Getting ready for surgery

[fenchurch]

(Sorry to be spamming your flists today... I just have a lot to say!)

I swear I've got about a Christmas level of anticipation for the surgery... I woke up early yesterday morning with that eager sort of feeling, having apparently convinced myself in my sleep that it was Tuesday. I was highly disappointed to realize I still had nearly a week to go before my appointment.

This weekend is going to be filled with making preparations for the surgery... or, more accurately, for after the surgery. I have one big advantage in that I have at least a small idea of what I will and will not be able to do afterward. And, in fact, I'll be much better off than I was after the car accident when I really couldn't use either arm for anything... with the right arm completely unusable and the left one unable to do much above waist level, it meant I couldn't use the microwave, I couldn't reach the dishes, plus I had difficulty brushing my hair and even just getting dressed. This time I'll at least have one arm capable of doing pretty much anything I need.

I've got some spray deodorant (after we got to their house after the accident, it was one of the first things I asked my in-laws to buy for me -- when you can't lift your arm at all, there's very little in this world better than being able to get at least some sort of anti-perspirant in your armpit). I need to pick up some more microwavable dinners for my lunches (Kashi is my friend!) and also see about getting some large, loose button down shirts (most of the ones I got after the accident were thick and flannel, since it was winter) and a few tank-tops (I tossed the ones I had, since they were all pulled out of shape from being yanked around over non-functioning arms). And, of course, there's the big stuff... cleaning the house in preparation for not being able to do much for a month. We were lucky after the accident... we'd left for our Christmas trip a day late and had spent the extra time giving the house a bit of a deep clean, so it was in great shape when we got home and were unable to do much. I'd like to repeat that, if I can manage it.

I called the Orthopaedic Surgeon's office this morning, just to double-check that everything was squared away... mostly that the insurance companies are all on board (since this will exhaust our funds from the car insurance, our regular insurance is stepping up to cover the rest). I also wanted to find out about things like followup appointments (especially since the office is on the other side of the state) and when I'd be starting PT. I'm glad I did, since it looks like they'll want me back about a week later to check my progress and to remove stitches (which means rackham needs to let his boss know he'll be gone for a day). As for PT, it'll depend on what they wind up having to do, which makes sense. They're pretty sure about a few things (the tear in the labrum, the frayed tendons/ligaments) but are also going to be checking around for other damage to the joint and fixing whatever they find.

!!TMI Warning!! I think the thing I'm most looking forward to with the outcome of this surgery is being able to wear regular bras again. I couldn't wear one at all for quite some time after the accident... and I've only been able to work up to wearing sports bras (since they don't put quite the same amount of pressure on the shoulder and the straps tend to be closer to the neck). It seems like such a minor thing, but it's been a real hassle.

Oh, and there's the whole lifting things and being able to sit like a normal person and sleep without having to prop myself into certain positions and, well, a whole host of things...

At this point, my biggest worry is that I haven't managed to quite shake the cough I picked up when I was in Louisville... if I'm still having lung issues when I go in for my Pre-Op appointment on Tuesday, they won't be doing the surgery on Wednesday which would really, really suck.

Comments

[knitress.livejournal.com]

ahhhhh, the pre-surgery nesting instinct. I remember it well. I didn't have much warning with the gall bladder, but the flurry before my first surgery was amazing.

And yes, being able to sleep properly and wear whatever bra would want would be HUGE!