So, after devouring everything from my food tray in my little recovery area, it was time to get dressed and do what Elvis would have: leave the building.

Felt pretty chipper, bouncing my through the hospital exit with decaf sugar-free vanilla latte in hand (yes, this facility had a Starbucks, who knew?)

My lovely S.O. drove most of the way home, until we pulled over to duck into a Rite-Aid before the final leg of the drive. Feeling pretty darn good, I hopped into the driver’s side and drove the rest of the way home, way against doctor’s orders. At home, I worked on the final draft of a pitch script for a new film project. After about 2 hours work on that, it was time to eat and BOOM! Whatever was keeping me from feeling like I just had surgery — WORE OFF.

Phase One of the industrial strength meds wear-off was pretty gnarly. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t move around too well, just needed to lie down in bed, which I did until about 12 AM, when Phase Two kicked in.

I woke up in severe pain, I mean the kind of pain that you could only count on one hand. I remember only once or twice in my life, experiencing such pain. One, breaking my pelvis when I was 19, the other, lacerating both corneas in Vegas over 10 years ago. This is when I actually felt the aftereffects of the doctor poking a needle deep into my kidney. Couldn’t get out of bed, when I finally did, couldn’t get back in; without feeling like the victim of a 1980's stabbing somewhere in a dark South Bronx alley.

I immediately called everyone I had anything scheduled with for the next 2 days and CANCELLED. It finally dawned on me that I had actually had a surgical procedure earlier in the day.

Interestingly enough, the next day, I was ready to reschedule everything. I flt fine again, just a little tender. Well, band practice and the golf day remained cancelled, but I kept the meetings with my producers for the upcoming documentary. And I’m glad I did, because I felt pretty good and we got a lot accomplished, just the day after surgery. We even all went for a nice mountain hike the next day. The human body is a weird and amazing thing.