The Wizard hath spoken.

[DFW]

I’m in recovery.

Immediate diagnosis is: hurry up and wait, BUT——

I had no further arterial blockage, so no additional stent(s) were required. The extra heartbeats ARE still there and must be addressed. They will try with medication (color me skeptical) or another kind of intervention in the fall, maybe.. But it’s not an immediate danger. It’s shortly after noon here (German time). They said my wife can puck me up in three hours.

There will be a follow-up story to this one. If their diagnosis was correct, it’s not for the immediate future. I suspect my bill will be around €15,000. It’s still less than half of the €30,000 of the yearly insurance premium the Germans quoted me. Our American insurance is sure to deny the whole thing. What else is new?

My infinite gratitude and appreciation for all those who bothered to express good wishes/vibes/etc. I came out of this not exactly cured but secure in the knowledge that I am in no imminent danger for now. That’s a more encouraging diagnosis than many can say they have received recently, so I’ll accept it without whining.

There will be a next chapter, but not immediately. I’ll take it.

Again, thanks to all!! Now it’s time worry about those facing less rosy diagnoses.**

**if the specialists here turn out to bave been wrong about me after all, and I fall over dead tomorrow, I reserve the right to take it all back!