Reservations and tickets

-
I bit the bullet this week and bought plane tickets and made hotel reservations.

We're doing things a little differently this time around. Instead of my sister and mom both coming for the surgery, my mom's going to be the sole Cassie caregiver.

We chose a different hotel. One that's more expensive, but nicer and closer to the hospital, and it offers free shuttle service, so Mom won't have to worry about taxis. We figure I'm going to be out of the hospital sooner this time since I know what I have to do, so it shouldn't be too pricey in the end. (Knock on wood.)

We chose a different flight back from Tacoma to Billings. Last time, we flew non-stop on a little plane (meaning we boarded the plane from outside and they had to put me in a too-tiny wheelchair to bypass the steps). This time, we'll be flying a bigger and more comfortable plane, (hello, jet bridge) but we'll have a layover in Denver. I hope the extra travel time is bearable.

I also made all the arrangements I needed with our human resources office. I filed once again for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which protects my job while I'm gone. Thanks to our generous work benefits, I will only have to work for two weeks at home (during the eight I'll be gone) in order to still get paid for the whole shebang.

Time is too quickly running out. I'm ready but I'm not. You know the feeling.

Comments

Marina said…
Do you buzz going through security?
October 11, 2008
Cassie said…
Haven't set off the metal detectors yet. Since my surgery in April, I've been through Seattle/Tacoma, Denver International, Chicago O'Hare, Dulles and Detroit. We'll see if that changes once I have double the screws!
And my range of motion is about 80-85 percent of what it was pre-op. I hardly notice it, though.
October 11, 2008
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dreams

-
I still have bad dreams about having hip surgeries. It's been nine years since I went under the knife. The surgeries seem far from mind – I don't have daily pain, I don't talk about hip dysplasia, and when I get undressed, I rarely notice the thin white scars on either side of my hips. When I do think about it all, gratitude and pride overwhelm me. I think of my recovery and wonderful life that has followed. It's strange then, that my brain sums up this life-changing event with disturbing scenes from an operating room, flooding me with anxiety and reminding me of the unpleasant parts of PAOs. But maybe the nightmares have some value, after all. Being reminded of the stress and pain and work that went into fixing my hips also reminds me of how strong I was to get through it. Never forget.
Read more

Out of surgery

-
This is Cassie's Mom, after trying to connect to the internet unsuccessfully several times in her room, we have decided that Cassie will dictate to me and I'll try to keep you updated by taking the computer elsewhere in the building where there is a strong enough signal. Cassie's surgery took 5 1/2 hours this time, and Dr. Mayo said it went very well. He did find a cyst in the joint, in the same place as the left one...a matching set! He said that was kind of strange. She woke up in a lot of pain and Dr. Mayo said it took some time to get it under control, fortunately she did not remember much of that! She was out of recovery just 1 1/2 hours later and after a breathing treatment; into a room by 9:30, a little nauseas, and with a very dry throat. She kicked me out a little after midnight, and I took a cab to the hotel, since my carriage had turned back into a pumpkin. During the night they did a Doppler test because they were not detecting a pulse in her right leg, but th...
Read more

4 years post-op LPAO

-
Image
It's been four years since my left hip surgery, the day-long event that became a years-long cornucopia for which I am eternally thankful. My thanks does not wane, even though the periods of pain-free living have started to. Between anniversaries three and four, I have to admit that life has been a little tougher. My hips hurt more often and are less willing to take the beatings an active lifestyle evokes. My mind returns to dark places of my past, when pain ruled and I couldn't count on my body. The most challenging aspect is not letting fears and negative thoughts squash the positive feelings and abilities my new hips gave me. Post-surgery pains are completely different than pre-surgery's. Sporadic, unpredictable and in places I didn't think even counted as "hip pain." Post-surgery pains also have been easier to control, just harder to understand. I am considering a visit to a hip doc in my town, rather than a flight to Tacoma to see Dr. Mayo. I need to...
Read more