Pre Admissions...

Had an appointment this morning with Physicians Assistant Phil today. Got to the clinic at 8:30 and got to sit down for about 45 seconds before they called me back to the exam room, wow, talk about not having to wait for an hour before seeing the P.A. Phil came in and gave me the run down of do's and don'ts. I must not shave my legs before the surgery, I must not have any scrapes or open cuts on my leg, I have the itchiest legs in the world from the skin being uber dry, so this will be interesting to see how I go about not scratching. I must wash my knee 6 inches above and 6 inches below and behind the knee for 5 minutes the day before the surgery with an antibacterial soap and have another shower the day of the surgery. I will have to give myself shots in the abdomen for 7 days (blood thinners, oh this should be fun), I'm to bring my medication to the hospital so they don't have to dispense it. I will wake up with my leg with drains in the knee circulating cold water to keep the swelling down. My leg will be in a contraption moving my knee so it does not freeze up. I will have to wear very fashionable stockings for about 3 weeks to help with blood clots (won't I be the toast of the town). I will be on high powered pain killers but will be up and walking on the second day. Phil said that I would have a block in the femoral artery in my groin (sure hope I am out when they give me that puppy) and near the spine but not in the spine the first day, a morphine pump the second day and painkillers the third day and will have my staples out the Friday, one week after being released from the hospital.

Phil showed me an exercise to help me bend my leg, I will need to be able to bend it at a 90 degree angle by 6 weeks. Here is the exercise. Sit in a chair. Place your good leg at 90 degrees, your surgery leg out with your heal on the floor. Grab it at your knee and pull it back as far as you can, foot on the ground. Then move forward sliding your butt in the chair stretching the surgery knee. This helps if you have a chair with arms and the seat is slick. Phil said that I could drive after three weeks as long as I am not on pain killers. Ha Ha Fat chance on me driving by then.

I was then told to go to the lab where I had an EKG, blood taken and had to give a urine sample. Then off to X-Ray for a chest X-Ray. Then out to the admissions nurse. There I answered more questions and she looked at my medication list and told me to stop taking my multi-vitamin and my Omega 3 pill as they are blood thinners. I then returned to the check in desk and paid my Dr's surgery bill. Everything has to be paid up front these days. Gone are the days of paying it out. 12 days till cutting day.

Just another day in the life of....

Amore & Arrivederci For Now