One Day MORE!

Ok. My last post before and I'm trying to think of what I will want to know about what I thought before.  The surgery is scheduled for 12:30pm tomorrow and I have to be there for 10:30am - so I'm figuring leaving around 9:30am.  I'm staying home (in my home) tonight and will go to "the old folks home" tomorrow morning.  I'm hoping that by the weekend I can return back here.  My intention is to take advantage of any pain meds the first few days and then wean off so that I can safely drive myself home. All I'll really need at that point is to be able to get to dunkin donuts for coffee LOL.

I feel good about support from friends and family. Those that matter are making a difference and what more could I want? It truly is nice to know that people care. There's a huge difference in thinking people care vs. feeling that.  I'm mostly concerned about the financial part of all this - but so far I've been able to catch up on everything. Now it's just a matter of not falling behind.  

In less than 30 minutes I must stop everything from entering my mouth - so I'm drinking my last cup of coffee.  I'm not all that worried about the food part - it's the coffee part.  

On the flip side, I do wonder if I'll experience hormonal differences like hot flashes or other issues. I realize there's no way to know till it happens.  I never asked about whether or not I'll need HRT - but will do so if that's what is suggested. With the history of bone issues, it may not be a bad idea.  Look here! for all the answers!

Anyway, next post will be from ovary free me!
See you on the flip side. And just to confirm my wishes conveyed in the email to my family:

Obviously I have every intention of being fine afterwards - however,, I wish to be an organ donor (and I'm registered as such), then cremated and if I am given any sort of religious ceremony I will come back and do something really loud to express my upsetfulness.  Oh and the only thing I'm avid about is not being avid about anything.

Part 8 tests done

Closer and closer to the knife I go.Where it cuts, the surgeon knows.Slice me here, slice me there, Remove the parts that may be bad.

Less than a week to go! All pre-surgical tests are done and most of the stuff I wanted to get done is done. Still quite a few things I'd like to get done - but oh well. Had another fun experience at Nyack Hospital - I was told to come very early only to find out the techs that needed to be there to do my procedure(s) weren't there until way later. I had called to schedule the chest x-ray and was given a 7:00 am appointment and told to go to admitting on the ground floor at 6:45am.  Problem was that admitting office doesn't open till 7:30.  There is a different admitting area for the EKG so I was able to register there - and was able to have that done, but did have to wait till after 8 for the chest x-ray.  Everyone was so nice and caring so it really didn't matter. The tv and my phone entertained me.   Followed up with surgeon's office and they didn't get report from LabCorp - and after calling the office where I had my blood taken and being told it wasn't their problem... and given another # to call - they claim it was faxed last week and did so again.  Either way and whatever - it's done now. 

So including today (Wednesday) I have 3 days left of work and 6 wake ups to go. I'm trying to think about what I expect to see if I'm even close but I haven't really come to many conclusions.  I think I'll be sore but otherwise not too disabled.  

Oh and they have to list the recovery period as 4 weeks and then re-evaluate rather than 6 weeks.  No problem. Meanwhile.. time to get ready for -3 days work

May 30 Ten days or so

I'm losing the ability to count down properly. I tried to decide if I should count the number of sleeps until surgery then the number of have to get ups before surgery, perhaps the number of meals prior, or .. the list keeps on keepin on.  It is currently Friday evening, May 30th at 8:45pm and I'm about to go to sleep. I will repeat this going to sleep behavior 11 times. So to make it easier on my brain - 11 units of measurement to surgery! 

Yesterday I had the blood taken.  Surprisingly it was only 3 vials - but I did not have a pleasant experience there. Apart from the experience, the lack of coffee/caffeine was enough to give me a really bad headache the entire day. Not a migraine thankfully, but very close to it. I pretty much spent all day napping and taking lots of tylenol. So just to document my travels I'm going to describe in wonderful living Leslie detail about my experience.

Knowing that I had to fast for the metabolic panel I ate my last snack at 9p.m.  Usually I eat my first meal when I wake up at 2:12a.m. with coffee #1 and then drive to work with coffee #2  have a snack at 6a.m. with Diet Coke and eat my 2nd meal at 9:00am with more coffee or Diet coke.  Suffice it to say that my routine was broken. The food part was a non-issue. The caffeine/drink part was a huge issue.  Wanting to miss the 7 a.m. crowd at the lab required this strategy.  

I arrived at LabCorp around 8:45a.m. with 8 people waiting to either pee, have blood drained or both. One person (patient)  was at the registration desk and was holding the "SIGN IN" clipboard. In order not to waste time, I took the "PATIENT INFO" clipboard and began to fill that out. The lady behind the stupid hole in the wall like window (one of 2 - who I will call Yeller and Reacher) who was talking to the person with the sign in clipboard YELLED at me that I had to sign in BEFORE filling out the info sheet. The other person STILL had the other clipboard. So I asked, (very nicely) if I would have to fill out both?  Yes. I would. But YOU HAVE TO SIGN IN FIRST. I said, Well since that one is being used why can't I fill this one out and then we can switch - and she said - BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO SIGN IN FIRST. Neither clipboard knew if I had signed the other.  Seriously now, there are 2 clipboards, one to sign in and one to fill out the form you hand in when your name is called off the sign in list. I broke some rule in taking the sheet and was directed to GO SIT DOWN and she will call me to come back when the SIGN IN clipboard is on the counter. So I fill out the form, take it off the clipboard and about 20 seconds later she calls me over to fill out the sign in sheet. I put the INFO clipboard down on the counter and she SNATCHES it up thinking that I left my filled out form on it.  So she says (in an almost smiley sing song voice) Where is the form? Did you throw it out? (lol!!!)  I showed her it was in my not so stupid hands. I mean c'mon.  She directs me to go sit down again. 

Thirty minutes later, the other lady behind the hole in the wall calls me.  They're sharing this hole in the wall, but there's really only enough room for one of them to be in front of it - and the lady I was now dealing with was off to my right and had to reach over to get things from the window. I was worried that her reaching was going to be catastrophic because she looked as though she might fall of her rolling chair and I had visons of Yeller lady kicking her over for doing something in the wrong order. So I have to give her a whole handful of things and not a millisecond after I handed to her Yeller told me to go back and sit down.  I said very loud, "Yes M'am. Whatever you say M'am'"  And just about at the same time I sat down (maybe a real second now) Reacher was calling me back to give me back my cards. Reacher told me to go over to the first curtain where they take blood.  So I walk over there.....

And of course Yeller sent someone else there! I have to say that although she was yelling I don't think she was intentionally trying to be a bitch.  So I went right outside the first curtain and sat on a bench.  Reacher now comes over to take my blood and realizes that Yeller sent another patient there. So I waited another minute.  It was one of those experiences... 

Scheduled the EKG for Tuesday coming. Will get chest xray also.  Made some progress organizing things, but still have a ways to go. It's really coming up..  

Part 6 - Getting closer..

Had the weekend off and had lots of plans to do things in preparation for not being able to do things. Didn't do any of the things I thought I'd do. Not one.  Did have a bizarre dream (which is relatively frequent) and for a moment after I woke up was a bit concerned.  Somehow (in the dream) I realized that the surgery was now scheduled right smack in the middle of a WDW vacation I had already scheduled and had to decide what was more urgent and/or important - going to WDW or having surgery. In the course of the dream I had to contact zillions of people and companies to change all sorts of things like rides to the airport, rides to the hospital... and it went on and on.  I was apparently going with "M" who had just had some sort of surgery (in the dream my mom and I were discussing how she ("M") had her pelvis removed and stopped working but her parents were ok with that and now going to WDW would be good for her) It was totally garbled but I did wake up wondering if I'd had a pending vacation that I'd forgotten about.  Yeah. No.

I've got a lot of things I really need to do in the next 2 weeks - just to make sure I can come home as quickly as possible.  I figure staying a week at Mom and Dad's will be alright.  I will convince myself that I need to have people in case I need to have people. (I'm not very convincing).

June 7 will be my last day at work - so it's getting very much closer. I wonder if I'll feel warmer after this is done?  I don't think I'm concerned or worried, but I guess I'll figure that out the closer it gets.  Now my biggest concern is going for blood work this week.. or should I wait till next week?   I'm also trying to jump ahead on all my bills/utilities so I don't have to worry about falling behind while out of work.

Thats all for now.

Part 5: DETOUR!

Previous entry: Part 4

Part 5:  DETOUR AHEAD

1 step forward, 7 days back.   Got a call from the surgeon's office saying that due to whatever he will be away on June 3 but I can reschedule for  Tuesday, June 10.  So much for the countdown.  Of course this means I have to change my start of disability/leave at work AND make sure to get myself on the schedule for that week despite having had my hours already given away (most likely).  Everything else is just postponed so it's not a biggie but it's one of those things I'd prefer to just get done and over with. It's actually good for me to try to get things cleaned and organized BEFORE it's too late so I can actually relax during my convalescence and take advantage of having time to do things.  I'm hoping to get at least a few summer city visits in.  Not working and especially not working overnight means I can visit museums on their free admission days.  Crowds don't bother me that much - admission fees do (mostly because I'm constantly struggling to pay everything).  Anyway, that's for my travel blog that I haven't worked on. 

Part 6:  Getting closer? 
  

Part 4: The Countdown Begins

Previous Page: Part 3

At the time of this keystroke, I've got 19.5 days to go to surgery. It's interesting to try to think of all the things I need to do for this in advance and how I've started to consider the things that may not go the way I hope. And the way I hope right now is that I have the surgery done, wake up, and continue on my merry way. What if my iron is too low? What if this or that?  

I'm pretty confident that I have the immediate financial issues under control. That is: I'll be able to pay rent and utilities despite lowered income while on medical leave.  Calling the Leave & Benefits Center was a bit confusing.  The very friendly person was pretty much CLUELESS.  The questions she asked me (that populated her screen) were more appropriate for someone who had an immediate emergency medical condition or accident - not for a pre-planned one. It too a few screens to tell the computer that it wouldn't be until June and that nothing happened at work to cause this. I would think that once you state it isn't workman's compensation or related the questions would go away. Not the case. My last day worked prior to the phone call was completely unrelated to the last day I'll work before the surgery. Work didn't cause the genetic mutation that increases my risk.  No, it wasn't an accident despite how many times or ways you ask. And just to note: 2014111394 
Leave & Benefits will now send me lots of forms to fill out which then have to be sent to the surgeon and faxed back to them.  Then it gets reviewed and some unknown person decides if I'm approved or not. I can't imagine the not. Friendly Clueless lady did not know how many days were not paid nor the percentage I get paid (it's not on the screen she declared in a happy voice) 
From a previous call I know this info and have it somewhere. Maybe I even posted it already!  I'm thinking of all I have to do - like I should make lists of the lists I need to make. What to take with me to mom and dad's because well... they may not have exactly what I need at the moment I decide I need something and having 3 people with 3 cars aside from me and my car isn't enough to quench my unknown need. I may have to stay there for a few days! What will I do?  Silly things like getting my oil changed because having surgery and having an oil change first matter (even though I probably could go forever without considering this). So yes, I'm thinking of completely ridiculous things. I'm shooting for May 21st as blood work day and on or around that date for the chest x-ray and resting EKG.  

Stay tuned for Part 5: -- DETOUR! (next part)

Part 3 - A visit to the Hospital for Surgical Consult!

Previous Page: Part 2
April 28, 2014

11:00 appointment.  No way I was going to find on the street parking and then figure out how to walk to the hospital. Suffice it to say that Columbia University Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian is HUGE.  So I found my way to what appeared to be a main entrance and found the Valet Parking.  Had to go inside to a central desk where I was given a map and pass.  From there I had to walk through the building to the left, make a left, follow the hallway through the doors, make a right, then another right to the elevators to the 8th floor, then make a right and "follow the signs".  Um, ok. 

Time is now 10:25 so I have plenty of time. I considered stopping for a cup of coffee to keep me company, but was afraid I'd forget the directions I was repeating over and over and/or be unable to order coffee without stating what direction I had to go.  (Can I get make a hot right elevator with 7 sweet n lows?)  I continued left for quite a bit through the building which became another building fairly quickly with another entrance in front of me. (Or was it now an exit since I was inside?) I decided this must be where I was to make the left. The left brought me into another building and now I was to find a hallway through doors. Surprisingly at the far side of the room where I was there was a set of doors that led to a hallway and at the end of the hallway there was a waiting area to the left and another hallway to the right.  Halfway down that hallway was another right and lo and behold - the elevators. I admit I was totally feeling some type of way about this and wanted to high fived myself because I never thought I'd find it. So here I am at the elevators.  There's 4 elevators and lots of people waiting for them.  Each time one came and the doors opened, they were PACKED with people. Of course being a Hospital, lots of wheelchairs and elderly people were waiting and how could I not let them go before me? Time is now 10:32 so I'm thinking I had a bit of time to spare, but it was getting close and I wasn't quite sure how much further I had to go.  10:45: I began to wonder how many elderly and disabled people would show up waiting for the very slow to come overpacked elevators. 10:50: one of the men waiting with me (wearing Dr. credentials) had been waiting also and told me that if I didn't just jump on I could be waiting a very long time and that next elevator I should jump on with him - he'd make room.  Thank you Dr. man! Ok, now I had to get off on Floor 8 and follow the signs.  Not a problem! Holy Shit! There were what seemed to be a thousand signs! Signs, posters, info cards! Finally I saw the word "BREAST" and felt happy.  Got to the office about 10:55 - had already completed the forms so I was told to wait in the "waiting area" - which I'm guessing was the central area but I was more interested in exploring.  Very quickly I was called in. First the Physician's Assistant came in to ask the exact same questions I answered the last time at Nyack Hospital. Then the Nurse came in to ask more of the exact same questions and took my pressure and pulse. Then the Dr. came in and did the same exam and asked if I'd gotten the results back for Lynch Syndrome and explained about the insurance - and he said.. so that's a "no" - but I didn't want it to seem like I hadn't done it..I did.. but I didn't.. and trying to get people to understand LeslieLogic (to be explained some other time) rarely is successful.  So I left it at "sorta no" which basically just eliminated the Hysterectomy.  
I was sent to the next office to get the instructions for pre-op tests and to pick my surgery date.  Will need a chest x-ray, resting EKG and bloodwork done 2 weeks prior. Set the date for Tuesday, June 3, 2014. I'll be informed of the time the day before. 
So that's where I am right now.  As it gets closer and afterwards I plan to post here. 
  
GO TO Part 4 - countdown begins