Extreme Makeover: Knee Edition =)

Well, tomorrow is the BIG day!!! Out with the old knee and in with the new. WOW just typing that makes me a little.....whoa!! =)

So yesterday was my pre-op appointment, Dick and I arrived about 15 minutes early and it was a good thing, since I told us the wrong door =) my sense of direction stinks I tell ya.....
anyway..... Got to the right door and was still on time. They took my info and then we waited. After about 15 mins or so they called us back.

Okay, let me interject here, that I am a detailer. When I tell a story you get all the juicy details, but also the mundane, sorry just the way I roll =)

anyway......

So this VERY sweet lady, Cammi came and got us and took us back to her "office". I use the term loosely, because it looked like where they weigh you and do general stuff, ya know the room, door on each side and big open area. She said they are getting ready to remodel and she will get a "real" office =) Cammie was SO sweet and took such good care of us.

Well, she went through all the health history stuff and then the insurance. Now here is where it gets a little bit confusing. You see, we weren't sure if our insurance would cover this hospital in network or out-of-network, and out-of-network is just not very good on our insurance. Deductible and cap both higher, not even sure they have a cap, so this was a concern. Our Doctor is billing his services through his other office, that IS covered under our insurance, but since that hospital won't put in the Mac Daddy, Top 'O the Line, Young, Hip, Chic Knee, he sent us to the other hospital that he works at too. It's complicated. But God is SO good!!! Before we left, Cammie had called our insurance, talked to someone, and found out that if the other hospital that our insurance covers takes local Blue Cross & Blue Shield (ours is not local) then it is covered, and it does, and they also told Cammie that our deductible had been met for the year and it would be covered at the 80/20 rate. YAY!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! Such a Praise!!!!!

And then after we meet the out-of-pocket for the year, then it covers it at 100%!!! OH DOUBLE YAY AND PRAISE THE LORD!! But all that we found out toward the end of our appointment......

anyway..... back to the story.....

So Cammie told us the particulars of surgery tomorrow. We arrive at 6:00 AM and apparently I am the first surgery of the day. Surgery should start around 7:00-7:30. So happy about that!!! It's hard to sit around all day waiting for surgery, no eating, no drinking.....so we'll be up and at 'em and going as soon as I get there. She said they will take us right back and start an IV and get things going. YAY!!!

Then Anaesthia will come in and talk to us about my stomach issues and pain control, meds and the like, oh yeah and anestia. They'll prep my knee if they need to and then we'll be ready. Surgery should take around 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then recovery room for about 30 mins (I'm usually in there a little longer. Apparently I like a little extra beauty sleep after surgery =) then off to my room for a 3 night 4 day stay in the luxurious, all expense paid to rest and recoop and start the recovery process. I should get to go home Monday or Tuesday.

Well after all of that Cammie took us to another room for an EKG and blood work and then told us after the blood work we could go.

So the EKG lady came in, and it was so cute, because Dick was with me, ya know Dick....my husband.....and she said, "well, she's gonna need to take off her shirt." ackwardly looking at D and Me and I just laughed and said it was alright he was my husband, and she just smiled and said "Yeah, ya never know these days...." so sad and true.

I have a little SVT, oh yeah and I'm over 40, so they do an EKG before surgery. She said well you are not in SVT today. I said nope, nice and calm =) She took the EKG and then started unhooking me, and I asked her if everything was okay, and she said yeah except that you are in Bradycardia. huh? Low heart rate. Oh. Well this is something that I've had for a long time. My heart just kind of runs at a slower rate. I thought slower was better, but my sister (the nurse) said too much of a good thing is still bad. ahem. Isn't that the truth? =)

My heart was beating at 47 beats a minute. Well now, I was calm =) My blood pressure was fine...121/74. So they said that was fine.

After that, they drew 5 viles of blood to cross and type and then put a bracelet on me and told me SEVERAL times just in case I needed a blood transfusion and NOT to take the bracelet off. DON'T DO IT!!! DO NOT TAKE THAT BRACELET OFF!! Okay I assured her I'd leave it on.....poor thing.....she was VERY serious about this bracelet. So on it stays and anyway Sir Cuteness is quite intriqued with it =)

So after that, and we were free to go and all.....wait que Cammie.........she came back in and said she needed to speak with us again. She took us back into her "office" and asked if I was under the care of a cardiologist. I told her no, and she said they were concerned about the bradycardia. But since this is something I've had before, they cleared me for surgery, and let us go on home. They will be monitoring me.

So off we went!!!

So we are ready for surgery tomorrow morning!! It's all set. I am doing okay this morning. The nerves haven't set in to bad today. They do when I lay down to get some rest, but maybe tonight I'll be able to sleep a little better. Dick was so sweet last night, he curled up next to me and told me it was all going to be alright and I had nothing to worry about. Made me almost cry. You see, that last surgery on my right knee was the most intense pain that I'd ever experienced and one just doesn't look forward to that again, but Dick assured me that this time would go MUCH better. I agree. We are so much more informed and know how to communicate to them my pain med issues. So I'm feeling much better this morning, at least so far =)

And I am enjoying a REALLY good book. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. My sweet and beautiful friend Jacquie sent this to me the other day to read while I'm recovering. I started it a few days early, so I can know what's going on and can ease right back into reading it while I'm on meds. Thanks Jacquie, that was SO thoughtful of you. Love you friend!!!

So thought I'd leave you with a little somethin-somethin.....

Chase and Sir Cuteness on the Trampoline.....

How sweet are these two? I mean seriously!!!

Dak had a meet last night, but I had to miss it, because of Pre-op, but Brandi (coach's wife and friend) sent me some pics on FB last night. Here is my fav!!!

Dak had a GREAT run last night!! One more meet and then Districts a week from Saturday. WOW!!! How is it that CC season is almost over? And CC season his Senior Year?........let's not talk about it =)

He was really working hard. I love him so.

We would so appreciate your prayers over the next several days and few weeks. Recovery is serious business =)

I will try to get something on here post-surgery via a guest blogger =) but we'll see if I can talk a certain 18 year old Senior into it or not =) and if not, maybe my dear husband will bring me the computer, so I can do a little update.....we'll see. Yes RJ, I'll text =)

Have a Super Blessed and Beautiful Day,

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version)

"16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Love you so,