The Details

I got back home late Friday evening from Baltimore, my mind swimming with all of the things that need to happen in these next few weeks.

The surgery has been scheduled for Monday, November 24. I'll have to be there on the 20th for an IVC filter (outpatient procedure), and the 21st to meet with the case manager, so that limits my time back in Ohio even more. I will likely be in the hospital until the day after Thanksgiving, and then will be taking up residence at a Residence Inn about 10 miles from the hospital. My mom has been wonderful enough to agree to take care of me while at the hotel, where I will be stuck for another 1-2 weeks depending on when I'm good enough for the surgeon to release me. I'm guessing I'll be heading back home the week of December 8.

Though this will be the most complicated surgery I have had to date, I do feel confident with the surgical team. The ortho surgeon has removed over 100 of these discs - the most any surgeon has removed in the world - so I'm in good hands there. The vascular surgeon is having me go through some extra tests and procedures so I don't bleed to death. He seems pretty sharp, and was kind enough to see me in between surgeries on Friday.

So what does this all come down to? The next two weeks will probably go by faster than I can imagine. I'm as ready as I'll ever be to get this thing done, so it's probably a good thing that I'll be so busy I won't have much time to think. And as an extra benefit before the surgery, I'll have almost four whole days in the Baltimore/D.C. area to spend with Brad and just hang out in one of my favorite towns. Kind of a last "hurray" before I'm laid up for weeks. Always need to look at the bright side.