Hi to everybody, and thanks for all of your expressions of love and support!
This morning I had my central line installed. It’s a kind of fancy multi port I.V. that they put high in my chest, sort of next to my shoulder. It was pretty easy, I must say. I had “relaxing medicine” (nice), and a couple of stitches. It’s a little sore now, and I won’t be doing anything with my right arm today other than type, I reckon… maybe use the TV remote…
I also met with several different nurses and staff who did a bunch of pre-op procedures… took blood in preparation for my transfusions, checked me out one more time, and quizzed me about every possible part and history of my body that would pertain to anesthesia. The unexpected really great part of this process was chatting with all these nice people, who were super impressed with the state of my health, and expressed lots of encouragement. “You’ll do just great!!” Something about being there, and knowing that what I’m about to do is something they see all the time, was comforting. So I think I’ll do just great!

As you can imagine, one of the main things I’ve been working on in preparation for surgery is trying to maintain my cool under pressure (or rather, trying not to freak out!). Most of you know that I had a spinal fusion when I was 14 – the bad news is that in 1967, even though the surgery I had was state of the art for the time, it was rough going – 6 months in a body cast for example! The good news is that having gone through that ordeal, I do have a familiarity with the whole hospital experience; I.V.’s, blood, tests, all that stuff. So it doesn’t freak me out so much. I already freaked out back in the day!
Also, I got some guided imagery CD’s for successful surgery for my MP3 player. I like them a LOT. This very soothing voice guides you through visualizing a warm and fuzzy surgery. I know. But there are actual studies showing that people who listened to those had quicker recoveries.

Speaking of staying calm, I read a good article in Oprah Magazine while I was waiting for my appointment this morning. Martha Beck writes about learning how to rest in life’s downturns (you know, not freak out). I won’t try to explain the whole thing, but there was one personal example that made me crack up big time in the waiting room. Martha Beck was traveling home from Africa… I’ll quote:
“I’m writing this in a dark airport hotel in Africa, after being stranded in a freak five-hour traffic gridlock that blocked all access to the airport. Dozens of planes took off empty, leaving hapless passengers haggling for seats on later flights. A thunderstorm struck as I waited in line outside for seats that were ultimately unavailable. It knocked out the electrical power just as the Bank of Gods back in America decided I couldn’t possibly be where I am and barred my access to cash…. Unshakable calm is fabulous in theory, but in practice – when your dreams are shattered…. or even when you’re soaked, cashless, and confused in a foreign county – fearlessness may seem impossible. It isn’t. I just relearned this from a wise fellow traveler; a tired, cranky 1-year-old whose mother was waiting in line ahead of me, wild-eyed with stress. The kid, catching Mom’s vibe, looked ready to pitch a full-on fit. Great, I thought as he opened his mouth and drew a deep breath. Just anticipating the shrieks to come was enough to cut through my last nerve like a chain saw. But instead of screaming, the baby looked directly into my eyes, furrowed his brow, and said, “Oy-yoy-oy!”
I swear he sounded exactly like Rodney Dangerfield.”

AWESOME.
So if you start freaking out, just say w/ me… OY-OY-YOY!
Everything’s fine. Hotel is nice. Fresh baked cookies every day at 5:00. Cranberry – orange – oatmeal. yeah