Pre-Surgery Week

I have a plan, a definite plan, a logical (?) plan, a (thankfully) short plan.  It's Surgery Week.  Or, should I say Pre-Surgery Week, full of events leading up to the big cut.  And, in my case, hopefully, the little cut.

Monday, I'm off to my primary care doc for a "pre-surgery clearance" visit.  I guess I have to have his blessing that I'm breathing hard enough to enjoy the process that is soon to follow.

On Wednesday, I hit the big three, plus one.  An early morning CT scan, followed by a pre-surgery consult with the actual, factual, surgeon.  He's a guy I like a lot.  The more I talk to him, the more confident I feel about the whole mess.  A friend of mine, prominent in the real estate game hereabouts, had major back surgery done recently by this fellow and loves both the outcome and the person who saved him.  And in the process, I think he sold 2 houses while he was in residence at the hospital.

At 3 pm, I then meet with the anesthesia doc who,  on Monday next, is  going to send me on a short vacation where, hopefully, I will dream only the sweet dreams I want to, and not see any brilliant lights coming my way …. or be relegated to hovering in the corner of the OR, up by the ceiling, watching a bunch of people while they ply their trade on my back.  Just sweet dreams, please.  What I have to do here in the way of "pre-testing," I have no idea.

That makes three for the day.  The plus one is my dentist, who has called twice now to reschedule my check up … and I figured what the hell, the day's shot anyway …. so I fit him in at noon.

Then it's wait till Monday, June 16th, where I have an appointment at Crouse for 10 am.  That's arrival time.   Given my limited experience with other medical procedures, I know surgery won't happen till 2 pm or so.  Hospitals, more than most other institutions, specialize in waiting.  It's an art form, and they're damn good at it.

So, that's that.  I'll check in when I can.  I shan't bring my iPad to the hospital, as I fear I would not leave with it.  Sad to think that, isn't it?  But I'll be in touch, perhaps with a tide you over post before I actually go.

Mark Twain Quote:  "One should not bring sympathy to a sick man.  It is always kindly meant, and of course it has to be taken - but it isn't much of an improvement on castor ooil.  One who has a sick man's true interest at heart will forbear spoken sympathy, and bring him surreptitious soup and fried oysters and other trifles that the doctor has tabooed."