despite the discomfort of the post-op days, have remained buoyant...thanks all for the support expressed yesterday...the staples were pulled out a couple of days ago, and now only have to deal with irritated skin, bright red and stinging a bit...the one limitation imposed by the surgeon was to insist on no strenuous activity for the next four weeks...the upside of that is I have excused myself from any housework for a month...whatever the challenge, there is often a silver lining