It's not easy

 

It’s not easy getting to surgery.

 

First we go see the surgeon and he tells us we need surgery.  We say okay.  All set, right?

 

Wrong.  We have to get clearance from our G.P. that we’re healthy enough for surgery.  We go there and get an E.K.G., a chest X-ray, and a note from our doctor saying we can do this.  No problem.

 

Also, it will be more complicated going in through my neck this time.  My neck is not a virgin anymore; there may be scar tissue and adhesions.  Our surgeon has asked an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) guy to scrub in.  So we go see the ENT.  He looks in my ears, nose, and throat.  We have a nice visit until he decides to stick a Go-pro up my nose until it’s all the way down my throat so he can see my vocal cords.  So now he’s seen everything he needs to see, except he wants some lab work.  We’re scheduled for a blood test to monitor thyroid function.  He wants to be sure we have a baseline because they’ll be working all around the whole thyroid complex while they’re in there and he wants to know what home base is in case something gets screwed up.  He also wants an ultrasound of my throat so they know right where everything is.  It might be different from how it was originally because they were just in there last January pushing things around.  And lastly they want some active imaging while I’m swallowing barium.  Now we have something that sounds like fun; a barium swallowing contest.  Count me in.  Do you think they have ever seen someone gargle barium before swallowing it?  Hands down.  I win.

 

So once all that is done, we’ll know everything we need to know.  I’ll have received all the medical clearances I need.  Both doctors are on board.  My surgery will be on November 4^th.  We went back to the spinal surgeon to deliver the good news.  Oops.  Both doctors neglected to mention our plans to the scheduling nurses.  Each doctor has his own scheduling nurse.  Nothing happens until the scheduling nurses say it does.  Now we’ve put the scheduling nurses in touch with each other.

 

So my surgery will definitely be November 4^th.  Unless they have to move it to November 5^th.  Unless that doesn’t work, then the next available date will be November 18^th.

 

Stay tuned.