My day started out just fine. Barry and I had a quick coffee and then headed to the hospital where we had some breakfast. I was feeling the effects of yesterday's four hour drive and all the activity. My pain level was pretty high. Toast and coffee was all I could manage. That, as it turns out was a mistake.
It was an extremely day long without any breaks for food.
The first stop is an administrative one where you take a number and wait. I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep and low sugar combined with a little PTSD, but tears came as soon as I walked into that room. I was sitting there without control as they dripped down each side of my face. I hadn't felt like this for awhile so it had really taken me and Barry off guard. I kept waiting for it to stop but it seemed to be picking up steam. I was texting as a distraction with my sister Mary and the woman from my pain meditation group. Somebody reminded me to meditate. I got my headphones out and did just that. There's a five minute first aid meditation exactly for times like this. Don't get me wrong, tears are okay, but I had to have my wits about me today to talk with everyone as you will see, it is quite a process. I felt much better after the meditation and with Barry by my side, and my girls texting along the way.
Once seen - they check all dates, time, insurance coverage and that all of the paper work is filled out. Take a seat, somebody will come and get you for your next step.
We waited once again, then a pharmacist met with me to go over all medications that will be using and to make sure I stop Celebrex a week before the surgery. Take a seat she said, somebody will come and get you for your next step. There was starting to be a theme about this day already.
By now it is close to lunch time and after waiting for a while Barry suggested he go and grab us a sandwich. He wasn't gone long when a nurse called me into a office to go over procedure, take blood pressure, swabs were done to be sure I wasn't carrying some contagious virus. After a long meeting she said, you guessed it... We took a seat.
We were soon lead off for blood work and an EKG, sandwich in hand, Barry followed along. Once told to sit in the waiting room we devoured the sandwich and drink, just as the technician came to get me. Eight vials of blood later, I was lead to EKG. By now, I was exhausted and in pain and I looked it.
I was then sent to get a CT Scan. It was a long process, there were a lot of people and though I had an appointment for 2:15pm it was three before I got in. It too a while for them to get all the shots they wanted too. After lying on that hard scanner and the long day I could hardly walk. Thankfully they were very kind and helped me along. I headed back to Pre admit, where this time they were waiting for us.
We were brought to meet a doctor called an anesthesiologist, who will put me to sleep. It was a lengthy meeting as we had to go over concerns from other surgeries and solutions for them not happen again. He went through my complete medical history. I was asked so many questions some of which I had to guess. My memory is not the best and I was exhausted at this point. We thought that was our last stop and just when we thought we we free to go he said I required a set of X-rays.
Off to x-Ray for a chest x-Ray and an x-Ray of the lumber spine. I was done. I was seriously done.
I went out to meet Barry, and we both just sat there for a minute. We had planned to drive home after the pre-admit. I felt near tears out of pure exhaustion and he was not feeling the best either.
Our dear dog sitter and friend, Kate had offered to stay another night, so we could technically stay.
We were torn, we have a lot of expenses coming up but today we had to let that go.
We headed to the hotel checked in I got in bed and did not get out for twelve hours.
I know it would have been a hard day for me physically because it is a lot in one day for someone who had pain limitations, but the emotional side of it comes from a trauma years ago. That response was not that surprising in retrospect and one I will be ready for the day of my surgery if it comes.
It's done. I can put that out of my mind for now and enjoy the month of May.
It was an extremely day long without any breaks for food.
The first stop is an administrative one where you take a number and wait. I'm not sure if it was the lack of sleep and low sugar combined with a little PTSD, but tears came as soon as I walked into that room. I was sitting there without control as they dripped down each side of my face. I hadn't felt like this for awhile so it had really taken me and Barry off guard. I kept waiting for it to stop but it seemed to be picking up steam. I was texting as a distraction with my sister Mary and the woman from my pain meditation group. Somebody reminded me to meditate. I got my headphones out and did just that. There's a five minute first aid meditation exactly for times like this. Don't get me wrong, tears are okay, but I had to have my wits about me today to talk with everyone as you will see, it is quite a process. I felt much better after the meditation and with Barry by my side, and my girls texting along the way.
Once seen - they check all dates, time, insurance coverage and that all of the paper work is filled out. Take a seat, somebody will come and get you for your next step.
We waited once again, then a pharmacist met with me to go over all medications that will be using and to make sure I stop Celebrex a week before the surgery. Take a seat she said, somebody will come and get you for your next step. There was starting to be a theme about this day already.
By now it is close to lunch time and after waiting for a while Barry suggested he go and grab us a sandwich. He wasn't gone long when a nurse called me into a office to go over procedure, take blood pressure, swabs were done to be sure I wasn't carrying some contagious virus. After a long meeting she said, you guessed it... We took a seat.
We were soon lead off for blood work and an EKG, sandwich in hand, Barry followed along. Once told to sit in the waiting room we devoured the sandwich and drink, just as the technician came to get me. Eight vials of blood later, I was lead to EKG. By now, I was exhausted and in pain and I looked it.
I was then sent to get a CT Scan. It was a long process, there were a lot of people and though I had an appointment for 2:15pm it was three before I got in. It too a while for them to get all the shots they wanted too. After lying on that hard scanner and the long day I could hardly walk. Thankfully they were very kind and helped me along. I headed back to Pre admit, where this time they were waiting for us.
We were brought to meet a doctor called an anesthesiologist, who will put me to sleep. It was a lengthy meeting as we had to go over concerns from other surgeries and solutions for them not happen again. He went through my complete medical history. I was asked so many questions some of which I had to guess. My memory is not the best and I was exhausted at this point. We thought that was our last stop and just when we thought we we free to go he said I required a set of X-rays.
Off to x-Ray for a chest x-Ray and an x-Ray of the lumber spine. I was done. I was seriously done.
I went out to meet Barry, and we both just sat there for a minute. We had planned to drive home after the pre-admit. I felt near tears out of pure exhaustion and he was not feeling the best either.
Our dear dog sitter and friend, Kate had offered to stay another night, so we could technically stay.
We were torn, we have a lot of expenses coming up but today we had to let that go.
We headed to the hotel checked in I got in bed and did not get out for twelve hours.
I know it would have been a hard day for me physically because it is a lot in one day for someone who had pain limitations, but the emotional side of it comes from a trauma years ago. That response was not that surprising in retrospect and one I will be ready for the day of my surgery if it comes.
It's done. I can put that out of my mind for now and enjoy the month of May.
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