Joe Survived

Due to the overwhelming response from my reading public to update all on my condition, I would like to report that I have survived.  (Thanks Terri for your concern!)

This weekend, I made a 45 minute climb up a small hill to view a pile of rocks in Sligo (story to follow), so my lungs are feeling good.

Yesterday I had a (hopefully) final chest x-ray to verify that my lung is clear and that I am able to continue my life in the manner I am accustomed to.  A Friday appointment with the Dr. should get me on my way to a normal life.  Mainly this means that I will be able to get on my bike and ride to work and rid myself of the following:

1. Having to walk to and from the bus stop. (Save 30 minutes / day)
2. Having to ride the bus.  I think my informal observation and study of my fellow passengers (temporary) tells me that, after hospitals, buses are the places sick people are most likely to inhabit. (Save 10 minutes / day as I can ride  my bike faster than the bus can go)  (AND I avoid the sick of Dublin...)
3. Having to shell out about EUR 4 / day.
4. A feeling of lethargy brought on by having little opportunity for physical exercise.
5. Losing weight.  Yes, Joe loses weight when he quits riding his bike and his pants are hanging a bit lower than they really should for a man of his age. (Get back those 10 lbs.)
6. Being late for work.  You never know when the buses are going to stop.  I had 8 full buses drive by me last week until one that had capacity stopped.
7. Having to depend on Martha for rides.  She is a saint (as we all know), but it's still not fun for her or me to endure the traffic to my office during rush hour.  It took us 40 minutes the other day for a 3 mile ride on a day where I didn't take the bus.