Almost ready

[cjsmith]

Pre-op appointment done. Lots of chores done.

The scheduling person was surprised by the cookies. I had said I owed her a plate full of cookies for all the help she'd given me about the scheduling, and she thought I was kidding. I do not kid about debts and I rarely kid about cookies. She got her plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies! :-)

I opted out of the cold therapy machine. Sheesh, I'm going to have ENOUGH trouble getting around.

I learned how I am to use the crutches. Plant them both, shuffle forward, repeat. Like a walker.

[LJ-CUT TEXT="New lists"]

1. Questions asked at pre-op appointment

• Does the surgery center provide crutches? Funny shoes?
  No, but the surgeon does! I have those things now.
• If I'll have prescription painkillers, can I get the prescription now so I can fill it while I can still drive and walk?
  Yes. Got multiple prescriptions!
• Food/water restrictions? Starting when?
  Yes: none of either after midnight the night before.
• Medication restrictions before surgery? After?
  "Nothing illegal," she said with a grin.
• Anything I shouldn't be wearing when I come in? (No more surprises with metal jewelry!)
  Nah.
• When should my ride be prepared to pick me up from surgery?
  9:30am or so.
• Will I wear the funny shoes 24/7? If so, what are they like? If not, what are the dressings like?
  No, I can take off the shoes to get dressed and to shower. DO NOT GET FEET WET.
• Is there anything I should buy now to prepare for aftercare (eg bandages)?
  Maybe some Coban, as I'll use that later on.
• When can I stand up? shower? ride a bicycle? drive a car?
  I can stand up as soon as I like. Baby it the first few days. Shower as soon as I like but DON'T GET FEET WET: double-bag them with tape! (I didn't ask the other two questions -- will figure those out at post-op)
• When's the first post-op follow-up appointment?
  Six days later, on a Wednesday.
• Can I get a videotape of the surgery? Still photos?
  YES! Bring a camera and she'll have someone take a picture or two.

2. PREP: Chores

• (new) Make full list of meds I'm on, to bring to surgery. Fortunately this is easy
• Bring water, books, puzzles, and Ethernet cable up to guest bedroom
• Put some books, puzzles, and a cordless phone by the couch
• Take apart an office chair so I have an under-desk-capable stool at work to elevate my feet a bit (this is half done)
• Make foot MRI icon already
• Divide frozen peas into foot-sized bags
• Test camera
• Create waist-pack of Important Stuff: water bottle, painkillers, cell phone, anything else that should always be on me

3. PREP: Errands

• Get two new painkiller prescriptions filled did one, other will be at need
• Get car smog-checked while I can still drive? It's due
• Buy Coban
• One last grocery run

4. Last minute:

• Wednesday night: laundry
• Wednesday night: buy bag of ice
• Wednesday night: clean floor of den
• Wednesday night: clean litterbox
• Wednesday night: last easy shower
• Wednesday night: if laptop isn't by the couch, put it there, connected to net
• Bring backpack to surgery, containing photo ID, insurance card, credit card for my portion of payment, glasses case to store those during surgery, CAMERA, water bottle, painkillers, and enough room for my suddenly-unusable street shoes
• Wear WIDE-legged shorts and a skirt to surgery

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I was stunned that they'd be willing to take pix for me. I'm such a souvenir-loving person that this is a wonderful and very valued extra service!

I am used to using waist packs where a purse is inconvenient. I love my big hiking one that went up Half Dome with me. Maybe that's part of what triggered the waist pack idea. A little waist pack as a "purse" and a backpack to carry work-related things, and I'll be the geekiest gimp in my office! Or the gimpiest geek. Woohoo!

Wow, do you have a walker with wheels? If I could find one with wheels, that sounds like it would be even better than crutches. But I don't know how long it would be before they'd get back to you. :-/

Thanks for the well-wishes!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I have the sort of classic walker with two wheels and two slidy feet. And the quad-cane. Like these:



I've hung onto them 'cause back when I *really* needed them, they were so incredibly useful. I dunno quite why I'm not fully comfortable with the idea of getting rid of them yet, but that's just the way I feel right now. But loaning them out so they're not just sitting around, and helping someone out with them -- that makes me happy!

(P.S. didja get my email?)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, awesome! OK, if they fit in the car I'd be very happy to borrow them! Thank you muchly muchly!

Email? Noooooo... which means it's probably gone forever. Give me a portion of the FROM address and I'll make sure my spam eater doesn't get it when you resend.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Phew -- glad I checked on the email -- I'm glad I checked! Resent from clare AT girlfags DOT com. I resent it to some address I have for you that's in my yahoo account, and to your LJ email address too, just 'cause I could (so, yeah, you should get two copies!).

As for the medical equipment -- great! I'll bring them. They'll pop easily into my back seat (they have in the past). So happy they might get some use -- even if that "use" is just being there to make you feel safer "just in case". We can email about when I can drop them off for you.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh. Um, er, yeah, two... but I didn't have time to check/change my spam eater! So maybe there's a third one waiting in some remailer queue somewhere. Heh.

Thank you!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hah, I suddenly got BOTH copies of the e-mail! Will respond shortly.