Thursday April 15, 2010: Tax Day and 6 days to go!

Yesterday was my pre-op with my hematologist where my platelet count had to be 75,000or more to go without a short course of prednisone beforehand. It was, as it was 86,000. He also was calling the hospital blood bank to make sure it would have platelets on hand for me the day of the surgery in case they were needed. So we're inching forward. Joints are still aching but not much longer!

Friday April 9, 2010: Update

Monday the 5th, I had the autologous blood donation appointment at the hosptial. Platelets were at 86,000. Tuesday the 6th, I had my preop with my primary care physician. Thursday the 7th, she called to say platelets were at 93,000. Today (the 9th) was the preop with the ortho. I had an xray of my knee taken at an angle that hadn't been done. Even I could see the bone on bone arthritis. I described pain level at a 9 at times. I got a prescription for a painkiller for now. PT, it turns out, will start at home, done by the VNA. 12 days! Yea! Can't wait (mostly, lol).

Friday March 25- Friday April 2, 2010: A crazy week

Friday April 2, 2010: Crazy week. Tuesday at 4:40, I got a call from Danbury Hospital about my ortho wanting me to have an MRI of knee and thigh STAT because there is a cyst in there. Knowing nothing, the hospital person said she’d call the ortho office. No call back. It was a long night! Wednesday March 31, I call the ortho office and sure enough, yes I need one. So I call the hospital and make an appointment. Meanwhile, I realize I forgot to ask ortho person something. So I call afterwards: I need to know will my surgery be cancelled or postponed because of this? The answer is no. A lot of relief! Shortly after that, ortho surgery person (not the usual one), whom I had learned the hospital had left a voice mail with last night, called me back and confirmed everything I had been told. Then I was about to leave for work when Henry said there was a voice mail, so I listened and it was the hospital MRI department. Because the MRI was to with and without contrast and I’m on BP medicine, I had to have blood work done and it had to be done that day. So after work, I had to run over to CFO and get a prescription for the blood work and then go to the hospital lab on Sandpit Rd. I took care of that. Thursday April 2 (yesterday) in the afternoon, I took Ativan for the MRI before we left the house. Jonathan drove me. I felt fine. But when I had to lay down on the bed for the MRI, I got dizzy but it passed. The scan proceeded fine until it was time to add the contrast (near the end). I mistakenly told them to do it in my left arm but the vein blew (the contrast started coming out of the spot) – do not get injections/whatever in the same spot as where blood was drawn less than 24 hours before. But then things were okay for the rest of the scan. When it was done, I got up and promptly got very dizzy again. I sat a few times on the way back to the changing room. While changing, I got dizzy again but it passed. I finally got home exhausted. Then last night, the primary doctor called back to say my cholesterol was even higher than before. I’m making it, although I had modified my diet. Oy!!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the cyst is something I have had for 15+ years-never think about it, doesn't bother me.