d-day

it's finally here. the focus of my worry and planning.

i'm ready.

i'm looking forward to stopping the pain and beginning the healing process.

i still have so much left to do, i can't afford for my life to be limited by this condition. if you are interested, these are the two conditions that i have.: spondylothesis and spinal stenosis.

i made a bunch of stuff and froze it, including homemade spaghetti sauce. not being remotely italian, i was scared to death of the thought. it turned out quite well! i also roasted some garlic and made garlic mashed potatoes, a lasagna. w said he'll run out to burger king to grab us a couple of veggie burgers. . .this may be a long recovery. :-D

my daughter-in-law has offered to do our shopping. she is such a sweetheart. my family is awesome and very supportive.

k, i'm off to finalize my packing, shower, etc. when next you hear from me, i will be healing!!!

today

today is the day before. wow! that got here quite quickly. i have gone through every emotion under the sun. yesterday i was petrified. today i'm looking forward to everything being over. it's time to get my life back. my real life, my full life and not this thing i've been putting up with the last 2.5 years.

normally at this point you hear all the horror stories of friends of friends that have gone through this botched operation. but i've heard nothing but good ones. lots of stories of people that are now pain-free, and i know their surgeries were not that very long ago. so i'm holding on to those, especially since as i'm writing this my back is just aching.

everything will work out. please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

update

my life has turned in to a blur of dr. appts. and medical tests. seems when you reach "a certain age" you need to have all sorts of extra tests done before surgery.

sigh.

my manager has been an angel about the whole thing.

i am very much looking forward to getting this surgery done and getting on the road to recovery. i figure the first 2 weeks will be the worse and then it will be slow progress from there. my surgery is scheduled in 9 days. the countdown begins.

i need to get something decent to wear in the hospital. that drives w crazy. he says "don't they give you something to wear while you're in there? why would you need to buy something to wear." heh, men.

so other than that our work with the homeless continues. w has been going with me each week, as well as my daughter and her husband. we've been taking our wahl clippers (w bought an extra set also) to provide haircuts to those that want them.

as i finished my first "buzz" cut, the next guy in line announces that he's a barber. he was a prison barber for 7 years. "you don't mess anyone's hair up in prision." that was recommendation enough for me and after he had his buzz, we turned the clippers over to him. he has given about 2 dozen haircuts since. God bless him. proof again that those with the least, are capable of sharing the most.

we continue to need clothing. i'm working on trying to get people to clean out their closets and bring the items to me. around every corner is yet another need.

one starfish at a time.