Ti Ti,

As for my surgery, it was to be a simple operation…like 20 minutes. My podiatrist would merely cut a part of the tendon that connects the toes to the heel. The tendon is the cause of my plantar fasciitis. He did address the plantar fasciitis, but the major problem wasn’t that.

The ankle bone has nerves running through a hole in the bone. Tarsal tunnel surgery involves cutting open a 5–6 inch incision from the heel to the ankle bone. This is not me, but I will have some photos soon, about which I will write an article.

Source

I must have had problems with pinch nerves, which he cut. That will give more space and less pain in the tarsal tunnel. However, my podiatrist sewed me up with eight stitches after the cutting of the nerves. Then he wrapped the ankle very tightly with rolls of gauze. After that, he put a brace on the back of my leg from just below the knee to the heel, which he tightly wrapped also. That procedure is designed to avoid inadvertently ripping the stitches out. Ginger has already jumped up on my bed and landed on my ankle.

Fortunately, all the wrapping protected my incision. The surgeon changed the gauze yesterday and rewrapped everything again. Next Monday, he will repeat it. The following week, he will remove the packing.

Now, for the important stuff. YOU. In Asia, there is a reverence for older people due to them being wise. Old people acquire wisdom from learning from their mistakes in life. Hey, I’m old…and wise.

And you are telling me that you enjoy college, have been reelected as the class president, and are doing well grade-wise. What? Ti Ti, do you think that I’m dumb? I told you that you were gifted after you beat me at Scrabble a decade ago.

Now, Dr. PaPa Al wants to tell you to exercise your feet…to avoid arch pain, which can cause plantar fasciitis.

Finally, Fatty sent me this note in an email….

I love you, Snow, and Fatty. My granddaughters are the crème de la crème in my life. You all have unique personal greatness.

Your mother and I argue about how your parents can repay me for caring for my three granddaughters along with A Ngal Lay. We have this tiff every couple of months. I love your mother, but…. (-;

I tell her that I’m the luckiest guy in the world, and it all started with you.

Oops! I nearly forgot. I love you, Ti Ti. You mentioned getting reelected as your class present. There is a recent essay on my website about school boards in America. This is a copy of the first paragraph:

Forty-three years ago, I decided to run for a seat on the Dixon, IL school board. I don’t know what caused me to do that. It was just the right thing to do. So, in 1978, I ran and won. It was the second win of the only two times that I ever ran for something. The first time was when I ran for student body president in graduate school.

PaPa Al