Alternate title "Thank you, Jebus, for giving me sweet, sweet insurance."
I paid some bills last week that had been piling up from my surgery. I had yet to pay a bill since my surgery, as I am lazy and poor. After the sixth & final notice ("No, no, really. This is the final. Please, please pay us! No? Ok, we'll send you another notice in a week or two.") from one very persistent medical group, I figured it was time to get it over with.
Now that my checks have cleared, we can add $2,470.62 to the $1,736.01 that I already paid (insurance adjusted down from $6,897.36) before the surgery. What is shockingly amazing to me is how much insurance adjusted. Can you imagine what people who don't have insurance do?! So sad. Here's the breakdown:
Anesthesia bill $411.21 (insurance adjusted down from $4,578)
Pathology lab $108.72 (insurance adjusted down from $747.89)
Additional labs $53.60 (insurance adjusted down from $1,108.80)
Hospital bills (this is the real kicker) $1,897.09 (insurance adjusted down from $179,654.02, as detailed here)
So if I hadn't had insurance, based on the original bills, I would have had to pay $192,986.07!!
$192,986.07!!!!!
This does not count the prescription meds my parents picked up for me when I left the hospital. I still have to get those receipts, pay them back and then add those to the running total.
So the new running total on this whole shabang is $4,206.63.
Who wants to buy me a drink? Seriously. Don't make me beg.
The half-year mark
Today marks six months since my surgery. It was singularly the biggest event of my life thus far. It's hard to describe how everything is so very different when there's many things that are the same. I can't stop thinking today about everything that has happened. This post is going to be a long one. If this bothers you, bite me. This is all for me today.
I remember that day
I will never forget it, how scared I was. Any excitement that I felt before the surgery day had flown out the window when I was taken to my personal waiting room. I changed into the gown they gave me in the bathroom and looked one last time at myself and was suddenly so, so sure that I was making a huge mistake.
My thought process on this day, six months ago, in that bathroom: Why was I such a whiner before this? I could get through the rest of my life like this, no problem. So many more people have worse things to live with the a crooked spine and hump back. I could die. I could be paralyzed. I could never do the things I love again. I may never see my family again. I just get my mind set on something, and it's full speed ahead. Jesus Christ, what the hell was I thinking?
Thank God for my mother being there, or I would have lost it right there. I remember laying there watching "While You Were Out" on TLC with her. Everything felt so wrong. I cried to the anesthesiologist. Asked him to promise that I wouldn't die. Asked him to promise that I wouldn't feel anything.
Then it was more talking to my surgeon, more questions from the nurses, happy juice from the anesthesiologist and good-byes to my family & friends. It was so surreal. Everything was bright and white and so normal seeming. Normal for everyone around me. I was in panic mode.
Changes that change everything and nothing at the same time
Today, I can finally say this: I'm glad I did this. This is one of the first times I've ever said that out loud. I am glad I did this. [It's crazy how choked up writing this makes me!]
Today, I don't experience the same sort of awful back pain that I once did. I feel like the pain I get now will eventually go away. It's not the stiff, pressurized pain I once felt, and I don't have pains when I breathe anymore either. I just get kind of achy, mostly when I'm sitting incorrectly or I spend too long in one position.
Today, I look different. My back used to be so much bigger than it is now, so much wider. I used to have a hump on my right shoulder blade. My ribs weren't centered and pointed to the right. My shoulder was higher. Now I have a massive scar that I am seriously proud of. It is my battle wound. I look at it, and I feel like a bad ass.
The lesser pain and the way I look are big differences, but there's so many more changes for me. I have a confidence that I have never felt before. I feel normal. I think I look normal. I have never felt like a normal person before. I always thought of myself as deformed. Not many people would think of that when they would see me, I know. But once you knew, you saw it. I always would look at my girlfriends from the side. You could just barely see their shoulder from the back of the arm then straight down to the small of the back. Mine was a giant "S" from the side. Strapless dresses with zippers? Forget about it. They didn't make them fit my type. Seems crazy to be so upset over that, right?
I remember in high school being in a high school pageant. I didn't win. Later, a teacher who was very friendly with my group and happened to be a judge, said I didn't win because I looked so bad in my dress. I still get mad about that. And embarrassed.
The big changes for me are all internal. Going through days and weeks and even months of pain changes you. I feel I look like everyone else, but I feel better about it because I had to fight to get here.
I've heard a lot of people tell me how amazed they are at my recovery and how quickly I've come out of it. I still feel like I'm in recovery a little, and whenever they say this I secretly scream inside that they have no idea what it once was like for me, but I get what they're saying, and I agree. I thought I'd still be struggling a lot more at six months than I actually am. Why would this be better for me?
I'm going with a few different theories on this now that I can look back at things with a little perspective.
One thing, I prepared myself as much as I could. I worked out constantly. I gave up smoking, caffeine, all the list of meds my doc gave to avoid. I saw a massage therapist/energy manipulator the night before my surgery to clear the air, so to say. I joined an online support group to learn more about the experience I'd be going through and get tips on how to survive. I started my blog to get all this shit out of my head. I gave myself two mantras to focus on whenever I needed them (1. I will be ok. My angels will guide me. 2. I plant this hurt in a sea of good thoughts and it floats away.).
Two, "buddha, buddha," as my friends and I call it. I asked my angels to be in the hospital with me to take care of me (Sally, Kelsey's uber-buddhabuddha mom said the surgery room was packed). I prayed to God. I prayed to each of my angels by name. I asked everyone I talked to to pray for me. I blogged for prayers, begging people to pray again. If for nothing else, the praying helped me to concentrate on something, made me feel like I had a small army around me. I truly believe I did, though, especially when I think about all the people out there who were concentrating on me and praying for me. I can't prove it, but I know it to be true. Faith, I guess. (I'm not so skeptical anymore.) I was so ready to give up at times, I knew I needed something much bigger than me to pull me through it.
Three, my support. I've read online about people going home, alone after their surgeries. I am so lucky that I had my family to go home to. My mom and dad were there for me day in and day out, and I will never forget how blessed I am to have them. I don't deserve these parents. Few people deserve the great parents I have. Same goes with the rest of my family and my friends and all the ridiculous amount of love, support and care I received. I'm going to include my surgeon and his staff in this. I am lucky to have one of the best specialists in the world for scoliosis practically in my backyard. The care I received is unreal. My blessings go on and on.
Present day
I'm not 100 percent recovered yet. I go to work, just like before, I just have a better chair to sit in now. I am back to working out, I'm just not ready to dance yet. I can't lift more than 25 pounds, and twisting into some of my old yoga positions seems like a funny joke right now. I look similar, but different. I have kick-ass posture. I get a lot of people telling me just how different I look. Quite a few friends have told me it's deeper than that. I have something inside me that's finally showing on the outside, too. People who really know me have actually said this to me, no lie, which is wonderful because that is how I feel. I'm still me, just better, I think.
One reason I decided to do the surgery was to prevent a lot of bad things from happening to me in the future. I am still scared of bad things but from a different perspective now. I am so happy with where I am today that I now worry about what would happen if I started to go crooked again. What if the rods slip or break (this can happen!) and I have to do this all again? Would I do it all again? I am so happy now. [Wow! I can say that!] I would like to think I would do it all again, but I don't know that I could physically, emotionally, mentally go through this ever again. It makes me so sick to think about. Many people have multiple surgeries for scoliosis over the course of their lives. I pray to God and my angels that this one time will take for me. Fingers officially crossed.
So, with all that off my chest now, happy anniversary to me and to every single one of you who has been with me through this! Six months down! I could have NEVER EVER been able to get through this without so many of you. Once again, to mom, dad, Wendy, Misty, the kids, Matt, Kelsey, the Stroopes, Carra, Monica, Janet, Barry&Jayne, the Pollards, Monette&fam, my Oncor colleagues, everyone who visited me or called me when I was away, to Dr. Hostin and his staff, to my beautiful Baylor nurses: thank you, thank you, thank you! xoxo
I lived in the ICU for three days. If you read Kelsey's post from Jan. 17, you know some of what happened in there.
One more angel
Each day I would have two nurses to take care of me - one during the day and one at night. These nurses were wonderful. One specifically, Nurse Tricia, was so good to me. She was a soft-spoken lady and very pretty. When I would complain about the pain and ask (beg) for help, I felt like she really wanted me to feel better. She was genuinely concerned. One time, the pain was so bad, but she couldn't give me anything; and I was soooo thirsty, but I couldn't have anything to drink either. She found these little spongy stick things, soaked them in water and gave to me to suck on. It wasn't much, but it helped.
This is how much this nurse went above and beyond- on the morning of my third day in ICU, she offered to give me a sponge bath to make me feel more comfortable. She recruited another nurse, and together they cleaned me up. All I had to do was lay there. This was the best part of my entire stay. I felt at least a little bit less sickly.
It is soooo important to have a good nurse. With one exception, which I'll get to in a future post, all of my nurses at Baylor were phenomenal. They made me feel like I was their top priority and like they really wanted to help me feel better. If I needed something, they tried their best to get it. Sometimes that just involved listening to me and consoling me when I was crying and upset, and they did so, no questions asked. These moments cannot be undervalued. Thank you to all my nurse/angels!!
Please, leave me alone
Every day, a slew of technicians, nurses, specialists, doctors, blah, blah, blah, would come to my room to pick at me, move me and make me do an array of things I just did not want to do.
The worst of the bunch were the x-ray techs. Each day, very early in the morning (maybe so visitors wouldn't hear me yell at them?) two of them would come in with a portable x-ray machine. One would stand on each side of my bed. They'd then countdown and lift me up and over using the sheet underneath me while one put a large, hard film case (sorry, I don't know the technical terms) where my back would be. Then they'd roll me back onto it. "OUCH! Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod hurry!"
They'd take a picture, then lift me again and remove it. I'm sure they're very nice people in real life, but I hated them. Before I realized my dislike, I remember apologizing to one of them for my rank breath. I hadn't brushed my teeth in days and could feel the stench in my mouth. He said it was ok and not to worry. I never apologized for it again.
Just breathe
Another frequent visitor to my room was the respiratory therapist. (Thank you, Kristen, for the explanation of what follows) After surgery, you tend to lay around and not move much, so you begin taking slower, shallower breaths. If you aren't fully expanding your lungs, the tiny air sacs at the base of your lungs could collapse, leading to pneumonia. This is called atelectasis. To combat this, a respiratory therapist would come to my room multiple times throughout the day to do breathing exercises with me.
One of my frequent tests involved using an incentive spirometer. The picture on the left is the same one that I have. Every couple of hours, I would need to breathe on the tube, trying to make the yellow piece on the far left and the white piece in the middle raise up and stay up as long as I could on an inhale. I believe they would want me to do 30 inhales. When I left the hospital, they gave the incentive spirometer to me to use at home.
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Additionally, I would have to do another respiratory test each time with a device that I can't remember what it was called. It had a long clear, plastic balloon on one end. The tech would put some kind of chemical in it, and I would have to breath in and out until the balloon filled all the way up. Then, he or she would remove the balloon and tell me to keep breathing. These exercises were surprisingly hard to do. Now when I blow on my spirometer, I can easily get it to the top. Then, I could barely do it. It was also very easy for me to lose count when trying to get my 30 breaths in or almost fall asleep or get light-headed, another thing I will attribute to all the drugs.
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Then there were the physical and occupational therapists. Oh man. In the spirit of keeping this post from turning into a small novel, I'll blog on them later. Stay tuned!
An interesting turn of events
Last weekend having a gigantic, scary-looking scar finally paid off. I 
was an extra in my friend Joe Harris' music video/short film called, "The Butcher of San Antone" for the band Tumbledown. I was one of the butcher's casualties.
Score one for the disfigured!
Here's a (poorly taken cell phone) pic of what my scar looks like now, for those of you wondering. It's healing very nicely, if I do say so myself. I've even been told (wink, wink, Matt & Joe) that it's kind of "hot" looking. My thoughts? Tough, sure. Impressive, maybe.
Either way, there's a good chance that I can always win the my-scar-is-bigger-than-yours contest. There are contests, right?
intensive care unit (ICU). Once I arrived in ICU after my six-hour surgery, I remember talking to Kelsey and Matt. Sorry to anyone else that was there. For some reason it seems we were kind of laughing, which seems about right since Kels said I was being quite humorous. I guess I was still feeling the happy drugs from my anesthesiologist. Kels, Matt, mom or anyone else who was there, please feel free to add stories and observations to the comments section about the first time seeing me or talking to me in ICU. 
who was sitting in the recliner by my bed watching TV (pic at left is of Wendy in the waiting room during my surgery). She stayed really late until visiting hours were over, or so we thought. We found out the next day that I could have someone stay the night with me in my room, just no in-and-out visitors. I remember feeling very happy that she stayed for so long (thanks, Wendy!). I don't know if it was the drugs or what, but I felt close to everyone who was around me. Which brings me to my nurse. 
In addition to the morphine drip, I had an array of new tubes and pins going in and out of me. Working down from my head, I had a nasal cannula, which you can see wrapped across my face in the picture to the left. A nasal cannula delivers low-flow oxygen and is common to have after surgery to help regulate your breathing. At first when I had the cannula, the flow was a little strong. It reminded me of the air conditioner knobs above your head on an airplane that when you turn you can feel this pressure of air coming out and hear the hiss. Eventually, the nurse realized this and turned it down. I never thought twice about it after that. 
not least, I had a catheter in my bladder that released into a lovely bag seen at the bottom of my bed in the picture to the left. Every so often my nurse would lift the sheets and check this catheter to make sure I wasn't laying on it wrong or it wasn't twisted. Let me tell you, there is no room for modesty in the hospital. And, for that matter, when you're in pain like I was in pain, you really don't care. 
Work has been good. I showed up last Wednesday to many warm welcomes. My co-workers decorated my office and gave me a card and gift basket. The boss bought lunch, so the day was wonderful. I take my pillow with me to work to use when sitting long hours in my office chair. Every day someone I don't know makes some kind of crack about me sleeping on the job. Tuesday, it was the security guard shouting at me across the lobby. I don't mind. It is making me consider buying a pillow to just leave in my office, so I don't have to drag mine in each day in front of everyone.
As far as how I physically feel after work, it's not too bad. I get tired and lately my shoulders have been really hurting. Hurting enough for me to take a pain killer when it happens, which I'm trying to cut back on.
I went out with friends for the first time last weekend. It was so much fun, especially since I hadn't been out since the weekend before my Jan. 14th surgery. Even though I've been out now and working again, I'm still trying to take it easy. I get plenty of sleep, rest whenever I can and am careful of how I move.
Next up: another recap from the hospital.
This week I felt pretty good. Not normal, but good, considering.
On Friday I...
drove for the first time since Jan. 13.
On Saturday I...
put on makeup for the first time since Jan. 13.
fixed my hair for the first time since Jan. 14.
wore a bra for the first time since Jan. 14. (I was scared to have the back strap rub against my scar, so I put on a tank top first and wore my bra over it on the widest setting to reduce the contact against my incision.)
shaved my legs for the first time since Jan. 14. (Seriously. Not because I didn't want to, but because it was impossible at first and still somewhat hard to reach my legs with these giant rods in my back.)
bought a car on my own for the first time ever in hopes I can go back to work soon. (Mine was wrecked in October.)
Today I...
went to see my surgeon for my second post-op appointment. As of tomorrow, I will be seven weeks post-op. He ok'd me to go back to work, so tomorrow I will start work again. I don't plan on working full days. Not yet. Tomorrow will just be a test day for me to see how I feel. Luckily, I have a super understanding boss and co-workers, and I'm set up with everything I need to work from home. The part about tomorrow that sounds the worst to me is driving from my parents' house, where I've been living since the surgery to enlist their help during my recovery, to Dallas, a 45 minute drive without traffic. Sitting in a car can be uncomfortable for me.
One thing I am looking forward to is using my new bag. I bought a beautiful briefcase on wheels to take to work, so that I don't have to carry my laptop and all my work items in a shoulder bag. I always hated people who used those rolley bags on the bus and train. I would think, "how lazy are they!?" and would be mad at how slow they got off and how they were always in my way. Maybe I misjudged them...
Back to what's important
My doctor's appointment went well today. He said I'm progressing well and my back looks good. We took more x-rays and looked at them together. My left shoulder is still higher than the right (you can tell this by looking at my last x-ray; it looks pretty much the same as the x-rays we took today, so I didn't bother getting a digital copy to put on here), but he thinks this may even out more in time.
Since the last time I saw him, I read his detailed description of my surgery, given to me at my first post-op appointment. In it, I read that a decision was made during surgery to extend the fusion (fusion of the spine and stainless steel rod) down further than anticipated in order to reduce deformity. The incis
ion was extended accordingly. I asked about this today since I hadn't realized before that this had happened. Basically, he said he didn't feel like my curves would be straightened enough without extending the fusion. I have a little bit less movement in my back as a result, but I still do have most of the movement in my lower back. When it's all said and down, my fusion is from the T2 (T is for thoracic) to the L1 (L is for lumbar) vertebrae in my spine. While I would prefer a smaller fusion, I would rather have a straight, deformity-free back, so I've accepted this the best I can.
I asked about when I would feel normal again and wouldn't notice that I have foreign objects in my body. He said that is different for everyone, especially depending upon age. The younger kids he operates on feel pretty good in the first three months. The older adults take longer, many needing a full year or so. I would be somewhere in the middle.
In the meantime, I can do most of my normal activities and should listen to my body when deciding how much to push it. He wants me to be as normal as I can be. As for working out, I can do some cardiovascular activities, but he wants me to hold off on anything too hard until I'm completely off the pain pills. I'm assuming that's so I can listen to my body better than if I'm messed up on pills. I specifically asked about yoga, but that's a no for now.
Before leaving, I signed a consent form to allow other patients to contact me. I want anyone who has questions or just wants to talk to someone who's been through it to be able to call me up and ask away. In my first post-op appointment with Dr. Hostin, he asked me if the pain was what I thought it would be. I told him that it was far worse than I ever imagined. He was surprised at this and said something about me talking to other patients of his, which I never had because I didn't realize I could. I wish he would have offered this to me before my surgery, but that's ok. Bygones.
Crystal ball
My dad drove me to my appointment today. On the way, he asked if I'm happy I've done this. Honestly, right now I'm not sure, and I don't want to say which direction I'm leaning for or against. I think in a year, I'll say "hell yes," or at least I hope so. We'll see.
Showtime
I don't remember anything about the surgery (thank God!). As Matt posted in detail earlier, my surgery started at 8:30 a.m., not at 7:30 as we expected, and the first "hourly" update didn't happen until more than two hours later. The nurse said things had been a little "wild." Humph. They didn't tell us 'til much later what wild means, as detailed by Kelsey in her blog post.
My surgery took about six hours, longer than the three or four we were told to expect. My surgeon said this was because my spine was stiff. What's funny is I had been taking BioSil, a supplement to make my bones strong. His assistant said it was ok to take up to the week of surgery, but in retrospect, I probably shouldn't have taken it. Another reason it took so long, he said, was because they took pictures (although he didn't say it, I'm sure the "wildness" added to it!).
Ok. So I have the pictures. I want to post them, but I know it's probably about 50/50 as to whether or not everyone wants to see them. I've decided to put them in a link, so you don't have to see them if you don't want to. If you do want to, copy and paste the following links into your browser. I figured this was the safest way to avoid accidental clicks by people who don't want to see the pics. WARNING... these are GRAPHIC!:
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0147.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0148.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0153.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0154.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0155.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0156.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0158.jpg
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq187/Megsgolightly5/Scoliosis%20surgery%20Jan14%202009/IMG_0159.jpg
How do I top that?
Next thing I remember is hearing a man's voice (my anesthesiologist?) saying my name really loudly again and again, telling me to wake up. This part is very hazy. I remember bright lights and lots of people doing things around me. The voice told me to do as he said. He put his hand under my foot and told me to "push on the brakes." I had to push my legs and feet against his hands in all these different ways, but I don't remember much except the brakes. This is to check for paralysis, a risk during spinal surgery. I don't remember if they checked my arms or anything else.
Then, they moved me. I remember going in and out at first. I don't remember faces or much, just being in motion and bright lights in the hallways. And I was out again.
Morning
After a mostly sleepless night, I woke up at 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to get ready to go to the hospital. I took a long shower since I figured it would be a while before my next shower or at least my next time to enjoy showering. I used the Hibiclens, an antiseptic wash that I have been using once day for the last week at doctor's orders, on my chest, abdomen and back. It helps reduce the chances for infection in the operating area. When I got out, I used the Bactroban one last time, which is an ointment I swab once in each nostril, also to reduce infection.
My mother put my hair in two braids, a tip I got from SSO, to keep my hair looking decent in the days to come when I may be moved around quite a bit and not wanting to brush. I threw a few more things in my bag, woke up Matt and tried to get everyone out the door by 4:30 a.m. Of course, we were running late. Thankfully, at that time in the morning, no one is driving, so it took us half the time it usually does to make the drive to Baylor in Plano.
Waiting room
When we got to the hospital, we went straight to the second floor to register. We (my mom, dad, Matt and I; Wendy showed up maybe 20 or 30 minutes after us) were in a large waiting room filled with other people waiting to have surgery and their families. The Guest Services Coordinator Robin walked around checking off the patients' names from a list. Then one by one we were called to a desk to really register. I was given a bracelet with my information on it and signed some papers. I almost cried, but thankfully held it back. At this point, the panic was starting to rise inside of me.
I sat back down with my family, kind of. Every few minutes I would decide I needed to use the ladies room and would go to the closest one. I hadn't eaten or drank anything since midnight the night before (doctor's orders), so this was mostly just my nerves. On one of my trips, a nurse came to get me to take me back, and I wasn't there. He left and said he'd come get me later. Eventually we were in the same place at the same time. He said that I could bring back one person with me for now, and that the rest of my family could come see me once I'm settled in my own pre-op room. I picked my mother, which made her happy. As if I would pick anyone else in this situation!
More testing and waiting
The nurse took my blood pressure,
low as always (116/69), weight (I'll keep that one to myself) and gave me a hospital gown and some hose to put on my legs. I was taken to my own room to change and to provide a urine sample. Once I was settled, another nurse came in and asked me a million questions that have already been asked to me a million times before. These people are thorough.
She took more blood and told me that I would need to take the elastic out of my hair. I told her that it was to keep my hair out of the way and that I had asked one of the other nurses about it in a previous appointment and she has said it was ok. This nurse said no. Apparently, elastic is flammeable, and there is some kind of miniscule chance that they may catch fire. Seriously. That was the reason. I took them out and messed up my hair.
She then started my IV. My first one, I think. She told me not to worry that she would numb the area. Yeah, right. She put some numbing cream on it and immediately started to insert the IV with no time between to allow the cream to work. It hurt.
The anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. I asked him my questions about what if I wake up in the middle, is there anyway I would feel it, etc. He gave me all the right answers. Then an OR (operating room) nurse came in to talk to me.
By this point, I'm in the gown, I have an IV in my arm, I have all these doctors and nurses in my room, my dad, Matt and Wendy have come to the room, and I start to panic. I cry. I can't help it. I was so scared! I've been dealing with scoliosis since I was 11, fighting against doctors who wanted to operate until recently, and moving toward surgery for the last six m
onths. It was all about to happen, everything was going to change and I was freaked out.
Dr. Hostin came to talk to me and make sure I was ok. He was very non-chalant about it all. Surgeons are a different breed. It helped me to stop crying.
The anesthesiologist came back to give me happy meds and send me to la la land. I hugged and kissed all my family goodbye and that was all I really remember. I vaguely remember being wheeled away, I think. Next up, my surgery.
Excuses, excuses
I know this is a long time coming. I can't even say that I've been busy. No more reasons, let's just get right to it.
Jan. 13--the day before surgery
This day was very busy. I had to go to the hospital with my father to fill out paperwork, have more blood drawn and get chest x-rays taken. After all of that, we walked across the street for my pre-op appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Hostin. I was very nervous. I asked him all the questions I wanted to at that time. For those who were interested, these were his answers at that time:
1. How long will the surgery last? Around three or four hours (actual surgery time was longer...will get to that later)
2. How long will I be in the hospital afterward? He said I would probably be in the hospital four or five days, then go home (this also changed). He didn't think I would need to go to the rehab facility, as he hadn't sent anyone to rehab this year who is under the age of 30. Later in the car on the way home, I realized that this year at that point had only been the last two weeks, but I figured he meant last year.
3. When people go back to work after their month or two off, are they typically able to do full days or not? He said basically that I would probably be off work for six weeks to two months, although I am cleared for two to three months, just in case. He said when I do go back, I may not be able to handle full days. This is a wait and see type thing. He would be the one to ok me for work after we discuss it.
4. Will I be in a brace? If so, for how long? Nope. He thought that with my age, health and because my full back will not be operated on (just most of it), I would not require a brace, although this was also a wait-and-see-type thing.
5. Will I need a cane or a walker? How long? See previous answer.
6. If I am in a brace, how long each day do I need to wear it? See previous answer.
7. How will I sleep? Will I be able to lay on my back at all? He said I'd sleep however felt comfortable. I'll give my answer to this later.
8. My mother's surgeon used bone from her ribs (Mom, is this right?) in her back. Will I need anything like that? No.
9. Will I be able to play soccer or snowboard or other sports and games where I may fall or get hit? Yes, but not for at least three months for most items, and a little longer for contact sports.
10. How long will it take for the hump in my back that I currently have to go away? It will go away, right? Yes, he said he would push this out and move around my ribs and all kinds of cool things, in addition to straightening my spine.
11. How long will it take for the bottom curve to straighten out on its own? I can't remember exactly what he said for this. I know he said that he believes this bottom curve to be compensatory (as we discussed before), so it should straighten out on it's own. We'd have to wait and see.
12. How tall will I be when this is all over? So I had seen a commercial for my doctor's office with a woman who had the same surgery and ended up four inches taller. He said this will not happen for me. That woman had much, much more severe curves than mine and that I would only grow one to two inches.
13. Do I need to give blood prior to surgery? Or can I not, since I'm anemic? I honestly don't know if that's a silly question or not. I didn't ask this because I already knew the answer. I didn't give blood (for them to use in-case I lose too much) prior to surgery, as this is very expensive. They did type my blood, so the bank could be ready in case I needed it. As for the anemia, I've been taking iron and vitamin C at the request of the internal medicine doctor.
14. Will I get a chance to talk with the anesthesiologist before the surgery? Yes, the anesthesiologist would come talk to me just prior to surgery.
15. How long typically before people can exercise again? He said I'd start walking around in the hospital and should continue to go on walks when released. As for heavier activities, see answer to No. 9.
16. How long will I be in constant pain? It's different for everyone, he said. Since I'm young, he didn't think it would be as bad as my mom's. (we'll discuss this later!)
17. What exactly happens in the surgery? He went over this in detail. I think the best answer I can give here is to tell you to watch this video about the spine straightening:
I also have issues with my ribs and kyphosis (hump back) which would be fixed.
18. Will I be in the ICU afterward, like my mother was? Yes, probably for a day or two, he said, depending on what happens.
19. If the second curve doesn't fix itself on its own like you said it will, will I have to have surgery again to fix that one, too? We'd see, but probably no.
20. How much will it approximately cost? (not assuming insurance) He gave me the contact information for the lady in his office who handles insurance and financial things to talk to me, but I ended up never talking to her.
Later that day, I had my massage from Kelsey's friend, who works on people's energies. I wanted to be completely balanced and as relaxed as possible for my surgery. It made me feel like spaghetti, but also kind of worried me. The therapist was very tell-it-like-she-sees-it. She was not a supporter of scoliosis correction surgery. She told me that it would be hard for my body to accept the heavy metal they would be putting in my back, so I could always have problems, possibly even more afterward than before.
I hate it when people tell me this. My chiropractor that I had been seeing since my car accident felt the same way. I felt strong about having surgery, though. I don't think these alternative medicine people understand the surgery or my history. I didn't just decide to do this. It was 15 years in the making. I understand where they are coming from, but this is not something I want to hear when the ball is already way, way in motion.
After the massage, I had dinner at home with my family and Matt. My sister Wendy drove in from Houston to stay the night and be at the hospital, too. She brought me a sweet gift bag with some fuzzy socks that I've been wearing constantly and some other goodies for the hospital and recovery. Monica and Carra stopped by to see me one more time. I stayed up until midnight, really late when you have to leave for the hospital around 4 a.m., doing laundry and deciding what to pack. Matt stayed the night, so he could go with me to the hospital. I knew I'd be nervous and it would help to have him there.
The next day, I would have my surgery.
I should have been a doctor...
...because apparently they are millionaires. I just got an informational list of my expenses from the hospital. It is not a bill. My insurance is being notified of the costs and things will be adjusted before they get back to me with how much I owe. Once that happens, I'll update the running total for how much I am paying.
So before I go further, let's try a little exercise. Think in your head of how much you think the total given to me by the hospital is. It should include the actual surgery, six days and five nights in a room, all the meds I was given while there, x-rays and basically all work done on me while I was there. Think about it. Got your number? Ok, here is the actual total:
wait for it....
wait for it...
$179,654.02!!
Holy shit! I still get shocked when I see that number. It actually makes me laugh. Like a hysterical, non-sensical kind of laugh, but still a laugh. I had no clue it would be that high. I was thinking anywhere from $70k to $90k.
Here's a breakdown for those of you who want to know how exactly that happens:
- Surgery: $17,547.86
- Central supply: $353.25
- IV therapy: $1,514.90
- Reference lab: $61.68
- Chemistry: $3,073.35
- Microbiology: $563.34
- Hematology: $1,479.92
- Urinalysis/serology: $247.29
- Blood bank: $883.63
- Lab point of care: $2,422.52
- EEG: $7,099.40
- Radiology: $3,452.63
- Pharmacy: $8,383.87
- Anesthesia supplies: $680.45
- Anesthesia service: $1,586.46
- Cardiopulmonary: $2,911.59
- Physical therapy: $1,018.22
- Occupational therapy: $879.71
- Surgery (I don't know why this is listed twice, but will find out): $119,773.95
- Room board: $5,720.00
- For a grand total, once again, of $179,654.02
On these two, you can see the obvious difference of the spine curving on the left and being straight on the right with the help of my two new metal rods and 24 screws. 
Better, but not ok
Thank you all for your support. I don't want this to sound cliche. I really feel, possibly for the first time in my life, the power of prayer and support of angels, both here and away.
I've turned a corner. This is now somewhat bearable. Yesterday, I only cried once, when getting advice from Kelsey, who was wonderful as always. I e-mailed both my patient coordinators for help. One called me back very quickly (the other knew it was being handled). She gave me wonderful advice on tips to get through this and upped my timing for when I can take my spasm meds, as the spasms were causing me the most anguish.
Yesterday was soooo much better. Today, even more so. I am still not out of the woods, but I now know that this is a journey that I will navigate.
Thank you for everything. Here's me being greedy....please keep the positive energy, good thoughts and prayers coming. I can feel them!!
P.S. When I went to one of Kelsey's BuddhaBuddha ladies for a massage the night before my operation, I saw this on a post-it note on her bathroom mirror. It helps me now. One more of those small miracles I am thanking God daily for:
I plant this hurt in a sea of good thoughts and it floats away!
xoxo
I know you all want an update.
Know that I am doing as (doctor's) planned.
I am now at home with my parents. I don't/can't blog long.
This is the most painful experience of my life. I hate to be sour, but this has been and continues to be the worst experience of my life.
Please don't visit me right now. Let me get throught this state and I'll post again.
I request that you ALL pray for me. Send me thoughts and pray to God or whoever you pray to to help me throught this pain. It is consuming and not one bit what I thought it would be like. I know now why my mom says she doesn't remember this part of her surgery/recovery. She's probably blocked it out. I think prayer is the only thing that really works now.
So so sorry to do this to y'all.
xoxo
Megs
There was a small hiccup in Megan’s recovery yesterday which may cause her to stay in ICU an extra day, but the good news is they won’t need to go back in and she’ll still have a full recovery. During surgery they accidental nicked the meninges (not sure that’s the correct name but it’s the sack that covers the brain and spinal cord) causing her to leak cerebrospinal fluid. Online I’ve also seen it called a dural puncture which can be a complication of spinal anesthesia, diagnostic spinal puncture, or epidural anesthesia. They patched it up during surgery and thought it would be okay.
When Megan stood up for the first time yesterday she got in instant headache. This is an indicator that she is still leaking fluid. They are going to get her up again today to see if she has the same issue. If she does they will do an epidural blood patch. An epidural blood patch is an injection of your blood (taken from your arm) into the epidural space. The epidural space is not an injection into the spinal cord itself. The spinal cord and spinal nerves are in a “sack” containing clear fluid (cerebrospinal fluid). The area outside this “sack” is called the epidural space. From my understanding the blood patch works as a gelatinous-glue which prevents fluid leakage and allows the hole to heal. Kristen explained that the blood clots, which forms a plug or “patches” the menigeal leak. She should have immediate relief from the patch due to an increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure (the headache is caused by the deceased pressure).
Little detailed but I wanted you guys to know what was going on. The good news this is only a very small complication. She might need to stay an extra to be observed but she’ll still have a full recovery. We just need to keep Megs positive and not get bogged down in this small set back. She appreciates all the love and support you are all providing. She says, “keep it comin’!”
Hello,
This is Matt P, Megan's other half....not the good half either. :) I'll be writing this blog for Megan for just a day or two.
First of all, the OPERATION WENT GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!! And now I can get into the details.
Wednesday 01/14/2009
3:45AM - We (Megan, me & her Mom & Dad) get up from only a few hours sleep
4AM - Sharon (Megan's mom) braided her hair, as was a tip (to keep her hair from going crazy) from an online friend of Megan's who had the surgery before. She actually had to end up taking the braid out before the operation (doctor's orders!)
5:50AM - We finally arrive at the hospital (about a 45 minute drive), check in and wait.
6:10AM - Wendy (Megan's sister) arrives and shortly after Megan is called into the back where she gets evaluated (weight, blood pressure) and gets prepped for the surgery. As only one person was allowed to go with her to be prepped, she of course chose her mom.
7:30AM - Me, Wendy & Ron (Megan's dad) are allowed to see Megan for a few minutes before the surgery. When we got in she was already hooked up to an IV and they were giving her her first dose of "the good stuff". Then her doctor (Dr. Hostin) came up and discussed the surgery with all of us. He was in a wonderful mood lifting every ones spirits up and he was very confident about the surgery.
7:45AM - Now we are all waiting in are own personal waiting room, thinking the surgery has already begun. They told us that they would update us with a phone call every hour.
8:30AM - We get our first call and they tell us that Megan is resting comfortably and that they just started. We were told earlier that the operation should take anywhere between 4 and 5 hours. So we are looking at about 1:00PM when her surgery should be done.
10AM - Megan's aunt Jayne & lovely baby Grace came to wait with us. Ive never seen a more relaxed baby than Grace. She did not cry once. It has been over an hour now and nobody has called us yet! We are getting worried!
10:45AM - We finally get a call from nurse Tracy. She apologizes for not calling and says that things have been "a little wild in here" and that they are about half way done putting in the screws and would make sure and call every hour from now, on the dot. She said it was going smoothly but...what in the heckfire does "a little wild in here" mean anyway!? That's not a good choice of words IMO.
Over the next few hours a slew of people have been calling every one's phone asking about our Megan. :Kelsey, my mother, Billie Boy, Carra, Kelli, Joe, Danielle, Aunt Sheila, Janet, Barry, Misty and I'm sure I am forgetting some. (Sorry!)
Also, the Guest Services coordinator, Robyn, has been a big help to all of us. She has been answering every question we could possibly have and ones we didn't even think to ask. Thanks Robyn!
11:36AM - Nurse Tracy calls again and says everything is still going smoothly and that they have all the screws in and will now start tightening the screws and making the adjustments. She also informs us that it still might be another 3 hours before they are done, just making it a little over what was expected.
It sure is hard to kill time in a situation like this. Everyone is trying to do something besides worry. Sharon is trying crosswords, I try a little to read (but end up reading the same page about 10 times before I even realize it), then we got Ron breaking the tension with humor every so often. Something about a stolen rubber glove blown up at random times throughout the day by Ron sure is a comic relief!
12:50PM - We get the hourly informative call from Tracy saying that they are finishing up adjusting her new hardware and that they should be finished shortly.
1:45PM - Tracy calls for a final time saying that they are irrigating her wound and are starting the process of closing her up.
AND 2:15PM - All DONE!!!!!!!! Dr. Hostin (the main surgeon) came in and said it was a complete success. He told us that Megan's spine was a lot stiffer then he thought and that is why it took a little longer than expected, but that she is almost 100% straight in her back! It also took a little longer because Megan wanted to get some pics of her while in surgery. That's so Megan of her to want pics of that!
Relief!!! We get to go see her in about an hour!, as they have to make sure she is doing OK and get her ready for ICU.
3PM - We finally go upstairs to the ICU and get to see her. She is so pale! but looks good. They told us that they did not have to do any transfusions or anything like that, so that's a relief. She has tons of IVs in her, hooked up to oxygen and has lots of other futuristic computers around her. She is much more coherent than any of us expected and was even being witty! Though in tremendous pain she understands what just happened and start to fall in love with the Morphine button! Ron, trying to turn on the TV, hits some button that makes alarms sound, we all start to freak out...but the nurses came and fixed it and said it was nothing. Ha!
Kelsey comes to visit around 5:30PM and we all hang out till visiting hours are over at 8PM. Kelsey was a great influence on all of us.
Good night Megan! We all Love you!
Thursday 01/15/2009
8:20AM - I arrive to find out that Megan had a pretty rough night. :( She was in a lot of pain and was awake most of the night. Her breathing even slowed to 4 times a minute whenever she did fall asleep, but they said she will be OK. Megan said her nurse for the night (Donna) was a great help for her time in need and spent most of the night by her side. But she forgot to say goodbye to her when her shift was done and she said she would. But we forgive you! Thanks for being there for her when we could not.
Megan, today is doing much better than yesterday. She has her color back in her face and is getting to eat ice chips and even drink some iced tea! Doctors come in every hour or so and X-ray her and such. It causes her a lot of pain, but she understands that it must be done and she is so strong!
We love You Megan!
Be back shortly.....I've been rambling to long and now I need to see her.
Sorry for the lack of Thesaurus skills, Megan will be writing on here again in a few days, so the writing will be up to par from what you have come to expect.
Matt P
This is weird
I feel strange. After a very intense massage (thank you, Kelsey, for the wonderful gift!), I felt weightless and honestly a little high. Now, I'm feeling absolutely beat. I still have to finish my laundry and pack. Then, off to bed to get probably very little sleep.
My schedule
12 a.m. no more food or drinks.
3 a.m. wake up, take long shower since I don't know when my next one will be; use Hibiclens soap (it's an antiseptic I've been using since Friday on doctor's orders to kill bacteria), no other soaps and no lotions.
4 a.m. mom will french braid my hair. I got this tip on SSO. You braid your hair before surgery, so that you don't get a big bad 'fro when they move you from bed to bed.
4:30 a.m. we'll leave for the hospital in Plano.
5:30 a.m. check in at the hospital.
7:30 a.m. surgery starts.
It's really strange to me right now. Since I was 12 years old and was first diagnosed, I've tried to avoid surgery. Then, since September, I've been counting down to tomorrow, both looking forward and dreading it. Now it's here. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Things I'm looking forward to
- Being at least a little bit taller
- My chest evening out :)
- No more back hump
- No more rib hump
- Being smaller around my chest/back
- No more pain when I wake up in the morning or at night
- No more pain when I take a deep breath
- Getting this out of the way when I'm young and healthy
- Not turning into a humped-back, hunched-over old lady.
Things I'm not looking forward to
- Getting an IV
- Having a catheter
- Being put to sleep
- Pain after surgery
- Getting around
- Not being able to do everything I want to do
Missing out on things
Tomorrow through at least Saturday, I'll be at:
Baylor Medical Center at Plano
4700 Alliance Blvd.
Plano, TX
I can have visitors right away after surgery, just no one under 12 during my first day or two that I am in ICU. After that, all welcome.
My surgeon doesn't think I'll need to go to the rehab facility after my hospital stint, like I had thought. He said he hasn't sent anyone under 30 there this year, so that's good. It would be nice to just go home.
If you need to know my parents' address, just leave me a message on here. If you want an update, feel free to call Matt or my parents. If you don't need a personal update, just check on here. Matt and/or my mother will be posting blogs for me until I am able. I promise that they will post at least once tomorrow. So check back often.
To my angels
Thank you all so, so much for all the love and support you have shown me--on here, in text messages, in person and all ways. I feel all the good vibes y'all are sending me! Please, please keep the prayers coming.
See you soon!
xoxo
Best. Weekend. Ever.
So I just wanted to say a big HUGE "thank you" to every one who made my pre-op weekend so special. Friday night I hung out with some of my closest girlfriends to release some of my pre-surgery jitters. I think I got pretty relaxed there, hey ladies? :)
On Saturday, Matt and I had a lovely date night, which included a trip to Borders to buy a Debussy CD to help me relax during recovery. Then on Sunday, I woke up and drove home to meet my mom for a nail appointment. When I walked in the door, all of a sudden.....
"Surprise!"
My family had thrown me a surprise party! My sister Misty was behind it all, coming up with the surprise idea, suggesting we have brunch (my favorite meal!) and inviting the whole family over. It was absolutely wonderful. I've never had a surprise party before! I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do. We ate a lot of wonderful food, drank mimosas and hibiscuses and opened presents. That's right....presents.
I received PJ's, books, crossword puzzles, sudoku, brain teasers, a towel and washcloth set for the hospital, a journal and a trash bag of gifts from my Aunt Monette. I love each and every thing I got. The trash bag was super creative and sweet. 'Nette wrapped a ton of small gifts and filled the bag with them. I get to unwrap one every day while I'm recovering. Pretty cool, huh?
So, as I said, it was the best weekend ever.
Last day at work--surprisingly sad
You would think that getting a few months off of work would be exciting. It is actually extremely stressful. My last month, especially the last two weeks, have been very stressful. I tried my best to wrap up what projects I could and leave behind materials for my colleagues to use in my absence for my on-going projects.
Yest
erday was my official last day for the next two to three months. My colleagues had a German chocolate cake made especially for me. Chocolate...they know me so well.
I was so intent on getting things somewhat squared away, I was up there til late in the night. It was sad to leave, actually. My friend and co-worker Jeamy and I had dinner and drinks afterward, so that helped. :)
Pep talk
Also yesterday, I received a call from Sally, my friend Kelsey's mom. Sally gave me probably the best pep talk ever. Kels told her I had been freaking out. She called me to talk about how she could help and ended up helping me turn a corner.
She asked me what my biggest fear is. I told her that I think it is falling asleep and not waking up again after my surgery. She explained that that will not happen unless I choose for it to happen. The best thing possible that I can do for myself is to be positive and ask my angels (both those here on earth like my friends and family and those who have already passes) to help me make it through this safely.
There were lots of other things said. She promised to take care of me in her own way and send me good vibes. This morning, I woke up smiling. I've felt great all day. I'm not scared. At least not right now. All that "buddha, buddha" is working!
My own mantra
Kelsey also helped me in another way yesterday. She helped me figure out my mantra. A mantra is basically something you repeat to quiet your mind, focus on and create a positive energy. I will say my mantra to myself again and again and focus on it whenever I feel freaked out or need a little support.
I combined a couple of her suggestions. My mantra is:
I will be ok. My angels will guide me.
All I want out of this is to be ok. I don't want to end up any worse than I already am. But sometimes I don't think I can do this on my own, so I've asked my angels for help. My mantra will help me to be positive and have faith.
Far out, huh? ;-)
Hello, 2009.
This year will be a big one for me. I'm undergoing a journey that will certainly change my life for the next year, the ramifications of which will possibly change my life forever. In less than two weeks, I take a big step--surgery to correct my scoliosis. It will be a new year and a new me. This week, I took a couple more little steps toward this big one.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano
I signed myself up for an optional tour of the hospital where I will be having my surgery. I figured that it might make me feel more comfortable with everything if I knew my surroundings. Staying overnight in a hospital was one of the things that sounded a little scary to me. My doctor's office coordinated it for me, so that the hospital's nurse navigator would know exactly what parts of the hospital would be most important to me.
Monday afternoon, my parents and I drove to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Once inside, the nurse navigator, a cheerful, wonderfully helpful woman named Betsy, showed us around. Our first stop was to the physical therapy offices to meet some of the people in there who I would be working with.
Physical/Occupational Therapy
I met the occupational therapist who would help me. The physical therapist wasn't there. Basically, the occupational therapist will help me learn to do everyday-type activities, while the physical therapist will help me with more physical activities, like walking and moving.
My OT gave me a rundown of what my time mostly likely will be like with her. On my first day after surgery, I'll sit up for the first time in a chair for about an hour. I also might practice feeding myself ice chips, brushing my teeth or wiping my face with a washcloth. I know--it sounds like child's play, but it will be hard for me to do. She said I will probably not be able to lift my arms very high, maybe to my shoulders, for the next six to eight weeks.
On my second day after surgery, I will sit in the chair once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If I'm doing well, I may even try walking. From this point to the end of my stay, probably around four or five days before I'm transferred to rehab, I will eventually walk to and use the bathroom and will learn to take a shower again at least once. I didn't ask her this (I know I should have), but I wonder what that is like. Will she just stand outside of the shower, making sure I don't keel over or will she be in there with me in some sort of heavy duty raincoat? That will be a little surprise for me, I guess.
ICU/PCU and other places of interest
From there, Nurse Betsy took us to talk to the guest services manager, who will be checking on me and my family to make sure we're getting settled. She gave my parents info on nearby hotels and discounts there. Everyone we had met was super, super friendly, and each one just couldn't wait to bend over backward to help us. I always thought hospitals to be sterile, unfriendly places, but not here.
On the third floor, I saw where I will go to await surgery--a wing they call "Day Surgery," whether that's what you're having or not. Once here, I'll change into a gown, put on leggings that will help prevent blood clots and will "relax" in bed. I'll get to meet my anesthesiologist here, too, and some nurses. They'll give me my first IV in my arm, with a numbing solution, they promised. Then, once I get some happy juice in me and drift off to la-la land, they'll add two more IVs, one in my neck and one in my wrist, and I'll get a lovely catheter in my bladder.
That's not all the tubes, ladies and gentlemen. Once wheeled off to surgery (on floor two, for those of you keeping up), I'll get a little hole in my esophagus with a tube for breathing. After my surgery is done (surgery details to come in a future post), I'll get a tube in my back where blood and fluids will drain. Then, they'll wheel me to the Intensive Care Unit on floor three to get situated, part of which will include checking my arms and legs for paralysis (eek! this is the spine, people) and to get my pain pump going. Approximately 30 minutes later, I'll be able to have people come see me. Although, I hope to still be knocked out for as long as possible.
I'll be in ICU for one to two nights. I will be able to have visitors, but no children and no using cell phones. For anyone who does visit, my mother will explain to you the details on washing before you enter my room. Nurse Betsy explained this to us in detail. It's for both mine and your protection.
When touring the ICU, I saw my surgeon and his surgical assistant Eric. Dr. Hostin was on a cell phone, so I didn't get to say "hi" to him. Funny thing, this was right after Nurse Betsy told us we can't use cell phones in ICU because it messes up the equipment. I thought neither one of them would recognize me, but Eric looked up at me and said, "Hey, I thought you looked familiar! How are you?" I said a quick "hi" and "good" before we ducked into an ICU room. Even funnier thing, I'm completely embarrassed around Eric, even though I know he's a doctor and I shouldn't be. Thing is, when I first went to see Dr. Hostin, Eric gave me my physical exam before I saw Hostin. I was so nervous, I was sweating profusely. Then this hot (sorry, Matt) doc comes in, and I have to bend over in front of him while he runs his finger down my dripping spine. I was so embarrassed, although my mom found it hilarious. Anyhoo....
From there, we went to the Progressive Care Unit, also on floor 3. I'll be here for the rest of my stay. It will have a few chairs that lay out into beds, a bathroom with a shower and a TV. I can have as many visitors as I want here, even kids. A few cool things about this area, the TV has a relaxation channel with soothing music and images, which will be good during recovery, and my first meals will be here. The cool thing about the meals is that it's not just any old food they bring you. I assumed I'd be eating mystery meat, broccoli and jello at their will, but no...I get to order room service. Anything I want from the menu. Of course, this made me excited.
For the rest of you visitors, we toured floor G, where the cafeteria is. It looked very decent. There's also a Starbucks coffee shop on floor one.
All in all, the tour was great. I'm so glad I decided to take it, even though it wasn't necessary. It made me feel a little bit better about what I'm going to be doing. I even went home with a folder filled with info on the hospital and important phone numbers for many of the people there.
Bluhd, bluhd!
The next step occurred yesterday, when I went to a lab to have my blood drawn and give a urine sample for testing. They took four blood vials, which seemed like a lot to me, but the nurse said they have a lot of tests to run. It was easy and relatively pain free. The results will be sent to my doctor, and a blood bank will be notified of my type so that the right type will be available during my surgery. I'm anemic, so the chances of me needing a transfusion are high. The scary part is the statistics on blood transfusions:
- 1 in 2 million units may contain HIV
- 1 in 1.9 million units may have Hepatitus C
- 1 in 137,000 may have Hepatitus B
I know those are big numbers and all, but think about all the transfusions that occur everyday across the country. It would SUCK to be the one. I could have given my own blood in advance, but that costs a lot of money and is not covered by insurance. Fingers officially crossed.
So, I am now a little bit closer to my surgery. Two more appointments up for next week!
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