Pre-op time sucks big time!

In the previous post, I got a phone call for the date of my first arthroscopy on my right hip. After that, I waited and waited and waited. Then almost a month later, I call up the hospital to find out that they don't do any pre-op tests for my age group or give any appointments with a nurse to know what to expect, nada. I found out that I will only get a call the night before to know at what time I should go to the hospital, I have to stop eating after midnight and I should bring my own crutches.







Thank goodness for the internet and the FAI Facebook groups, at least I got some info there on what to expect and how to prepare. For example, FAI peeps strongly recommend wearing loose fitting pants to the hospital on surgery day. Scumbag doctor never said nothing, pre-admin guy neither oh and I don't have a pre-op appointment to ask about this stuff, wonderful! Where the fuck would I get that kind of information if I didn't look things up??? I might have worn jeans and end up coming home in my fucking underwear!!!









I don't really know how things are going to go on my surgery day and it's unnerving to be left in the dark about everything. I partly blame the Quebec health care system for cutting everywhere and short-handing nurses and hospitals but it's never their fault or anyone's fault. All I know is that my head is full of questions and nobody is around or available to give answers.     






Something that really bugged me is that the guy at pre-admission tells me I have to be off my pain meds a week before my surgery. Not that I eat those like candy or anything but I am only able to function most days with my pain meds. Lucky or Unlucky for me I had a vacation week scheduled that week, it saves me from calling to work sick but it sucks to spend vacation days feeling like shit and in pain. Usually vacation days are spent taking a vacation like visiting Boston, skiing in the Rockies or deep-frying in Cuba. Not becoming an expert on the best lazy-boy lounging positions for hip pain and a professional magic bag burner!  

This morning, I woke up a bunch of times in the early hours and when I had to get up at 5:30am for work, guess what? Pain wins again!!! Not only did I not sleep most of the night, I had some good pain at 6-7 on the stupid chart. I look at the calendar, oh shit I'm at the beginning of the "no meds shit week". Even more disappointing, I had my clothes and things all ready to go to my office party (gonna miss another fun activity, fuck you pain!).








Even though it's tempting to just take a pill or two, I don't want to be responsible for the cancellation of my surgery that took over 13 months of waiting on the list. What am I going to do...




Relax at home, drink tea, repeatedly nuke a magic bag (heating pad) and if that doesn't work I can maybe rent or borrow a cat (not that a cat is a solution to pain, but it would be fun for a "shits and giggles" kind of thing).  I just remembered that I'm allergic to cats, so scratch out the cat borrowing idea for now.









I hope I don't spend the whole next week in pain like today. Most of all, I hope I don't spend 7 days of pain and arrive at the hospital and be told "Sorry, your operation was cancelled" by some scumbag doctor. If that worst case scenario happens, I will be beyond disappointed... I'll be off the fucking chart angry.    

~Klau