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

Re: Suggestions & opinions

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Hon, if they say take a week off work then take a week off work.

Yes, you'll be able to walk. But your feet and your body need time to heal, and that means rest. Do you want to risk having surgery fix things and end up doing damage because you didn't give it enough time to heal??

And as was pointed out to you elsethread, walking on crutches is work!

*waves finger in the air*

Re: Suggestions & opinions

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I heal sooooooo fast, though. When I had abdominal surgery I was square dancing two days later. (OK, not ENERGETICALLY, but I did it.) I'll certainly take time off if I'm fatigued, a sure sign that my body is soaking up resources with healing, and my boss and grandboss are perfectly content with me taking whatever time I need to heal. So that much is good.

I think the "time off work = 1 week" is for people who move around a lot at work. The scheduling-person was mollified when she heard I was a computer programmer and not, say, a nurse or a waitress.