Surgery Tales

Yesterday was the big day. My meniscus was fixus. And my footus was putus into good working order too.

I was required to arrive at Starpoint Surgical Center at 6:30 in the morning. I guess that was better than the original 6am appointment they made, but the sun was not up yet. Additionally, the front doors were closed and after leaving the taxi, I had to scrounge around the building until I found the back entrance.

But finally I made it. Room 300.
There I was greeted by Michelle (I think) at the front desk. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Sisto, my Orthopedic Surgeon turned up. He is the master of my knees.
I was quickly processed and then led to the holding bay by the lovely pre-op nurse who's name I just can't remember. That will be a recurrent theme of this blog, I'm afraid, as they were giving me some drugs.
IV in place, I was left to await my turn in the operating room. Unfortunately, there was a little teeny-tiny blonde fake-looking thing that had been escorted to the bay across from me. She and her doctor were having a very animated conversation about her breast implants.

"I'm really small framed." She informed her doctor. "Be sure that you make my nipples really high." Now what one had to do with the other, I have no idea. I was ready to deck her except that this wasn't a good time to offend anyone. Then Dr. Boghossian showed up. He's my Podiatrist and was in charge of fixing my foot.
This is my anestheologist. I can't remember his name.
For the life of me, I can't remember the name of my surgical nurse either. But she was not at all surprised that I had a camera. For those of you (Claudia) who are saying right now (Claudia) that "Only You, Laura (Claudia) would bring a camera to your surgery," according to this nurse, that isn't true. A lot of people take pictures. But, she did say, Claudia, that nobody before me had ever planned to post them on a blog.
I don't even remember seeing this guy and haven't a clue who he is.
As I was being wheeled into the operating room. The anestheologist was quite surprised - as you can see from his stance - that I was still snapping pictures.
I'd like to say that this shot was the last thing I saw before I was put out, but it would't be true. The last thing was them foribly removing my camera from my person because they had some kind of schedule to adhere to and my photographic tendancies were messing with the works. And by the way, the only reason they got away with it was because they had an unfair advantage with the doctor putting knock-out drugs in my IV and all...Frozen corn on my foot. Yes, I have a corn on my foot.
This is the "Game Ready" Ice & Compression machine that I am using on my knee. Apparently, these have been used for professional athletes for quite some time, but are just now being used on us general public. It is actually quite effective. You fill the one compartment with ice & water, then it attaches via a hose to a wrap for your leg. Turn it on and it provides cold and compression

I found it very scarey to contemplate but turned out to like it quite a bit. Even though they call it "Game Ready" which I find a bit sarcastic since I am anything BUT game ready.
Eric, Cosmos, & I spent a long evening watching TV. Although Cosmos was afraid of both my crutches and compression machine and didn't think much of the corn as it would fall off of my foot either.
Sunny was just a quiet and good boy. He was very upset, though, by my state of affairs and kept coming to me for reassurance that everything was all right.
My leg in the compression chamber with corn on my foot.
Eric pretending that he is having a good time. He was wonderful - and very helpful - yesterday!
And proof that I am alive and here to tell the tale of being assulted by scalpel.