email either! You can use jezalou@yahoo.com or lchauvette@verizon.net

Stop, No...Yes..Go...No...Stop, I don't know!

Now I was born at night, but just not last night and sometimes I appear to have gone to night school during the day, but can someone please explain to me the "Jungle of Lights" theory at the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets in Athol? (Ath-awl) As the person in town who has probably watched that intersection the most in the last five years I am truly astonished at the amount of traffic lighting it will take to allow traffic from Pleasant Street onto Main Street, left or right.

Now if you are familiar with Tatnuck Square in Worcester, Mass (Woo-stah) then you probably realize there are more lights at Main and Pleasant! Now one would have to think during a fine New Snow storm it will be a wonderful event trying to stop and then start on Main Street near the CVS store. Also where is the traffic study on the impact to The Daily Grind, Dennis' Citgo and CVS? There isn't one! I will not be able to get cars in and out of the parking lot for a "turnover of TO-Go Coffee" because traffic will be backed up at the Pleasant Street side or in the front entrance on Main Street!

Another brain storm is when the lights are ready to be used they will be turned on "Flashing" to get people to recognize they are there. Now pardon me for not being a traffic safety engineer, nor have I ever played one on TV, but for the life of me, those lights have been hanging in the air since October. I think everybody pretty much recognizes they are there! Furthermore why if the intersection is so congested now are we going to "flash" the lights for two weeks? Who goes now, nope its my turn , ROAD HOG!! BEEP BEEP. For cryin-out-loud people. Turn the lights on and let people learn to deal with the ACTUAL traffic pattern!

LATE DAY Addendum to current story...

Well now what a surprise turn of events in the ongoing saga of... yes you guessed it...the sign to the left here. While I spent the day trying to get my disc to pop back into place so my feet would release I cruised the Internet in search of what I guessed all along. Yes, the negative feedback because of the action taken by the Selectboard Tuesday night.

This is easily searchable yourself if you don't believe me. I am up to over 100 websites that have this sign, and our town as the lead feature! I saw it in Philly, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Chicago, San Fransisco, (I guess I left my heart there too, along with my community pride) as well as one publication called Examiner, TheTrucker.com and many more. See the problem is most of these sites have comments and forums. One such posting said, " well if the Selectmen didn't whine, nobody would have known about it, so they are all ATHOLS there!" Now isn't that a pretty picture to paint. Buried in the back of the Herald at the bottom of the page was this OH-SO-OFFENSIVE ad that nobody saw... Now we're all being chastised for it. Can we now go back to Economic Development??

Not offended by ad, offended by action

Now taking both sides of the recent flurry of activity surrounding the running of an ad in the Boston Herald and examining which side is actually more offensive the ad, or the action voted by the Selectboard and I for one will take the action of the Selectboard. So now let's look at this from outside the box. Why is it necessary to take a board vote on the subject matter of the personal feelings of one member? Shouldn't votes be taken that positively reflect the town's best interests? Now we are the town that can't take a joke. Now we are now longer the "Tool Town" , we are the "Johnny was picking on me at recess, Miss Crabtree" town.

Personally I would prefer the board to be working on economic development, looking at how town by-laws serve the community and working on things that matter to the community as a whole. Again while I respect every man or woman's right to their opinion and their freedom to voice their opinion I just don't think personal opinion should be voted policy of the town. I for one like many, many others was not offended by the ad and ComCast had no reason to apologize.

Brighto Video Moment

This spot may also at some points contain video that is shot around the North Quabbin Region. Well once the videotographer is healed! If you have local snipets that are of local scenes or events please forward them to jezalou@yahoo.com

What's up Doc?

Now consider me a trifle bit cynical here but is it really necessary to have the Athol Selectboard draft a letter to the Boston Herald and ComCast stating they are opposed to the use of "Athol" in advertisements? I just think that economic development, building a senior center and finishing other projects are more important to the board than one member's disdain for the newspaper. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder if " We can pronounce Worcester, without sounding like an Athol" is offensive. It's actually spelled out using two "Entering" signs with the two names. I don't know but "We can pronounce Worcester, without sounding like a Petersham" just doesn't fit.

Now using the town's name "Athol" which is a public domain entity in advertisements is certainly not something under the jurisdiction of the Selectboard. Quite the contrary I believe that any creative ad agency knowing about the letter from "Athol" will capitalize on the moment. Try out http://www.atholgear.com/ and see for yourself. (Picture of tee shirt courtesy of atholgear.com) I don't see anybody busting down her door like the "Athol"Idaho police.

I do contend that anybody has the right to voice their opinion in opposition to anything but when a vote occurs as official business it may work in the reverse and have a negative impact on the town. Hey by the way in The Daily Grind, I have an Athol Idaho mug....."I'm a real Athol without my coffee!" Boy it's true, I am!

Poster child for Ergonomics!

For those of who have stumbled onto my blog, are well aware of my current health situation. I wanted to discuss it openly for everybody to see and hear directly from me. On Dec 28th I was in the midst of trying to cooperate and abide by the Town of Athol's snow removal bylaw by shoveling the snow from a "brand new" sidewalk installed at the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets in front of my business. Now mind you the by-law states "reasonably able to be removed" and "upon completion of snow removal operations by the town." Now being the civic minded individual I am, decided well "I'll just cut a path through that new sidewalk so folks don't have to walk in the road." Keep in mind now this sidewalk never existed until the Main Street Project.

I shoveled my way from the Pleasant Street side all the way to the front of this new sidewalk. I had numerous people drive by and honk as they aren't used to seeing me do any form of manual labor! Upon reaching the very end there was a portion that I had no choice but to stand on the road side of the sidewalk. I put the shovel into the snow pile and pulled as it was the last shovel full. The result? In amongst the two levels of new sidewalk, the road and the pole was a gap that I got caught in. Upon trying to shovel, a sharp pain ran across my back and I had to immediately stop and stagger back to my car.

I placed the shovel on the ground and said a few of my favorite four letter words. I thought at that time it was merely a pulled muscle but I would soon learn I was wrong. I did make it until Jan 1, 2008 when I had to go the hospital to be checked out. After treatment there, I followed up with doctor a few days later, had an xray that showed nothing, which they usually don't. I stayed out of my full time job for 4 days and then returned with a slight limp and no pain in the back, but some running down my right leg. I wrote it off as a muscle pull in my thigh while nursing the back. I lasted three weeks like this even after trying to get an MRI paid for by my insurance company, but that's another time and posting.

On February 9, 2008 the shoveling act took its toll while walking across my living room the injury returned with full force and vengeance. I have been out of work ever sense. I can't even go to my own business. I am remanded to the house using a walker inside and crutches outside. Finally an MRI diagnosed a severely herniated L5 disc which is the precise area the pain was after throwing the shovel. I also have a condition that was unknown as Spinal Stenosis which is a narrowing of the spinal cavity. This never was known or had bothered me. The herniation in L5 has left me with numbeness in my lower left leg and right foot.

I have tried the chiropractor and physical therapy for pain relief. Now I must travel to UMASS on March 18th to meet with a neurosurgeon to discuss my next options. All this for trying to maintain a sidewalk in front of my business that was never there. Trying to do the right thing and follow the municipal by-laws of my town. Now I am out of work for up to two months, facing neurosurgery and losing ground everyday that I can't be at my business. It's always something....