Other people’s medical problems quickly become rather boring, but last week I had a little surgical hiccup so I happen to find this story utterly fascinating.
That little red scraped knee brought the whole proceedings of my knee replacement to a halt.
I was sitting in the surgical ward all suited up for my second knee replacement. (The first one was four years ago. It’s a thing of beauty now. Thank you for asking.) One of the doctors noticed a little abrasion on the knee in question, the result of a flagrant foul by a fifth grader in the annual parent/kid basketball game at school. The kids won.
The minute she zeroed in on it I knew the surgery was in trouble. “I’m not liking the way that looks,” she said. “I’m going to show this to the surgeon. This could pose a risk of infection.”
She whipped out her iPhone, photographed my knee, and vanished. Be clear, I was minutes away from being knocked out and months and even years into the psychological preparation required for the very long rehab of becoming one with a new body part. I was totally ready to go.
My boy, Teddy, was making sure that the docs didn’t replace the knee that he had already fixed four years ago.
The look on her face when she returned told me everything I needed to know. “I don’t want to be the one to tell you this,” she said. “We have to delay the surgery. Date to be determined.”
One benefit of this was that when I posted a picture of my self waiting for the doctor I heard from Claudia Wanberg, one of the super cute girls I went to grade school with. The conversation went something like this:
Me on Facebook:
I just noticed that from the neck down I’m a dead ringer for my mother.
Claudia from Fargo:
You should be so lucky. Your mother was beautiful. (Yes, she was.)
If this what it takes for Claudia Wanberg to notice me I’ll take it.
Anyway, other benefits quickly became clear. I could be more involved in family Christmas preparation. I could clean the gutters and possibly the garage but probably not. I could go to Teddy’s basketball games and sit in the stands injury free. I could drive Alexander to his bagpipe lessons.
And I could also put more energy into helping people shoot some holiday photos. The winter holidays are both a spiritual highlight and a lighting challenge. All kinds of things happen around a Christmas tree, for example, but few people seem to gather there to celebrate the annual Christmas camera settings puzzle of dim lighting and squirmy kids. I think I can help. I know I can.
So I’m going to get on Facebook almost everyday and do what I can to make the world a more beautiful place this holiday season—at least in photographs. (There’s really not much I can do about my neighbors display of mis-matched and damaged garbage cans down the block.) But I can help YOU capture your own world in beautiful photos.
So follow our Facebook page through the holidays and I will do my best to help you shoot better photographs and maybe come to grips with some of those annoying features on that camera you paid so much money for—or Santa did. Here’s the link for the Facebook page. www.facebook.com/HowToPhotographYourLife
Also, on January 7 we’re starting another round of our courses. (AND WE’RE HAVING A FLASH SALE NOW SO THEY’RE 50% OFF!) There are several, from Basic Photography to Portraits and Lighting. I have found the dead of winter to be a perfect time to learn how to use that camera. Cameras require a little bit of patience and a little bit of practice, and I can hold your hand as you embrace both. I will be looking over your shoulder. Here’s the link for the courses and be sure to use code: HOLIDAY50 to get HALF OFF! www.howtophotographyourlife.com
Oh, and let me know in the comments below who you think I’m a body double for!
