Other Thoughts and Discoveries

This is a bit out of order, but if I am truly sharing this experience, I want to add these other thoughts onto the blog.

Worries:

It may seem odd, but I have never been worried about the surgery itself, or the outcome. What DOES worry me are the funny things: body exposure, being "semi" conscious during the procedure, knowing where to go and when to be there, what to bring to the hospital,   having a queasy tummy afterward, not being in control....silly stuff, really.

But here are the resolutions to those worries:

• Body exposure: one of my friends said: "well, you've had babies...what are you worried about?" Ah, yes. problem solved.
• Being "semi" conscious - both my doctor, and my friend who has had knee replacement by the same doctor said: "You won't remember a thing!" And the nurse at the pre-op class said: "Some people want to be aware as long as possible, others don't want to know a thing. You just tell us what you want, and we will take care of you." Nice. I am in control!
• Knowing where to go, and when - not solved, really. I am practicing acceptance - AA-style: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change....."
• What to bring - OK, dumb. This is in the papers I already had. No problem.
• Queasy (unsettled) tummy - Since I am not having general anesthesia, this should not be a problem. But just in case, I am stocking up on Guava Juice, Chicken soup mix, and crackers. No problem....
• Control. Yeah. Back to the Serenity prayer for this one!

Surprises:

• I got a call from the doctor's nurse the day after my tests: "You have a urinary track infection" - Really!?!? Could have fooled me! Who knew that could be asymptomatic? Off to the pharmacist for a course of antibiotics. No problem.

• Compression stockings to be worn for 3-4 weeks after surgery...yoikes! My toes, (which have some tendons that have pulled tight in the last few years, creating hammertoes), are going to be crunched! I am a barefoot girl, and most of the time I am barefoot or in sandals. I can't imagine wearing shoes all day, every day for 4 weeks! The solution: they have stockings that leave the toes free...nice. AND, if I re-hab well, and can comfortably walk a mile by week 3, I can get rid of the stockings early...YAY!!!

• For the rest of my life, I will need to take an antibiotic before any dental work. They have discovered that the bacteria that can be released into the blood stream can migrate to the replaced joint and cause infection...even 8-10 years down the road! The nice thing is it is a single dose, 1 hour before seeing the dentist. 

• The physical therapist will come to my home, 2 or 3 days a week so that I don't have to get myself transported anywhere for that. Sweet.