Because You Asked....

Several of you have requested more information about the boy. Here it is....

As you may remember, I posted about a blind date back in the beginning of January. That blind date was Mike. Around Christmas, I became determined to shed old baggage and start a new campaign to meet new people. Not "the one" necessarily but get myself back in the dating game. I had tried Match.c0m and EHarm0ny with little success but I decided to give Match.c0m another try. Part of match is Chemistry.c0m. I filled out the profile, determined to be clear about myself and what I was looking for, no hedging on the weight or vagueness about what I wanted from my life or potential dates. I had several matches and I went through the motions of answering their questions and reading their responses but noone struck me as interesting. I was ok with this, though. I figured if nothing else, I would meet new people and regain the confidence I had lost over the last several years.

Then somewhere in between Christmas and New Years, I was contacted by Mike. We went through the motions of the beginning levels of communication for Chemistry and then began emailing and instant messaging. After about two weeks of talking, we agreed to meet for dinner. Dinner was an enlightening experience. Here was this very pleasant individual, exactly as described, who was easy to talk to. We spent 3 hours talking. I walked away from dinner saying WOW. Mike says he walked away thinking I was the one. (I knew on the second date when he showed up at my apartment with flowers and chocolate.)

Neither one of us have looked back. Everything has been easy and natural. It is amazing to find this person, the one that completes the spaces you didn't realize were empty until you meet them. We have looked at rings, he has asked my opinion, but I want him to pick it out. He has seen what I like but also wants me to be surprised. I don't know when it is coming but he says sometime this summer.

Mike is one of 5 children ( the other 4 are half siblings) but is estranged from all but one. His parents each brought children to the marraige, Mike is the only child from their marraige. Both parents have died. He has been on his own for the past three years. He is divorced, having married someone he admits he knew he should not have. They got caught up in the planning and did not know how to reverse it all. They remain friends, although I have not yet met her. She is 5 years younger than we are and it seems that they were immature when they met and that carried into the marraige. She must be a good person because although they were in the middle of a divorce she moved with him into his parents home to care for her mother when they brought her home on hospice.

I am hoping this answers burning questions...

The Day After

We arrived at the hospital at 10:30. Mike was registered and ushered into a room where he was handed a paper gown, instructed to wear that and only that, and then subjected to a barrage of questions and stuck with needles. He said he was fine until they made him put on the paper gown; then reality sunk in... We only had to wait about 20 minutes once the admitting nurse was done with him before the OR tech came to usher him off to surgery. In the elevator, he began to shake and when we got to the doors of the OR suite, he started to tear up. I could go no further with him and kissed him good bye, told him I loved him, and went to wait in the surgical family waiting room.

Now, my family has had a number of surgeries and we have congregated in these waiting rooms together. It is a stark difference to be waiting alone. Don't get me wrong. We still worry and watch the time pass but when you are with others, there are a number of distractions. The females are knitting (I think the last surgery, 3 out of 4 were knitting pumpkin hats), Damian is reading the paper and we all are texting brothers 2 and 3. 15 minutes passes quickly. We are all worried but we are bolstered by family. Yesterday was torture. Minutes seemed like hours and I couldn't knit or read, it took too much to concentrate. Someone foolishly had given Mike a time of 1-2 hours for surgery so that when I hit the 3 hour mark, I began to worry. Friends from the hospital would stop by to check but still time stood still, it seemed. The physician came out after three and a half hours. Surgery went fine, he was able to do everything he wanted but Mike would be sore and off his feet for awhile. I would be able to see him once he was moved out of the recovery room, another hour at least.

When I did finally get to see him, he was groggy and sore but he smiled when I saw him and the first thing he said was, I love you. He is swollen and sore and exhausted. The next two days will be spent sleeping on the couch, he has to sleep upright so no bed for him. He can eat only cold soft liquids- my favorite type, ice cream. As I type, he is asleep next to me on the couch, the dog is asleep at my feet and we have Yo Yo Ma playing in the background. Life is good.

Thank you so much for all your well wishes and prayers. They mean so much. I am honored to be among such lovely people in blogistan...

Tomorrow is the day.

Mike is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 12noon. I am a little freaked out. Although he is having surgery at the hospital where I work, by a surgeon I trust implicitly, I am still scared. I will feel much better tomorrow night when we are home and Mike is on the other side of the knife....