Almost time
2006-10-02 - 6:38 p.m.

Well, this is it. Tomorrow is the surgery. And let me just say, this day cannot be overwith soon enough. I've had a very hectic day.

My pre-op appointment was this morning at 10:00 and I was feeling a little freaked because they never called to confirm (like doctor's offices usually do), but fortunately, as soon as I walked in, the receptionist recognized me and took me back to change into a hospital gown.

I thought all this stuff about my platelet count was over and done with, but not so. The doctor came in a few minutes later and asked if my primary care physician came to any conclusions about why my platelet count had been low, and I told him about staying off D@rvocet for two weeks and how that seemed to be the culprit. He was still concerned about it, though, because the last time I was tested a few weeks ago, the platelet count was low AGAIN. I didn't know that. I thought it was fine. So anyway, the doctor told me he wanted me to get my platelet count tested AGAIN today and also to get this bleeding test done, to make sure the blood is clotting okay.

If I never get blood drawn again in my life, it will be too soon. I'm so sick of giving blood.

The doctor then took photos of me in these godawful paper underwear-things, went over what I need to do to prepare for surgery, gave me my prescriptions to get filled and then I left. I immediately went over to the lab to get the freaking blood test done, waited for a half hour, then was told they couldn't do the bleeding test and I'd have to go somewhere else.

By that time, it was 11:30. I knew B would be worried if I wasn't home by 12:00 and I don't have a cell phone, so I just went home. I then called my primary care doctor's office to see if they could do this bleeding test, and they said no, I'd have to go to a hospital or a lab. So then I called the plastic surgeon's office to ask where I should go. They took about 2 hours to call me back and then finally said I needed to go over to this local hospital, which ironically was right across the street from the lab I'd been at earlier.

So around 2:00 I drove to the hospital, which I'd never been to before, parked and went into the main entrance. I managed to follow the signs to the outpatient clinic, which is where the plastic surgeon's office told me to go, but they then sent me upstairs to another lab. Up there, they had to make a few phone calls to make sure this testing was something they could do, they got the okay, then I had to sit down and wait for maybe 15 minutes. A lady came out and got me and took blood for the platelet count and she said I'd have to wait about 20 minutes before they could do the bleeding test, so I sat down and waited some more. I ended up waiting about 45 minutes (ugh!) and some other lady got me and did this bleeding thing. She said I was hardly bleeding at all and everything looked fine, and after that I was finally able to leave.

Next I had to get my prescriptions filled at the drug store, and fortunately that only took about 20 minutes. I got back home around 5:00, and I was hoping the plastic surgeon's office would've called by then to tell me the results from the blood tests, but they hadn't, so I called them. They had to make some phone calls and try to find out what the story was before 5:30, when they closed, and 5:30 came and went and I heard nothing. I had no idea if I was going to be having the surgery tomorrow or not. The plastic surgeon said if my platelet count had gotten any lower, he wouldn't proceed.

Then around 6:00 I finally got a call from the plastic surgeon's office saying that everything was fine and my surgery tomorrow is a go. Thank God! I was really starting to think this was never going to happen.

And here's the kicker: The plastic surgeon said if he notices excess bleeding when he begins surgery tomorrow he'll just stop right there, so I won't know for sure if I had this surgery done or not until I wake up from the anesthesia!! Aaaaahhhhh!!!

Honestly, though, I think it will be fine because I don't have a bleeding problem. I don't bleed excessively when I get a cut, I don't have really heavy periods, nothing like that.

So in addition to the photos I had taken at the doctor's office, B is going to take photos of me at home tonight, too. I plan to have him get photos of me every few weeks or maybe one a month. Depends on how it goes. I'll have the photos up online at some point, too. (I'll have more info about that later.)

So that's the story, and next time I write it will be done. Not sure when that will be. Wish me luck!

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