A few days ago I had my first visit with the Fayetteville, AR, VAMC Orthopedics Clinic about the possibility of getting my femur replaced.  Quite naturally, though possibly beneficially for me, the appointment came on the last of 14 consecutive days that each had storm activity in this area.  Oh, and I had a migraine.  I tried to get well-rested the day before, but it resulted in my being awake at 9pm (2100 hours) the night before, with an appointment at 10am – we didn’t leave Fayetteville until nearly 1330 (1:30pm) with a 3 hour drive still ahead to get home.  So, yes, it was a challenging day.

Still, there was humor to be found.  While we were leaving the X-ray clinic (the x-rays Mt. Vernon took didn’t include the whole femur, and the surgical site of the bone tumor wasn’t visible) a man walked up to me, stuck his hand out to shake, and said, “I do believe I flew cover for you guys back in the gulf.”  I got a confused look and said, “It couldn’t have been me – the only duty station I saw was in Germany.”

He pointed at the t-shirt I was wearing, and suddenly we both laughed.  In bright, yellow lettering it read – “USS ENTERPRISE” – he’d thought I served on the US Navy Air Craft Carrier – but under the letters was the far more recognizable silhouette of the STAR TREK Enterprise – NCC – 1701.

Note to self: do not wear Star Trek t-shirts to the VA hospital anymore.  Well, perhaps the ones with Mr. Spock’s photo . . .  (grin).

Anyhow, there is no update on whether or not I will be getting a new femur.  It might perhaps be an indication, though, that the doctor suggested a cane with a fore-arm brace, to be used on the strong side to take pressure off of the weak leg.  I almost feel like I might be reading to much into it, though.  Oh, well.  Time will tell.