Ashley’s Monthly Blog
March 2010

After the start of our season with two races in a row in Pomona and Phoenix we’ve now actually had two weekends off in a row, which is different from how the NHRA Full Throttle schedule used to be. I took this down time to do something I’ve been putting off for a little while…I got my tonsils out.

I’ve been dreading this for a while but finally decided to suck it up and do it. I race at speeds of over 300 miles an hour so I’m not a total wimp but when it comes to these kinds of things I’m the queen wimp! I remember being 5 years old and going to a doctor’s appointment and having to get a shot. I was horribly afraid of shots as most kids are and when the traumatic experience was over I asked in a trembling voice with tear-rimmed eyes when I would get one again. I remember my doctor smiling brightly and assuring me I wouldn’t have to get another one of these until I was 12. Surely that would make me smile too. Not me though. I burst in to tears again and for weeks dreaded getting a day older and closer to being 12.

I’m proud to say that I’ve conquered my fear of shots and needles. But with my tonsil appointment on the calendar I suddenly managed to come up with new things to be fearful of. What if they make a mistake and take out the wrong thing? What if I wake up in the middle of it? What if I can never have hot soup or spicy foods again?! So needless to say I made myself sick with worry but also prepared the people around me. I wrote out detailed instructions to my husband about the cats, the house and anything else I could think of in case I couldn’t talk for a few months. I emailed my PR people and told them I wouldn’t be answering my emails or in my office for around a week, or if complications arrive, possibly until next fall. And of course, I talked A LOT in the days leading up to the surgery so that I wouldn’t have a desire to do so afterwards.

The surgery was a cinch. I was talking when I left the doctor’s office, and eating soup (luke warm of course) that night for dinner, and was even answering my emails the next morning and back in the office a few days later. And I got to watch hours on end of Grey’s Anatomy. (I now have new medical problems to fear after watching so many of those episodes!) But I survived and it really wasn’t even that bad, so I did all that worrying for nothing!

The best part about it was all the attention I got from my husband and family! Dan took care of me, dad brought me flowers, my sisters and mom brought me magazines, and my niece brought me cookies! I also got many calls, texts and emails from my crew chiefs and friends. And of course who can forget my PR guy Elon, who I know so badly wanted to tweet and take pictures of the whole surgery and send out a release but who refrained from pushing the idea after I turned down his original “Let’s send out a tonsil tweet!” I’m still not sure if he was kidding or serious!

Next week we are off to Gainesville, FL for the third race of the year, sadly without my dear tonsils. And one thing I’ve learned during this experience and downtime is how pointless worrying is. There’s a great quote by Glenn Turner,  “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it gets you no where.” Now that’s useful advice! Have a great worry free month race fans!