Freakish Planning Person

[cjsmith]

Freakish Planning Person is making more lists! Lists containing lists!
[LJ-CUT TEXT="Notes for myself"]

1. Scheduling person at surgeon's office called to say she can tell me for sure tomorrow.

• Boss notified of delay in schedule resolution
• Boss's boss notified of delay in schedule resolution
• ...

WAIT, strike all that. New voice mail message. I'm on for the 4th!!

• Boss notified of the date
• Boss's boss notified of the date
• rfrench will be notified when I see him or when he reads his e-mail or when he reads this
• joedecker, backup driver (thank you! I may still need you!), will be notified when he sees his IM screen or when he reads this notified
• Parents will be notified as soon as they hear their voice mail
• (new 8:30pm) All square dance commitments notified, as soon as group leaders see their e-mail anyway

2. Fears about the outcome: present. Contingency plans for if this doesn't do much for me: made.

3. PREP: Questions to ask at pre-op appointment

• Does the surgery center provide crutches? Funny shoes?
• If I'll have prescription painkillers, can I get the prescription now so I can fill it while I can still drive and walk?
• Food/water restrictions? Starting when?
• Medication restrictions before surgery? After?
• Anything I shouldn't be wearing when I come in? (No more surprises with metal jewelry!)
• When should my ride be prepared to pick me up from surgery?
• Will I wear the funny shoes 24/7? If so, what are they like? If not, what are the dressings like?
• Is there anything I should buy now to prepare for aftercare (eg bandages)?
• When can I stand up? shower? ride a bicycle? drive a car?
• When's the first post-op follow-up appointment?
• Can I get a videotape of the surgery? Still photos?

4. PREP: Chores

• Set up guest bedroom as recovery room, including water, books, pen-and-paper puzzles, Ethernet cable, read-in-bed back pillow, pillow-desk, and lots of pillows to go under feet DONE (hey, why not pamper myself?)
• Also have lined trash can handy in case anaesthesia doesn't agree with me. DONE
• Also put backpack in room. DONE
• Set up couch as first-afternoon crash spot, including water, books, pen-and-paper puzzles, laptop connected to Ethernet and power, pillows for under feet, land line, cell phone, snacks, painkillers.
• Make a bunch of quick-reheat food for the first few days DONE (purchased frozen food)
• Make chocolate chip cookies as promised to schedule-person DONE
• Get bike functional, in case I can ride it before I am allowed to drive
• Take apart an office chair so I have an under-desk-capable stool at work to elevate my feet a bit
• Make foot MRI icon already
• Create waist-pack of Important Stuff: water bottle, painkillers, cell phone, anything else that should always be on me

5. PREP: Errands

• Buy wedge-shaped pillow for laptop use in bed DONE
• Borrow pillow-desk from wonderful friend DONE
• Borrow table from aelfie
• Buy lots of flavored fizzy water DONE
• Buy beverage container with non-leaking lid (eg thermos) for the time on crutches DONE
• Go to medical supply place and check out real shower seat DONE, sort of (plastic stool will do fine in that big shower)
• Find extra-big shoes to wear while swollen NAH, do this as needed later

6. Last minute:

• Wednesday night: laundry
• Wednesday night: buy bag of ice
• Wednesday night: put laptop downstairs, by couch, connected to net
• Bring backpack to surgery
• Wear WIDE-legged shorts and a skirt to surgery

Anyone reading this: if you've had foot surgery, especially both feet at once, what should I be ready for?

Comments

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

Are you going under a general? If so, you are likely to appreciate having made a number of foods in advance. Specifically, jello will be your friend. I made up three large boxes. I used some extra unflavored gelatin so that I could cut it into cubes from a cake pan. I was very glad to have finger food -- managing dishes and using flatware was beyond me those first two days.

Sherbet was another buddy starting on the second day.

I had no desire for clear soups. I felt nauseated just thinking about warm or hot things.

Lots and lots of ice water. I filled oodles of bottles and put them in the refrigerator before surgery.

Have an empty trashcan lined securely with a plastic bag. Put it in easy reach.

See if someone will stay with you all day when you come home. I am enormously grateful to palecur for performing this service. He spent most of his time working from home and playing video games in another room, but in earshot. You are so not going to want to get out of bed to get your own jello. You're going to be resentful of the restroom, but take it from me, I tried, but palecur can't go for you.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Cold water bottles, EXCELLENT idea. Extra ice to apply to feet, too.

I'm going under something that they call "more than local but not full general". Sadly. I recover GREAT from general -- last time, or maybe time before last, I was out doing yard work the same afternoon -- so I'm not sure what this new concept in anaesthesia will do to me. I'll stock up on anti-nausea foods just in case.

Yeah, if palecur can't go for you I'm pretty sure that from across the bay he can't go for me. Darn!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Lists containing lists!

Meta-lists! :-) They seem pretty comprehensive. If it's a good surgery center, they should have literature with what to expect/need during recovery, too.

I'm on for the 4th!!

Yay! I'm sure that doesn't make the nervousness any better, but I know you wanted it sooner rather than later, too.

I'll be thinking of you on the 4th. *hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am sooooooo happy it's this early.

Suggestions & opinions

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Wide-legged shorts for the day of surgery, or at least something that won't be awkward to take off over the dressings. A skirt and going commando???

A real shower seat, because the feet will be made to be non-skid in the shower, as well as a non-skid seat.

Fresh sheets, and at least one change of sheets ready for the bed. After a few days mostly in bed, fresh sheets are a blessing.

Most places don't provide crutches or walkers, IME. The coverings for your feet they should be able to do.

Have lots of favorite semi-health food at hand - fruits, etc.

Get a beginning crochet book, a hook, and some yarn. I taught gremlin44 pretty much over IM, I can teach you, too :-)

Any idea how long you'll be down for?

Re: Suggestions & opinions

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of my button-all-the-way-down-the-front dress, until I realized I wouldn't get undressed for this surgery! OK, wide-legged shorts as "undies" under a skirt: that I can do. Excellent thought. Thank you.

I'm not *expecting* to be in bed more than an afternoon, but as I told amywithani above, I'm not sure what this kind of anaesthesia will do to me. I am usually insanely lucky with general.

They say I'll be on crutches for a week. They say I can walk, with the crutches taking a fair amount of my weight, immediately. Then they said take a week off work. What the...? So I'm thinking Thursday off work and Friday depends on how I feel and if I'm still out by Monday I'll be stunned.

OK: possible errand to medical supply place for crutches and real shower seat. Gotcha. Thanks.

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

I wonder if one of those pillow desks they make for students would work for the laptop? I bet they are cheap now that school supplies are out in all the stores.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oo yeah! Good idea. I was thinking the wedge would go behind my torso, so a pillow-desk on my lap would be good. (Or maybe my legs will be up way high so they'll make a desk of their own!)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Great idea - I use one all the time and I'd totally forgotten to suggest it :)

[tryslora]

No foot surgery, but broke one of them last year. Got funny shoe and crutches from ER, and the orthopoedics provided replacements when needed.

Get three bags of frozen peas (per foot). These are the PERFECT ice packs. Mark them DO NOT EAT. Having three per foot lets you rotate them in and out of the freezer, and they are maleable, far more than regular ice packs. The not eating them part is important, tho. *grins*

Echo the have somebody around for the first day at minimum. Working on crutches is WORK. Real work. Exhausting work. I was at a hotel after breaking my foot and just getting from elevator to the breakfast tired me out.

My friend Janice (after her foot surgery) had new shoes. After the time for the special shoe was gone, she still couldn't fit into her old shoes for a few months, so she went out and bought sneakers one size too large. Gave them to Goodwill afterwards.

An upside down trash barrel under the desk works well too.

Have frozen peas ready at work as well for when you get the aches after you go back.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I tried the frozen peas thing once with frozen berries. Guess what: when a bag full of frozen berries springs a leak you don't want to be anywhere near it! PEAS, CJ, get *peas*. I also have about eight million ice packs, some of which really do stay flexible when frozen. That's a legacy of having had foot pain for more than a year and a half now.

I've never been on crutches. I am probably more agile in a wheelchair (I have one of those, and that was a learning curve!) than on crutches. I bet my antics will be very funny the first few days. :-)

Ooooo, big (or resizable) shoes, excellent tip, thanks.

[kateyule.livejournal.com]

Bags of frozen popcorn kernels are more forgiving of repeated freeze/thaw cycles -- don't get mushy.

[sebab.livejournal.com]

I second the skirt-and-commando thing. do check whether you'll be required to wear a gown (I have been, even when getting surgery where it won't interfere... I think it;'s a sanitary type of issue.

I would have a lot of food in the freezer, dal actually works really well, and it's soft/mushy if you have a problem with the anesthetic.

speaking of the sedation... yeah, you probably won't remember it. it is good stuff yay. I don't tend to get sick from anesthesia (even when I got my gall bladder out) so I can;t tell you how this kind compares to others, nausea-wise. (of course I may be telling a different story after the really hefty general I get during the transplant, heh)

um let's see... think of how to arrange things to make the minimum number of trips to do things.

shoes: consider sport sandals, or other sandals that depend heavily on velcro, assuming your workplace is cool with them. I know they are great when I have a lot of edema (imagine adding 45 lbs of water weight to a 120 lb person and you get the idea)

sounds like you will manage well! good luck!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wearing a gown is fine, and I still like the idea of planning which of my own clothes to wear because I'll need to be able to get dressed after. :)

Definitely lots of food. I don't want to be messing around with food prep!

Velcro sandals are a good thought -- they seem ideal because they can change size gradually.

Thanks!!

Some more question ideas:

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Reviewing my old list of pre-surgery questions and answers I'll suggest:

Don't forget to ask if there are medication restrictions just before surgery too: i.e. no anti-inflamms before, or something else.

Do cellphones work in the surgery area, or waiting area (if you or your helper wants to use one)?

Any food restrictions or suggestions for after surgery?

When's the next follow-up appointment? Pre-set or determined as needed?

Can you get a videotape of the surgery? Still photos?

BTW, I second the Jello idea -- if you're in a bad way it seem (at least it did to me) like the only thing I could face. It's a nice safe thing to have around, just in case you feel that way.

Great job with the lists and planning -- I think I react the same way, that lots of planning and taking control of what I can and knowing *all* the alternatives and possibilities (good and bad) does help me find some peace in such stressful situations. Good for you!

And if you need more surgery-related ventspace, (or just any ventspace), feel free to vent my way, of course!

I'm so glad your surgery is soon!!!

Re: Some more question ideas:

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I added most of those to my list. (My driver's going to wait around, so we won't need to coordinate by phone.)

Wow. I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't spend a couple days hurling after surgery. I'm the one who wakes up from general, decides "it hurts but that was expected", and goes out to do yard work (not a made up example). I thought the nausea was an unusual thing, but it seems a whole lot of folks get that reaction. I must be very, VERY lucky.

crutches

[moriamerri.livejournal.com]

Feel free to talk to me more about crutches if you want, I can talk for looooong about this topic.

1. unless you have strong arms, crutches are a problem. I couldn't walk very far. Read: I didn't move around much for weeks.
2. carrying things is HARD and requires PLANNING. Although this may sound unimportant, it was one of my major tasks while on crutches. Recommend backpack, fannypack, shoulder bags. Not recommended: trying to hold things in hands and move via crutches, shopping, trays in cafeterias.
3. no open containers. This is not about alcohol ;) If you want to transport, say, a cup of coffee, you will need to have a thermos with a lid that fits well.

Re: crutches

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I suspect the muscles I've built (a tiny bit) with the wheelchair are probably not the same muscles I'd need for crutches. I will be on crutches "up to a week" and I may not move very much!

How long were you on crutches?

Definitely backpack for carrying stuff. I had thought of that, but didn't put it on a list 'cause I own several. Yeah, no cafeterias and no yummy mugs of tea! (Ooo, beverage container with lid, that'd be an enjoyable convenience. I'll add that to my list.)

no bicycles! ouch!

[moriamerri.livejournal.com]

Just read most of "lists". NO BICYCLES. NO NO NO.
Living on crutches is all about REDUCING any possibility of
EVER banging feet in any way. Falling off a bike is not an
option I would allow for. Okay, you are not me, but consider it.
The goal is to PROTECT THE FEET at all cost. 24 hours a day.
No injuring feet. That is what the whole exercise is about.
Now, I was especially way way way freakishly vigilent about
it, because I did NOT have a cast. But the idea still applies
that the whole point of this entire project is to PROTECT
the feet. Falling down is not generally a good thing.
Balancing while moving forward is not something to take for
granted. You may be able to do it, but don't assume it is easy.
And I'm talking WALKING here. I shudder thinking of a bike.
AAAGGHHHHH. I could hardly get up the 5 steps to my front
door, how would I get on/off a bike? Or stop? Or peddal?
Scary Scary Scary.

Re: no bicycles! ouch!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the bicycle would be much later in the recovery process. :-) One thing that surprised me, and continues to surprise others I talk to about this, is how fast they expect me to be back to normal. They figure I'll be on crutches a week at most. Then I can walk, full weight on feet, in funny shoes, but I can't drive a car -- not because the feet can't handle the pedals but because they don't want me to hesitate to SLAM the brake in an emergency. Once I'm recovered enough to walk pretty well, a bicycle wouldn't have that problem.

Re: no bicycles! ouch!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

ps: Of course, it may very well be that the doctor tells me that bikes are worse than cars during recovery and I should stay the [bleep] off them. I'm just brainstorming, and this bicycle idea could be the worst one of 'em all! :-)

P.S.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I don't remember you posting what your surgery day would be like -- when you'll have to show up, how long you'll be in surgery, how soon you leave afterward, that sort of thing. Inquiring minds....

Re: P.S.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Show up: 6:30am
Surgery begins: 7:30am
Estimated time in ER: 1 hour

I don't know when I get to leave afterward. I gotta ask that in my pre-op, too. (now I go back to edit the post some more)

[aelfie.livejournal.com]

Hey CJ
I have this adjustable wooden lap table thingy you can borrow if you want instead of going out and buying something for your lap top.

I am so thrilled you are getting your feet fixed!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oo, that sounds like it could be very useful. Would it be awkward for Joe to bring to work? If not, I could go over there and pick it up. Quicker than heading deep into San Jose. (Which building does he work in, again? Mathilda?)

You're still hanging in there, huh? No sign of sudden impending arrival of twins quite yet?