The Surgical Procedure

In six days I will drive to the Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital, check-in, go to a pre-op room and put on a lovely hospital gown accessorized with a beautiful hair net and comfy no-slip socks. I will get my blood pressure and pulse taken. The nurse will start my IV. We will go through the pre-op checklist of questions. Next, my doctor will come say hello, ask if I'm ready to do this. I will say yes, ready as ever. My doctor will leave, letting me know he will see me soon back in the surgical room. Now is the point that I will ask to go to the bathroom one more time, (my only fear is that I will pee on the operating table...silly, I know!)


My nurse will ask if I'm ready, letting me know it's time to walk back, or sometimes wheeled, to surgery. I will walk through double doors as they automatically open. My body stiffens as the cold air surrounds me. I will say my hello, and thank you greetings as we wind through the large hallways into the room of the day...that is, my room of the day. I'll exchange more greetings as a step stool is placed in front of me to be utilized for climbing up onto the cold metal surgical table. Brr. Yes, it is cold. More introductions are made as my team for the day attempts to put me at ease. I will then say thank you to each that I have not already. This part is important to me. I want to personally say thank you to those caring for me. The services they provide are important and I appreciate their hard work and dedication to taking care of patients like me. Yet, I'm not certain they hear thank you enough. It is my thing to do with each of my surgical and non-surgical procedures.


Soon, the order of operations for the given procedure will be explained to me by a smiley staff member. I confirm my birthday and name and for one last time, what procedure I am having today.  Next, they let me know that they will be giving me meds through the IV to make me sleepy. Next thing you know I am waking up in the recovery room, groggy, trying to remember where I am and why I am here. It takes a while to fully come to.


I am seasoned in the area of surgery. I know it well. In six days I will be going through the process I just described for the 15th time for my 15th surgery. It will be the 10th surgery that is related to damage my body has come to know as a result of having rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, of having high levels of inflammation for extended periods of time. The one thing that will be different with this surgery is that I should feel pain relieve and get results right away, versus waiting two years to have nerves grow back, or overcoming post-op therapy and obstacles that can stand between you and the results you desire.


I no longer get nervous before surgery. It's like so many things in life...practice makes perfect! So next Tuesday I will practice being a patient as I have the ablation of nerves in my neck performed. I always look forward to any small step in making living with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia more tolerable. I look forward to Tuesday!