Lefty - Part One
So, as best as I can manage, here's how it all went down.
Monday - my parents picked upthe kids, so that they are out of the way until I'm on the other side. I head into the city for a last run of errands and make it uptown to see my friend and her wee boy. Come back to Queens and have dinner with Dave.
Tuesday - Go time. Report to surgical center at 5:45. Amazingly, we leave our neighborhood at 5:30 and aren't late. I check in and nervously fidget with my phone until I am brought back into the surgical side of things.
I get a set of robes, slipper socks and get tagged (ID and allergy.) I answer questions, some more than once. Dave comes back to join me and together we meet with a physician's assistant, the anesthesiologist, a bevy of nurses and, finally the surgeon. We discussed the procedure, recovery and that it was all no big deal, and how I could relax about it.
What's about to happen - I'll be put under and the doctor will make a cut from the middle of my index finger, over the mass, and slightly into the palm. He will separate nerves, muscle, arteries and veins, and remove the thing, biopsy it, and close the incision. By the time I come to, the biopsy results will be back. (There is a remote chance this thing is malignant. Very remote.)
I walk to the operating room, am settled on the table and the last thing I remember is the anesthesiologist telling me I was about to start feeling tipsy and the PA strapping my arm to the table.
Monday - my parents picked upthe kids, so that they are out of the way until I'm on the other side. I head into the city for a last run of errands and make it uptown to see my friend and her wee boy. Come back to Queens and have dinner with Dave.
Tuesday - Go time. Report to surgical center at 5:45. Amazingly, we leave our neighborhood at 5:30 and aren't late. I check in and nervously fidget with my phone until I am brought back into the surgical side of things.
I get a set of robes, slipper socks and get tagged (ID and allergy.) I answer questions, some more than once. Dave comes back to join me and together we meet with a physician's assistant, the anesthesiologist, a bevy of nurses and, finally the surgeon. We discussed the procedure, recovery and that it was all no big deal, and how I could relax about it.
What's about to happen - I'll be put under and the doctor will make a cut from the middle of my index finger, over the mass, and slightly into the palm. He will separate nerves, muscle, arteries and veins, and remove the thing, biopsy it, and close the incision. By the time I come to, the biopsy results will be back. (There is a remote chance this thing is malignant. Very remote.)
I walk to the operating room, am settled on the table and the last thing I remember is the anesthesiologist telling me I was about to start feeling tipsy and the PA strapping my arm to the table.
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