Preparing for the Big Day

For the first few weeks after I made my appointment I was excited with thoughts of pain-free mobility and doing all the things I'd missed out on for so long. I couldn't wait!

Then, as the surgery date drew closer, I began to get nervous. Maybe my ankle was fine and I didn't need the surgery. I could still get around fine, the weight loss had helped with the pain. I had Celebrex and my brace and I knew my limits, I would just rest when I needed to. And how could I be off my feet for weeks, not able to help around the house or with errands? My husband and son would need to do more than their fair share for as long as I was off my feet. My husband reminded me of my limitations and of the things I hadn't been doing that I missed doing. He reminded me that the doctor told me I'm a good candidate for this surgery and no complications were foreseen. He also told me he did not mind helping more around the house; the next few weeks would be hard for us but in the long run it would pay off.

Still... I was scared and I realized that I wasn't afraid of the actual surgery itself, it was the anesthesia. I didn't know why that bothered me, especially since I had been under anesthesia two times before in my life due to my ankle, and I had had a C-section when my son was born and although I was not under anesthesia, there was another surgery done! For some reason I was afraid of either going to sleep and never waking up again or waking up in the middle of the surgery. My husband continued to reassure me everything would be fine. I had to continue to remind myself that I was young and healthy and strong, and if there were any issues my doctor would not be going ahead with this surgery.

I felt the need to prepare for the few days I would be at the hospital and away from home. I made sure bills were paid, ran last minute errands, cleaned and reorganized the house and tied up loose ends at work and at the shelter. I felt as though I had the nesting syndrome many women feel when they get close to the end of their pregnancy.

Two weeks before the surgery I was told to stop taking my Celebrex and all other supplements I was taking except for the multivitamin. I also began taking Vitamin C and iron, although it then turned out that I did not donate my own blood. This was a personal decision and I would recommend anyone considering this surgery speak with their own doctor regarding blood donation.

Soon the night before the surgery came... the next day would be a big one!