Pre-opping is not for the faint hearted . . .

I'm posting tonight because I will be busy all day tomorrow and wanted to share what was happening. Tomorrow is "pre-op" day. Yippy (she says drooling with sarcasm). I have to go to Pennsylvania Hospital first for pre-op stuff (bloodwork, chest x-ray, etc.), then to the cardiologist, then up to the 7th floor blood bank to donate blood. My opinion of the whole day is rather grim.

First, I hate driving or driving on the Surekill Expressway. I usually need a Xanax just to get in the car. Gabe is driving me and (God bless him) he puts up with a lot from me. I brake, I cover my eyes, I squeel. By the time I get down to the hospital my blood pressure will be sky high.

Then there is the whole idea of waiting. I will be waiting at Dr. Booth's office, waiting again at the cardiologist's office and then waiting to give blood. Mary, my scheduling guru at Dr. Booth's office set the appointments up one after another for our convenience. It does make it easier to get it all done in one day but what a long day!

Then the cardiologist, whom I have never met, has an office that is two blocks away. OK, now remember what kind of surgery I am pre-opping here?? I don't walk very well but I have to go two blocks to get to the cardiologist's office. I can't wait to see how that EKG turns out!

Finally, I have to "donate" blood. There is nothing donating about it! Donate means to give something willingly for a greater cause. I am definitely not willing to do this. I hate giving blood. I always get light headed and I am usually convinced that I am going to die. Don't tell me that I am being irrational. This is MY blog! Not only do I have to give blood tomorrow but I have to go back down to Penn and do it again next Friday. For a double knee replacement you need to have 2 units of your own blood on hand "just in case". This DOES NOT give me a lot of confidence. What do they mean by just in case? Just in case they nick an artery and I bleed to death? Just in case I wake up during surgery and need a blood "fix"? I am not happy about this part at all. And the literature says to make sure I eat before I give blood. That's almost impossible since I will be jogging up the street from the cardiologist to the 7th floor of the hospital with little time to spare. I better take along some M & Ms. You've heard of the universal blood type? Well, M & Ms are the universal food type . . . they cure everything.

Last, but not least, I get to drive on that insane expressway all the way home again . . . . during rush hour traffic. Give me another Xanex.