Rainy Day Date

My dear Bob proposed a rainy day outing to Disneyland. The Christmas decorations are up, the music is playing, and the crowds are light. I'm grateful to be here sharing it with my dear spouse!

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It Wasn't Indigestion

Originally published on my Posterous blog on July 11, 2011 as It Wasn't Indigestion

I'm sitting alone in an empty hospital room. Bob is having an Angiogram to determine the extent of the blockage in his heart. It felt like indigestion. He began having what he thought was severe acid indigestion on Thursday. When he had to leave the Muni Band tear down early on Friday, I told him he was having symptoms of a heart attack and should go to the ER. Convinced that it was indigestion, he spent Saturday in bed. He was talking about going to see his doctor on Monday. When I checked with him as I drove home from a gig, I argued strongly that he needed to be seen immediately. Persistence overcame stubbornness, and a Saturday evening trip to the ER saved Bob's life. Although he had no other symptoms besides acid indigestion, an alert ER physician persisted in her suspicion that it was heart related instead. A stress test yesterday morning revealed a blockage at the entrance to the heart. Bob is at this moment having an Angiogram. The best case would be a stent would open the blockage. Worst case (besides death) would be bypass surgery. Please remember that indigestion can indicate a heart attack. Don't blow your symptoms off. Do the right thing for the ones you love.


UPDATE:  Here is a view of Bob's heart during the Angiogram with arrows pointing out the blockage:

Here is the same view after a stent was inserted to open the blockage:

What a miracle!


Here is Bob in the park last night, 4 hours after being discharged from the hospital:

He was just there to observe and offer advice.


He was back to work at the concert tonight.  He is pretty wiped out, but he is ALIVE.  I am extremely grateful for that!

PULIZTER PRIZE WINNER

Pulitzer prize winning composer David Lang with Long Beach Opera artistic director Andreas Mitisek at opening night pre opera talk.

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Define Major

Close up of a birthday scarf knitted for my niece.  Knitting has replaced blogging...for now

I have a new definition of major surgery.

I'd never spent much time thinking about the term before. I'd hear that someone had "major surgery" or talk to someone who had "major surgery". I thought I could empathize and understand what they had gone through.

I was incorrect.

I'd had one previous experience with an unpleasant, painful surgery under general anesthesia several years ago. As painful as it was, it was an outpatient procedure and the healing was rapid, the discomfort short lived.

My paradigm underwent a radical shift on August 17, 2010. What started out as a laparoscopic procedure quickly transformed into rather extensive abdominal surgery. My excellent surgeon tried everything possible to avoid this, but it was quite impossible for her to do so. She is well aware of my profession, of the extensive use of the abdominal muscles as part of the flute playing process, and was very reluctant to slice them up. Thankfully, she DID slice them up. Her regard for my life and well being far exceeded that of my flute playing muscles.

I thought pneumonia was difficult to recover from. It WAS difficult to recover from, although I did play a full 2 weeks of Muni Band and 4 days of a Michael Crawford show with it. There was no possibility of anything like that happening THIS time.

Long story short, it's been an interesting 10 months. I'm at about 95% right now, feeling better than I have for years, and back to extreme fluting. The remaining 5%, though, must be my blogging percentage. I have had no energy or desire to exert myself in that direction.

Having said that, I can feel a 1% improvement coming on even as I type. I am willing to be willing to blog again. I'm making no promises, but I'll keep you posted.

Maybe.

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherry Town

The newest addition to my music stand is Dimitri Shostakovich' MOSCOW, CHERRY TOWN for Long Beach Opera. Once again my dear husband is doing sound design. As Bob says, "We met at work, and I always enjoy working with you."

We get to take this production on the road - at least on the roads of Southern California - with performances at the Center Theater in Long Beach, the Barclay Theater in Irvine, and Barnum Hall in Santa Monica.

Sun. May 15, 2011 - 2pm
Center Theater, Long Beach

Wed. May 18, 2011 - 7:30pm
Irvine Barclay Theater, Irvine

Sun. May 22, 2011 - 2pm
Barnum Hall, Santa Monica

Duration: 3 hours, 1 intermission
Sung in English with English Supertitles

Here's a taste of the music (LBO production will be IN ENGLISH):



Don't expect the giant orchestra, however. We've got a cozy chamber version that looks hilarious. Rehearsals begin the first part of May.

I'm really looking forward to life in Cherry Town!

A Pharaoh In My Future

The latest addition to my music stand is the Philip Glass opera Akhnaten. Long Beach Opera is producing the West Coast premiere of this work as part of the Philip Glass Festival this month. I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one. Opera with pulsating drums like this is a must see:

Opera In A Warehouse

Playing opera in a warehouse is fun - great orchestra, soul stirring singers, magnificent conductor, stellar crew. Long Beach Opera rocks, plain and simple. Still haven't seen the blood, though. Maybe Monday...

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