Also posted under the Aikiweb Seminar

To Whom it May Concern:

I felt compelled to explain my recent withdrawl from the Aikiweb Seminar.

When I was 18, I had injured my right knee very badly. 10 operations later and 20 years of some rough hobbies and my doctors have told me it is no longer an option to wait to have my knee replaced.

If I wait any longer, I could risk the opportunity to have the knee replaced successfully, so I have decided to do it ASAP.

I don't know what the rehab will be like, so I have decided to cancel my schedule until I know for sure what I will be dealing with.

Thanks again for everyone who expressed a concern.

Howard Popkin

Best wishes for a successful surgery and a full rehab.

Thanks

Howard

Howard Popkin wrote: it is no longer an option to wait to have my knee replaced...

Good luck with that, Howard. My father had his knee replaced and he's better than before, but it's not a miracle cure. On the other hand, he's quite a bit older than you and he got down and installed a parquet floor after his surgery, so it's no wonder he had problems!

If you follow your doctor's instructions and don't do anything unwise with that knee for awhile, you should be okay!

Good luck with it!

David

and here I thought it was because of the tuna season in East Coast.

Here's hoping the scar is small, the pain little, and the recovery short and full.

Our Iai instructor has had both hips done, and she still does aikido. She does not do ukemi at present and we take every technique simply to kuzushi with her. (not because of her hips -- because of her knees, which are probably next on the R&R maintenance checklist). I just hope you don't have opiate hallucinations like my grandmother when her knees were done. She would talk (exetensively) to people hanging out in the corners of the ceiling and swore (in hushed whispers) to everyone who visited her that the nurses were conspiring to kill her. She swore off the morphine for the second knee surgery.

Wishing you good luck and better drugs!

Hey Erik,

I'm guessing that was your idea of a pep talk ?????

Thanks,

Howard

Phi,

Tuna season just ended, but in fact was terrible this year. Up and down the east coast there was horrible yellowfin tuna fishing. Worst in 20 years.

Always next year, but.....there is a constant amberjack fishery off the NC coast that is AWESOME - ...

For those of you that only do sushi in Japanese, thats Kampachi

Delicious !!

Hope to see you soon.

Thanks.

Howard

Howard Popkin wrote: Phi, Tuna season just ended, but in fact was terrible this year. Up and down the east coast there was horrible yellowfin tuna fishing. Worst in 20 years. Always next year, but.....there is a constant amberjack fishery off the NC coast that is AWESOME - ... For those of you that only do sushi in Japanese, thats Kampachi Delicious !! Hope to see you soon. Thanks. Howard

Howie:

I hear that discarded knee joints make great bait for fish !

Rumor has it that when you are out for the surgery, they will turn you into the new billion dollar man (Hell with Lee Majors- Due to cost of living adjustments, the million dollar man is now the billion dollar man!).

Marc Abrams