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

[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]

Sounds like the anesthesia is similar to the type I had for my vas. I was conscious but extremely loopy, and I never felt a thing during the surgery. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I really really don't want to be conscious. But I need this surgery, so I'll do what I have to do. :-/

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I should also point out that I don't remember a thing from during the surgery, and that was the case right after, too, so it's not just time passing. I have images in my head from lying on the table, but that's about it. It was fine. Toni says I was pretty amusing the way I was trying to talk - lots of nonsense. I remember the nurse answering me, but I have no idea what either of us said or what I was even trying to say.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's gotta be weird. I've never had a medical experience where I was conscious but nothing went into memory. Weeeeeiiiirrd...

Dang, you say I'll need a stenographer? And I bet I won't have one handy! Rats!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Probably too late for me to get a plane ticket out there, huh? ;-) Besides, according to Toni, a stenographer wouldn't have helped - I was mostly unintelligible, I guess.

Toni also said that as she was trying to lead me out of the urologist's office, I stopped at a rack of literature full of all kinds of layperson brochures on various conditions, and started picking up brochures. She had to drag me away. I only vaguely remember that. :-)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

You forgot the best part - later that evening, you started looking at the literature, and asked me if the nurse had given it to you :-)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

If it's IV sedation, you won't remember a thing. That's what Dan had for his vas, that's what I've had for my tooth extractions.

And he was just funny :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Maybe I've had something like this before DOO-DEE-DOO-DOO.

(Nah, I had the breathing tube and the heart monitor and all. General.)

[airporter.livejournal.com]

I agree about the IV sedation; I had it for wisdon teeth (though I lack this quality often, perhaps due to the removal). The only thing I vaguely remember is an impression of going for the crotch of the male nurse.

According to the recovery nurses and anesthesiologist, I was QUITE excited. At seventeen, I nearly died - I wasn't even out, so much for those questions in my head.

Nothing to worry about, for you. For that matter, most of the gents I know now might consider it a source of pride...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* What an experience for a seventeen-year-old! I presume not out means you weren't out even to yourself? Questions in your head? Yeah, I bet THOSE got answered!

(Funny, my Wisdom Quotient is low these days too -- perhaps it WAS the tooth extraction!)

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Not out means naive, scared of my horribly redneck family, and 'different'. 'Twas kind of hard to remain ignorant of myself after that. I wondered later if all 17 year-olds really are as naive as I was. Ah, well.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The first crush I ever had was a massive, years-long carry-the-torch for a female teacher of mine. Boys? Feh. Couldn't figure out why my friends were all gaga over boys. I didn't figure out I was bi -- I presumed I must be straight -- for *years* after that.

Yeah, I think a lot of 17-year-olds are pretty naive. Glad we got a chance to get past it. :)

[airporter.livejournal.com]

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