I Need a Backiotomy

I am getting so old! Yesterday I had to make a 4 hour trip in 3 hours. Why you ask? Why wouldn't I plan enough time for this huge adventure? All I can tell you is that I did - to the best of my ability. Unfortunatly I had some unforseen roadblocks along the way.

So Wednesday the Neurosurgeons office calls to confirm my appointment and to inform me that they still had not recieved the referral from my doctor and if they didn't have it by my appointment time then I would be rescheduled. This doctor is 200 miles away and the last thing I wanted was to get there and find out that it would have to be rescheduled.

So I call the old neurosurgeon who was referring me to the new one (long story short I was going to a new one so that I could recouperate at my grandma's house and she lives 200 miles away from me therefore the new dr. is also 200 miles away now).

Anyway, the old Dr. says that they contacted my general Dr. and spoke with the referral person there. Okay, so I call my regular Dr. No answer. So I leave a message with the person that handles the referrals and pray that she calls me that day because I knew I had to leave at 8:30 in order to have enough time to get to my grandma's, unload and get to the appointment early enough to fill out all the paperwork.

Well, no one called me Wednesday so I was up most of that night worrying about it all. How was I going to get the referral and get down there in time.

Well I call back to my Dr. at EXACTLY 8:30 the next morning. Still no answer with the referral lady, so I leave another message and figure that the new Dr. said that it can be faxed to them so If I leave on time and get ahold of the lady to send the referral by fax then I won't be late.

Then I chickened out. I was afraid that I would get like 1/2 way there and they wouldn't be able to get the referral.

So, I sit at the gas station and call again finally actually speaking to the referral lady who had NO idea what I was talking about because she had been out of the office the day before. Which makes me wonder how in the world the other Dr.s office was able to talk to her. Finally she understood what I was trying to say about the appointments and why I needed the referral. She says to sit tight a minute and she will try to get it pushed through but that it usually takes a few DAYS to get a referral approved.

AGGGHHHHH!!! I don't have a few days - I barely have a few hours! So I pull over into the shopping center and wait for her call.

Finally at 9:30 she calls and tells me that it's all set and I can go. YIPPEE. only now I only have 3 1/2 hours to get there and like I said it usually takes me 4 or so. Not good.

I started to literally fly and slowing down only where I knew the police liked to hide out. Reminded me of that seen in Ferris Beuller's Day Off where the principle is running in the halls but slows down to a walk whenever he passed a classroom door. That was me. Driving like my butt was on fire and slowing down at the hidden turn off things.

I actually made the whole drive in almost exactly 3 hours. Oh, of course I was sooo tired from not getting any sleep that when I wasn't dodging turn-offs I was blasting the radio and pinching myself to stay awake.

I am getting so old. I just can't drive very far without wanting to fall asleep. There were times that I think someone was definitly watching over me. I know I was not paying the best of attention. But finally I made it and with a little time to spare. PHEW!

Skip ahead to the appointment. Everything was going great and I think the Dr. was more impressed with the fact that the Dr. that was I was coming from was very well known. He felt honored that the Dr. referred me to him. Well I didn't want to bust his bubble and tell him that I was the one who chose his name and I about threw a dart at a board to find him. Nothing more.

Anywho~ I need surgery. Now. well not NOW but I am having it the 19th of this month. Only 1 1/2 weeks away. I will be in the hospital for like 3 days and then have to recoup at grandma's for at least a week. At least until the staples are out. I just hope it works. No, I have to stay positive so I know it will work!