Preparations

My surgery is scheduled for November 2.  I am now doing all my preparations.  I go to my primary care physician on October 20 to get clearance for the surgery.  I have been fitted for my cervical collar that I will have to wear for three months.  I have paid my co-pays for all my MRI’s, X-Ray’s, etc. 

Oh what fun!

I went to “YouTube” to see if there were videos of the procedure.  (The procedure is called cervical anterior discectomy and fusion.)  There were.  I am having four discs removed, C4, C5, C6 and C7.  I will be in the hospital a bit longer.  To my surprise there were also videos of others who had the same procedure.  They shared their experiences.  This was very helpful as it gave me firsthand information on what to expect before, during and after surgery.  It was also so interesting to hear other people talk about the exact same pain I have been having for the last 12 years.  I can’t believe there are others out there going through the same thing.  One thing most of them said (and I was advised by the man who fitted my collar) is that you have to sleep in a recliner while you recover.  It’s too difficult to get in and out of bed.  My friend Tom is letting me borrow his recliner.  I also figured I should get some real good quality pillows.  I purchased two King pillows yesterday at Costco ($80 for both!).

Another thing mentioned by people on YouTube was that eating is rough because you’ll have what feels like a very sore throat.  During the procedure they have to move your trachea over so they can get to your spine.  The aftermath of the pulling and moving of the trachea gives you the feeling of a sore throat.  So, I am going to buy some “smooth foods” to eat, such as pudding, yogurt, etc.

I’m so fortunate to have such amazing friends at my side (in addition to Drew).  Three of my friends, Tom, Mary and Kelley are actually taking off work the day of my surgery so they can be there for me.  It’s almost like it’s going to be a little party (that’s what I keep telling myself).

So, now I’ve got two and a half weeks left before I will be out of commission for three months (or more).  Time to get the outdoor gazebo and furniture stored and covered.  Get as many leaves raked as possible.  And one big thing I want to do before my surgery is to have a dinner at Clearbrook and Everyday People Café.  Once I have that collar on I’m not sure how much I will want to be seen in public.  Plus, I won’t be able to eat like that for a while. 

One nice thing before my surgery is that I will be able to see Ray’s sister, Susie, from Colorado.  She is coming up this week to visit with Marguerite.  They will spend some time in Detroit and then come back here and we’re going to get together.  I’ve been very fortunate that the Riker family has kept me in their care.  I’m honored that they keep in touch with me, care about my well being and treat me like blood family.  It’s nice because I feel like a part of him is still with me.  

It's hard to believe that in less than three months it will be six years since Ray passed away.  The upcoming months will be hard on me as the memories of that time of year in 2009 will flood my soul again.  - Jimmy