This week I needed to head back to the hospital for another round of pre-op questions and tests. I decided to combine the stop at the pharmacy (to drop off the heavy antibiotics and narcotics scripts for post-surgery) and the trip to the hospital with my morning run. The whole trip would only be 3-4 miles, but I failed to realize that the first mile and a half was almost completely uphill. I think I’ve been spending too much time on the nice flat parts of the trail– I’ve forgotten what a workout those hills can be!
Between the hills and the fact that it is June, I was pretty sweaty by the time I got to the hospital. Everyone kept offering the empty chair next to them, but I was too sweaty to sit in a chair! So I hung out with my Spotify tunes and water bottle on the floor. The woman who pre-registered me for surgery has pre-registered me at least once or twice before. It’s always a little strange when someone at such a huge place recognizes me. And the woman doing the blood draw was also a familiar face. Next time (though let’s hope there’s not a next time!) I’m going to have to remember to ask her not to use the tape that they put on after the blood draw, a band aid would be fine. It left a much bigger mark than the needle!
I also had the requisite 30 minute nurse phone interview where I had to recount my entire medical history. I can’t imagine what that phone call must be like for someone who’s older and has lots of meds and decades of surgeries to recall. Mostly, after I went through my surgeries list, I just said “no” a lot. I’m apparently as healthy as a horse. Except for that pesky cancer.
So surgery’s coming up next week. I’m hopeful for an easy recovery. I’m not supposed to run for six weeks, but I did get my surgeon to concede that I could ride a bike, so I’ll have to do that. I don’t have to wear a compression bra, but I wasn’t in love with the compression gear he suggested if he does lipo on my tummy. This would be a good time to point out that it never hurts to ask if you have a question. While the high waist girdle with suspenders (so wretched for July!) was the best option from the company whose brochures they have in the office, a quick chat with Cami let me know that a pair of high waisted spanx from Nordstrom would provide just as much compression without the waistband issue that they’d had with the non-suspsender girdle. And since the Spanx don’t have zippers down the side, they can go in my regular Spanx rotation. Win-win. One more trip to Nordstrom, a few last runs, and I’ll be ready to head back to the familiar confines of outpatient surgery.
Run Lipstick Chemo 