Diary of a Surgery: Med Drop

1/12/2024:

Since Pre-Op Day, I’ve been trying to get everything done that can go on pause for a few months in hope that I’ll be able to get back to some semblance of normality. It generally kills me to have to pay people to do things that I usually wouldn’t give two thoughts about doing myself. Being the good listener I am, I plan to not push recovery any more than what is expected of me. Well, at least that’s the plan. Everyone knows how I am if I have to wait on someone else to figure out a time to do the tasks that I can have done before they drink their morning coffee and open their schedule book. I’m down to a few pre-surgery task such as car arrangement for Jen’s joy of time in her MINI and packing my bag with meds, comfortable wear, and toiletries. I’ve never loafed around as much as I am now and I’m actually thinking about reading a few good books while writing and sucking down iced tea. Is this what retirement was supposed to look like? There is a part of me that feels I’ve earned a life of ease, but the real side me knows that it would only last for the several months gift that this surgery is providing.

Which brings me to medication elimination for the next seven days. Generally, I’m not worried about any of list provided by the doctor last week, you know the one that thought it would be a good idea to drop a stress test on me at the last minute. Last night, I removed said medication. It turns out, as Jen explained to me, that they all have to do with either anti-coagulation or coagulation enhancement. But the one that worried me most was the Meloxicam. This is a medication that is an anti-inflammatory designed for those of us that suffer from arthritis. For me, it was targeted for my thumbs and has allowed me to go about my normal day using my hands like anyone else. Mid-way through day one of not having it and I’m already suffering from the displeasures of this inflammatory producing affliction. By the time surgery day comes around, I doubt that I’ll be able to sign my own name and will have to mark my signature blocks with an X holding the pen in my mouth. Thank goodness for me and at the expense of those that finds my writing counter intelligent to their way of seeing the world, I can still type. Maybe I’ll be able to spend more time writing, something I’ve been wanting to do more of.

Seven days to go before the knife and my new back hardware. I wonder if the time will fly by or crawl like a snail on a long trip? Either way, I have lots of time to contemplate my outcome, my anxiety, and mostly my existing pain and the building pain in my hands. Nothing like creating the anxiousness of a time free of it and free to do what I want again. Time for another pain pill and muscle relaxer, at least I might be able to sleep through the wait.