Thanks, C. Baker Egerton

[JimL]

In his personal story, Baker includes this paragraph:

Looking back, I recall the period after surgery much more clearly than what went before. I do remember being somewhat worried about my general condition as the time for surgery drew nearer (the operation was scheduled nearly three months in advance). I adopted a regular walking routine in an effort to keep in better shape. I also read a book called They Tore out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat (1986) by the late Lewis Grizzard (www.lewisgrizzard.com). This was well before Mr. Grizzard, who was implanted with multiple porcine valves in subsequent operations, died of complications resulting from one of his valve replacement surgeries. The book was rather good preparation for my surgery, and helped me cope with the prospect through humor.

I just finished reading this book yesterday, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a little VR humor. You may want to wait a few weeks after surgery before reading it -- I found myself laughing at things that weren't really very funny, and then regretting the laughter because of the incision pain. His web site mentions another book, "I Took A Lickin' and Kept On Tickin' (and Now I Believe in Miracles)," which may also be worth reading.

 

[hensylee]

Lewis Grizzard lived in Newnan Ga and frequented a small Italian restaurant there where my daughter saw him many times. He is a true Ga boy and writes like it. He had a daily news column that was SOOO funny and every book he wrote is well worth reading. But not during surgery repair, as you might bust a staple laughing. His untimely death was a true tragedy, as any untimely death is. He is much missed.