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Surgery Today (Dec 17), Slowdown in releases and updates for a few days (updated Dec 22)

John T. Haller's picture
Submitted by John T. Haller on December 17, 2013 - 8:27am

Greetings fellow Portable Appers. I wanted to give everyone a heads up that there will be a slowdown in new and updated apps for a few days. I'm going into surgery for a broken leg/ankle due to a fall on an icy sidewalk here in NYC. The surgery isn't suppose to be too bad, maybe an hour and a half. Recovery will take a couple months. I have to run as they're taking me earlier than expected. If something happens to me, there are contingency plans in place. I'll update as soon as I can.

Update Dec 17th at 5:48pm - Surgery was successful. I'm on heavy duty pain killers, so no more posts today. I'll be in the hospital through tomorrow at least. I'll update as I can. Thanks for the supportive words.

Update Dec 20th at 4:38pm - I'll be released from the hospital tomorrow. The damage was extensive enough that it needed a few more days. I'll be unable to walk on it at all for at least two months and need to keep it elevated much of the time. We're working on a way for my home setup to accommodate this. Once I've been home for a few days, releases and updates will continue, but I'll probably be working at a reduced pace for a while due to pain and tiredness. I'll be unable to travel as well. I'll keep everyone update on how it affects PortableApps.com on my blog here and will post some details of how I'm recovering on my personal site for those who are curious. Thanks everyone for your support and patience.

Update Dec 22 at 4pm - I was released from the hospital last evening and returned home. At my final review they were happy with my progress so far. I hadn't mentioned it earlier, but I was injured in the recovery room after regaining consciousness when another doctor ran into my leg. They took additional xrays afterwards and they said the metal plate, screws and bones still appeared to be where they should be. So, I'm back home and on big bad pain meds for a while with a followup in a few weeks. Physical therapy will start in two months or so once I'm allowed to put weight on my ankle/leg. I'm working out a way to be able to sit at my main desk with my leg elevated so I can work in the times the right balance of pain reliever is struck (too little = bad pain, too much = loopy) but until then I can still post and do smaller stuff from my laptop and tablet. I'll update again as I have more to share on progress and getting things back up to speed. Thank you all again for your support.

Comments

Simeon's picture

Just wanted to wish you all the best so you have something to read once you get back Smile
Merry Christmas!

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

John T. Haller's picture

Surgery was successful. I'm in a lot of pain and on heavy duty pain killers, so no more posts today. I'll be in the hospital through tomorrow at least. I'll update as I can. Thanks for the supportive words.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Get well!
You do a a great work with the portable apps projects... So.. Get well first!

kindly regards from COLOMBIA!

Best Wishes from sunny north-east Australia^

Like everyone else is saying - get well.

Take your time getting back into your PortableApps work - we will still be here - your health is MUCH more important.

^ if you'd like some oppressive heat, 80%-90% humidity and no forecast of relieving rain/storms in the near future I could try and send some over to you Smile

Take care, and don't try the ice for a while Smile
Merry Christmas and a Happy (and healthy!) New Year!
Greatings from the "low lands" (the Netherlands)

I wish you all the best!
Take all the time you need to recover, I hope you are in the company of peolple you love!

Franz

Best wishes from me as well.
I hope you get better real quick and can enjoy the holidays with your family!

Best regards,
VSG

Please get well! Updates can wait (long holidays are coming). Best wishes from Belarus.

Get well soon! All my blessings.

There are spikes you can buy to put on your shoes. Maybe something to wish for christmas? Wink

I read about your surgery and happy it was successful.
I wisk you a speedy recovery, but now do not think about this place, we can wait. Relax and enjoy next Christmas Holydays!

Greetings from Argentina! Best wishes to you and thank you for a wonderful project. I hope that you recover soon.

Merry Christmas and happy new year.

Sorry to hear of your predicament. I wish you a speedy and event-free recovery, and hope that your holidays won’t be impaired.

Rest and calibrate the holidays.
we will wait for you as you come back.

Does anyone have a portable leg for John? Smile Just kidding, get well and use this well deserved rest.

BTW, the homepage's link for this article is broken. You can only come here through the full news' page.

John T. Haller's picture

yeah, that's a view into news releases and it expects a custom path to be set. as I made that blog entry quickly before surgery, I forgot. so I had to update the view to realize when there is no custom path and point to the standard one. that's the only actual code I wrote all week and it took forever through a cloud of pain and morphine.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

ceciliaFX's picture

LOL, I got that!

best wishs, John...just take your Omega 3's to reduce inflammation and rest up

"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow

Take care John.
Thanks for all you do here. We have a good thing going.

Nothing is more important than your health. Most are occupied over the holidays with personal matters and will not mind some extra time between updates. Take the time to get well. A thought - what about an app that tracks weather statistics so you can avoid situations where you might find ice? Speaking of ice - it is best served in a glass with some sort of alcohol spirit at this time of year so keep your feet up (probably your Dr. recommendation too) and look forward to next year's achievements.

Junglerott - as you walk softly through the underbrush take the time to look under the rocks and debris - you never know exactly what gems you may find.

Hope you get well soon.

Never been to NYC. As a teenager I used to fall on ice in my hometown and fractured my hip bone and it took me 1 month to recover.
Now I've been in California for 12 years. But I may soon have to relocate Sad

Happy holidays! I can't live without my computer and my PC can't live without you!

Seems like I haven't been the only one who signed up just to wish you well and a fast recovery. Thank you for your efforts, you're awesome!

Sorry to hear about your injuries. Hope you get to feeling better very soon!

I hope you have a very Merry (and pain free) Christmas!

Dear John!
First and main of all GET WELL SOON, let there be no more pain and trouble. As for work and updates - all those can wait, better update your health. Anyway a lot of thanks for handy and useful apps.
Alexey, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
P.S.: To solace you: here in North-West Russia the weather is much colder and the roads are more icy - a great problem each winter, so pray for us. Happy Christmas to you!

Alexey

Like everyone else I'm saying - get well.
I hope that you recover soon.

I hope you get better real quick and can enjoy the holidays with your family!
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your family!

I wish you a happy Xmas and a great new year.

As romel said, you really do a a great work with the portable apps projects. But get well first.

How are you? I hope pain have stopped and that pain killers are suspended now. And I hope you get well very soon, in time to enjoy holidays at home.

Greetings from Brazil

RaphaelRB - Brazil

John T. Haller's picture

I'll be released from the hospital tomorrow. The damage was extensive enough that it needed a few more days. I'll be unable to walk on it at all for at least two months and need to keep it elevated much of the time. We're working on a way for my home setup to accommodate this. Once I've been home for a few days, releases and updates will continue, but I'll probably be working at a reduced pace for a while due to pain and tiredness. I'll be unable to travel as well. I'll keep everyone update on how it affects PortableApps.com on my blog here and will post some details of how I'm recovering on my personal site for those who are curious. Thanks everyone for your support and patience.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Simeon's picture

I hope you can have some sort of a nice holliday nevertheless!

Regarding updates, other devs have already started doing them so you'll only have to do the official stuff.

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

Damian_Adelle's picture

Take care Mr. Haller, keep it smart with the painkillers, watch out around NYC in every corner, and hopefully you will have a nice christmas after all this. Regards.

Great to hear - sorry, read - that everything went well.

Get well and take your time. Having two perfectly working legs is more important than any software in the world Smile

Take care !

I'm the fastest! While other people still slide, I'm already on the ground Smile

Simeon's picture

I just donated a bit to PortableApps.com and think it would be very "christmasy" of other did too, especially in light of what happened to John.

We havent had a wikipedia-style donation sprint but I am hereby starting my own. Please take part if you can.

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

Poor John! Sad I wish he could get better soon!

I did not look here for a couple of days, and look what I missed!

Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery from the only NYC borough on the mainland!
JKEngineer
Bronx

John,

Thanks for all that you do for us; we really appreciate it. Please take a few days for yourself and your loved ones to rest and recover. Sometimes, we just need to stop and enjoy the present (even if it is laced with pain and pain-killers). Wink

Peace be with you,
Mike.

+ Every rule has its exception; excepting this one.

gayathri's picture

Dear John,
May God bless you for a speedy recovery
Take care
Best regards

I am in love with technology, but I am a master of none !!

A close friend did this recently so I know how inconvenient it is! Hope the break mends well and quickly and you can get off the crutches as soon as possible.

Seasons greetings from the UK.

John T. Haller's picture

I was released from the hospital last evening and returned home. At my final review they were happy with my progress so far. I hadn't mentioned it earlier, but I was injured in the recovery room after regaining consciousness when another doctor ran into my leg. They took additional xrays afterwards and they said the metal plate, screws and bones still appeared to be where they should be. So, I'm back home and on big bad pain meds for a while with a followup in a few weeks. Physical therapy will start in two months or so once I'm allowed to put weight on my ankle/leg. I'm working out a way to be able to sit at my main desk with my leg elevated so I can work in the times the right balance of pain reliever is struck (too little = bad pain, too much = loopy) but until then I can still post and do smaller stuff from my laptop and tablet. I'll update again as I have more to share on progress and getting things back up to speed. Thank you all again for your support.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Dear John, get well soon!

@All: is there any ETA update for the planed feature "Portable File Associations" integrated in the Platform v12?

John T. Haller's picture

As I am the only one currently working on the platform, I am the only one that can answer. The answer is still 'when it's done'.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Gardenal's picture

Best wishes to you and thank you for your wonderful project.
Take all the time you need to recover, I hope you are in the company of peolple you love!
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2014!

Greatings
Mauro

Hello John

I wish you a speedy recovery and power despite all spend a beautiful holiday season! The important thing is that you get to recover from this situation!
Take care of you!

Raymond (France)

Signature automatically removed for containing links

rozberk's picture

I hope it mends fast and the pain meds are the right amount. Get better with all speed. Thanks for the info on what is going on. Be well!

I can imagine how you felt.
A few years ago, a close friend of mine had preterm contractions at 26 weeks (37-42 weeks are considered full-term) so she went to ER at one of the most prestigious hospitals in Nor Cal. Residents and medical students tested her and after deliberating with attending physician determined that she needed C-section. They also offered several drug options and told her if she agreed to use one of those she would contribute immensely to clinical research and help out the women in the whole world. Smartphones were not popular then and who would take out a phone to checkout the information when you're told you need to undergo surgery? Anyway she and her husband signed all the paperwork in horror.
Just then her mother (who was a doctor in another country) called and found out what had happened. Her mother told her firmly to hang in there, use magnesium sulphate (the traditional drug, not any new double-blind new drug) and reject C-section. Soon her other close friend (in that same country, had a child already) called her too to encourage her and decline C-section.
So she begged the doctors to allow her 12 hours on magnesium sulphate and if her cervix dilated and contraction would not abate, she would agree to C-section.
As you can imagine, she pulled through and was released from ER.
13 weeks later her child was born at 39 weeks full term and healthy, mostly because her mother put her interest first.

Joyeux Noël et bon rétablissement.

Daniel Emonts.

Demon.

steve_dupuis's picture

Hi John ..
Hope your recovery is going well. I empathize entirely with your situation. I have arthritis and have had my left hip replaced. I live in Ottawa Canada so I know how bad winters can get. I got some rubber slip-ons for my boots. They are covered in cleats for getting a good grip when out on ice and snow. They're not expensive and have literally saved my a$$ on several occasions. I won't leave home without 'em.

Good luck with the recovery process. Sounds quite serious so take good care of yourself ..

Steve Dupuis
Oracle DBA - Unix, Linux, and Windows
Ottawa, Canada

Regards,
Steve Dupuis

Senior Oracle DBA, Unix, Linux and NT Platform Management Services
SGC/EDP Consultants INC. Ottawa, CANADA
mailto:steven.m.dupuis@gmail.com

i hope the healing process is a fast one. i am running the beta on my flash drive now and it is pretty damn stable for how old the beta is (talking about the platform, by the way). take your time on the platform release, your own health and well being comes first before this as always. so if it takes months to get PA.c platform 12 to come out then so be it. so go ahead an take whatever form of Vicodin or Oxycontin you got (but use only as prescribed, we don't want you to get addicted to it :)). so take care and take your time!

John,
I just checked in after a long while and was surprised to hear about your accident. I feel for you. I had a Jet Skiing accident 15 years ago and shattered my right ankle with what they called a "pile driver" fracture. 8 screws and a steel plate later I'm able to walk but with pain each and every day. Motrin barely dents the pain and I walk with a cane sometimes. Hopefully yours will either heal up better or was less damaging to the joint itself. Either way, I've been where you're at right now, so take it slow and good luck...

Ken Mazie

Geez! I just read about your surgery and then about the boob doctor who ran into your leg while your were in the recovery room! Holy crap! I hope you are ok and all is healing well!! Take care!