Countdown

It's nearly 1am on the day of my surgery. The operation is at 11am & we're due at the hospital at 8:30am. Did I mention I'm not a morning person? But of course, you already know that.

What's worse is that I need to get up extra early and hit the showers with the lovely pink antiseptic scrub. I did the first regime tonight, including shampooing my hair with it because the instructions just weren't that clear. My hair felt a little straw-like afterwards but I guess it doesn't really matter where I'm headed. The instructions were very clear, however, that another scrubbing should be done the morning of the op. I am not doing my hair again.

In any event, everything here at home is now ready. The double-length shower hose that M installed so that I can shower in the stall which we have used as a storage closet for the past 27 years. The high-rise toilet seat that M gave me for Valentine's Day. Yes, romantic! The walker and cane are poised waiting for my return from the hospital. We put the mattress from the spare bedroom upstairs under our regular mattress so that the bed is double its normal height. I almost have trouble climbing up onto the bed now, I feel like the princess and the pea.

Tonight I spoke to V's dad. He had the same thing done (THR, same dr., same hospital) exactly one year ago. When I called him tonight, I interrupted him on his ski trip. Yes, you read that right. SKIING! I told him he was my role model. Can I imagine myself skiing one year from now?! Well considering that I've never skied in all my 51 years, it may not be wise to start now. But you get the picture. I do have a list of things I'd like to be doing a year from now which I'll save for another blog post. Anyway, we discussed the important things: shoes (he recommends crocs!), sleeping positions (back), and that it's perfectly natural to feel a little trepidation the night before.

I don't feel a lot of trepidation, just a tad. Mainly I have been more upset about them cutting off part of my perfectly healthy femur. I know, I know. It's a means to an end and it's for a greater good. That bone is just too damn big for its own good. One thing that made me feel better about it was reading a website earlier today about hip replacement recovery which asked: "are you mentally prepared for the loss of a piece of yourself?" Well put. Reading that made it clear that I am not crazy for being upset about this. In a way, reading that did prepare me for it. The loss acknowledged, a tear shed and now we can move on.

My bag is packed. I'm fasting now until after the surgery. And it's getting late so I really ought to shut off the light and go to sleep.
See you on the other side!