My implant surgery is scheduled for May 25. That's10 days after the Race for the Cure. I knew the doc ordered the surgery and a surgery coordinator was going to schedule it, but I thought I'd get a call or something. Instead I got a letter with the date of the surgery and the date of the preop appointment. Too bad it's not a week earlier. That's okay. I'll just go with it.
The surgery is at the Plastic Surgery location, not the main hospital or the cancer hospital. That's nice. It's much easier to get there, park, and relax. It's much smaller and homey. They even have a great little cafe that has a fabulous hummus with green salad thingy. Of course, I won't be hanging out in the cafeteria, will I? At least I know Ken will be comfy.
The bummer is that I have to be there at . . . get this . . . 6:30am. Whoa. Now that's nuts. I'll probably be home by noon. The doc and nurses say it's a much less complicated procedure and won't be like the 4+ hours of surgery I had in November.
I'm not sure how much time I'll need off work, I've heard 1 week and I've heard 2 weeks. Either way, it's not 6 weeks like last time. The nurse said the doc likes his patients to take off just a little longer than it takes to be off the meds because when we go to work we start doing things like carrying portfolios and such. Thankfully he's never seen me lugging my bulging shoulder bag/brief case, huge purse with too many electronics and a fiction book in it, my lunch, and a few hand-me-downs for Brent's daughter from the parking garage to my office -- I even sometimes take the 4+ flights of stairs while impersonating the pack mule.
I also got a packet in the mail from the post-surgery rehab people and I was pretty annoyed at the stuff they sent. They sent a whole new group of forms that I've already filled out at least 6 or 7 times in the past 5 months and I know they have all this stuff in their computer (I've seen it there!). Actually they know the information better than I do. I don't know all the dates and names of meds and such. So why do they tell me to get there 45 minutes early and to fill out all this paperwork before I come?! It's maddening. And it's actually my own employer wasting the time I could be at work. And why did they waste so much money on that mailing anyway? Quit spending money on crazy stuff like that and give us some funds for a business analyst! Okay, I'm stepping off and away from the soap box.
On Wednesday (weather permitting), I am going to the post-surgery rehab place (30 minutes early, not 45) to get an assessment of my arm mobility, especially the left one. I don't know if I will fill out their forms or not. I usually do, but this time I'm thinking I'll just tell them it's all in their computer.
Another milestone scheduled. I think I have you beat in the "carry to work" department. Most mornings I have a stuffed, soft side brief case; my laptop; my gym bag (appropriately named); and my oversized lunch bag. (you should see me add an umbrella : - )) Some lady didn't call me a pack mule.... but she did call me a pack donkey....oops, my mistake, I think she just called me an ass. (can I say ass on a blog???)
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