Countdown to Tuesday's Double Hip Replacement Surgery
Tomorrow is my last day of 'freedom'. My last day of not having to worry that if I move the wrong way my hip will dislocate and my hardware will pop out. After tomorrow I'm hoping my back and knees will stop feeling stiff and sore but I wonder if I will feel better immediately or will pain from the operation cancel out any immediate improvement.
And most importantly, will I feel like a robot when much of each leg isn't really 'me'.
On Thursday, Kid 2 and I ventured to the hospital to have the last of the checklist items crossed off pre-surgery. Kid 2 was my wheel man, meaning he pushed me in a wheelchair from admissions to the 4th floor Ortho floor, then down to the lab, then to radiology. It took about four hours. I thought it would take 90 minutes or so.
The "Joint Class" took up most of that time. There were ten 'patients' and an equal number of family members stuffed into a small conference room on the Ortho floor. Getting everyone out of their wheelchairs and into regular chairs so that we could all fit in the room took ten minutes. The modern wheel chair is three feet wide and is built to accommodate any 300 pounder--male or female. Kid 2 quipped that when he looked back to see the parade of us as we rolled up to Ortho, it looked like a flotilla of wheeled whales. Somehow he headed up the group. I think because he was pushing me as fast as he could without wiping us out. He had to have his fun. He was very patient for the most part. More patient than I would have been at his age, that's for sure.
Tomorrow we look at a prospective school for Kid 2 and I do a slew of annoying household tisket taskets that will bring everything to a halt if I leave them undone. Like refill the hand soap dispensers for each bathroom and get their father to restock the toilet paper. Stuff like that. I am dreading returning home already.
And most importantly, will I feel like a robot when much of each leg isn't really 'me'.
On Thursday, Kid 2 and I ventured to the hospital to have the last of the checklist items crossed off pre-surgery. Kid 2 was my wheel man, meaning he pushed me in a wheelchair from admissions to the 4th floor Ortho floor, then down to the lab, then to radiology. It took about four hours. I thought it would take 90 minutes or so.
The "Joint Class" took up most of that time. There were ten 'patients' and an equal number of family members stuffed into a small conference room on the Ortho floor. Getting everyone out of their wheelchairs and into regular chairs so that we could all fit in the room took ten minutes. The modern wheel chair is three feet wide and is built to accommodate any 300 pounder--male or female. Kid 2 quipped that when he looked back to see the parade of us as we rolled up to Ortho, it looked like a flotilla of wheeled whales. Somehow he headed up the group. I think because he was pushing me as fast as he could without wiping us out. He had to have his fun. He was very patient for the most part. More patient than I would have been at his age, that's for sure.
Tomorrow we look at a prospective school for Kid 2 and I do a slew of annoying household tisket taskets that will bring everything to a halt if I leave them undone. Like refill the hand soap dispensers for each bathroom and get their father to restock the toilet paper. Stuff like that. I am dreading returning home already.
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