One down, one to go!

I'm home. I've gotten a good night's sleep, ate a few meals, and got caught up with the kids. Thank goodness it is still spring break . No alarms clocks to answer to right now. Good time to have first procedure done! I'm feeling pretty good considering I recently had a hole drilled into my head and a piece of my skull permanently removed. My neurosurgeon is Gary Heit. He's brilliant alright but he is also a sadomasochist! I'm starting to remember some things from surgery now that the sedatives have left my body. And I think I owe him a sock in the arm! Maybe two!


Some things to consider for the next surgery:
(Note: these are not in the order of importance rather the order of humor. If my Granny was still alive she'd get a kick out of the first one!)

1) Insist on a pair of bottoms to go with the open back hospital gown! - The early morning nurse promptly relieved me of all my clothing as soon as I got to pre-opt, then forced me into a totally useless garment referred to as a hospital gown,and issued me a pair of 'non skid' socks. Nothing else! No bottoms or undies. Nothing like having to lift your legs in front of the male medical staff during surgery with no panties on! And I thought one lost all dignity during child birth! Not so. At least the maternity floors are staffed primarily with women.

2) Bring my own food! And hide it in my blankets!! There is no kitchen at Redwood City Kaiser. All meals are pre-ordered from some off site location the day before. Chances are the meal that is served wont be something I would have picked out myself. Not likely to get something I will want to eat. If oatmeal is served for breakfast it will not come with raisins or brown sugar. Come on, who eats oatmeal without brown sugar?!?! They couldn't even rustle up some cinnamon for flavor! Better off bringing some instant oatmeal from home and asking for hot water and a cup. Besides there isn't a lick of food to be found near the recovery room area. I know. I asked! I asked everyone who entered the room where I could get some food. The surgeon said there was a good Thai place across the street... I guess Al's truck must have been out of gas or something. I didn't get a regular meal until the next evening, after I'd been home half a day!

3) Don't assume there will be something good to eat when I get home from the hospital like I did this time. Just because my significant other can cook, doesn't mean that he will want to or will have the energy to. Take matters into my own hands and order it myself! Either that or stop at Trader Joe's on the way home from the hospital, before hitting a drug store for Tylenol.

4) Have the Wii reconnected to a different TV located in another room of the house instead of the living room. Getting some rest isn't conducive with little ones' wanting to play video games in the same room!

5) Don't let staff dictate how or when to take meds or let the pharmacy decide when to order re-fills!! Trust my own instincts. Be aggressive if I have too! PD symptoms vary from patient to patient. Nobody knows my disease better than me or my family!