Lining Up

 I have completed my last two surgery-related medical visits. Things are lining up. I have applesauce, jello, and pudding cups; Ensure bottles; cranberry juice on the kitchen counters. I will probably have a very sore throat for several days. Likely to prefer the above items and soup for awhile. This Sunday I will probably arrange my refrigerator to fit in the cups, juice, and Ensure. 

I got my portable CD player out of storage and will put in new batteries and pick out some music CDs to play. I also have a portable DVD player and two movies in mind to watch. I know I will be dozing off from the pain meds, but distracting the mind also helps with pain.

I bought a small Samsung tablet for $99 online at Best Buy on a Black Friday sale. My ipad was starting to freeze up again plus since Apple no longer updates it, I can't download some newer apps. Now I have a blog I read daily, several games, and my subscription newspapers bookmarked and ready to use in the coming weeks. I might also watch streamed church services on YouTube. I can read email as well. I will continue to use the ipad for reading books.

My husband is going to move my recliner chair next to my bed. I will be able to move my electric blanket from my bed to the chair. I expect the first few days I will be spending lots of time in the chair. I plan to "sleep" there for several nights.

My visit with my family doctor yesterday for the pre-op physical was reassuring. She said the "abnormal" EKG was a natural variation and nothing to worry about.

Today I made a required visit to an ENT doctor to evaluate the vocal cords. At first I was annoyed to have to make this visit and pay $40. I did not have to do this in 2003 when I had similar surgery. 

However, I really liked the doctor and he explained well why it was a good thing to do. He said most doctors doing an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion do not require the evaluation; he applauded Dr. Smith for his proactive forward thinking. There is about a 2% risk of completely losing the voice from stretching/injury to the cords during the surgery. They are pushed to one side (retracted). Dr. Nuckols said that if the vocal cords are both in good shape, damage to one cord would not lead to loss of voice. The uninjured cord can compensate. My cords look fine. He also told me if he needed spinal surgery, there were two doctors he would choose from, one being Dr. Smith. That boosted my confidence in my surgeon.

The exam involved a small camera attached to a flexible cord pushed up my nose and down toward the throat and cords. Not pleasant but not as uncomfortable as the swabbing for the COVID test. God prepared me for today by having gone through that.

Not only do I understand better the reason for the scoping, but my discussion with the doctor about my GERD (reflux) was very profitable. At the junction where the throat meets the esophagus he could see some swelling and inflammation. I am often clearing my throat. He said the brain interprets that swelling as something stuck in the throat. It might also play a part in the feeling of getting food stuck high up in my esophagus. He had some ideas to try. Maybe they will work and I will resolve some of the GERD effects as well. 

I probably won't be sitting at the computer much post-op. In case I don't get back soon to post, have a blessed Christmas.

Another Wrinkle

 Yesterday the governor of Indiana promulgated new restrictions re COVID. All elective surgeries starting December 16th thru January 3rd are ordered to be postponed. I talked to the surgery coordinator Teri at Parkview Ortho. She told me the COO had sent out an email earlier today saying that they are designating all of their spine surgeries as urgent and plan to do them. 

I did read that outpatient day surgeries would not be affected by the gubernatorial order. Teri will call me if the interpretations being issued by Governor Holcomb's office change my situation. Right now she said to proceed as instructed. I have to stop some of my vitamins starting Saturday. 

I received an email from my family doctor's office today which wanted me to confirm my Dec. 16th appointment. This was an automated system of some kind. I have never received such a thing before. In the past I just received a reminder phone call a few days before, also automated. There was a message in the email that there was great demand for appointments currently and to let them know ASAP if I planned to cancel. 

The virus is rampant in Indiana. Yesterday we led the nation in community transmission rates. And yet today when I went to Meijer, there were people in the store without masks. Just 3 except little children. While I was filling my car trunk with my purchases, a family pulled up next to me and headed for the store. They were back in minutes. I wonder if they were told they could not enter. They never displayed any masks that I could see. The Amish shoppers still don't cover their noses; everybody else is pretty good at that. 

Today was my last visit to a grocery store for several months. I will be doing only online ordering with pickup.

Counting Down

 In 13 days I will have my cervical spine surgery. There is a wrinkle. My pre-op EKG was abnormal. They were able to find one from 7 years ago for comparison. There is an obvious difference. I thought I was to hear back yesterday whether they wanted me to see a cardiologist, but I did not. So I am moving forward as though everything is going on as scheduled. All of the results of the pre-op testing and procedures were to be sent to my family doctor who is doing the required pre-op physical on December 16th. I guess I will be able to find out more about the EKG on that day. Obviously that will probably be too close to the surgery day to see anybody about it. I wait.

Today I am getting everything out of my small chest freezer in the garage. I will reorganize so that things are easier to find. Toss out or plan to use up things that have been in there a long time. My husband will be doing some kitchen duty the first few days, maybe longer depending on how my recovery progresses. I will not be allowed to bend over and crane my neck to find stuff. So even if I feel well enough to cook, he will be the one to fetch things out of the depths.

We did one of our new jigsaw puzzles last week. The box said larger pieces easy to grasp or something like that. This 1000 piece puzzle barely fit on the "board" that my husband made to extend our card table. We had some on a TV tray when we first started, the overflow.

The flower bouquet I bought at Trader Joe's shrinks as I remove spent blooms. Maybe another few days before I throw it out.

Both of my sisters sent Moose Munch as gifts. It is going to be a Merry Moose Munch Christmas.