I saw Northfield Hospital emperor Ken Bank this morning (we were both loading up on drugs at GBM) and told him I was going to blog my surgery experience yesterday at his house of pain. Not to worry, I told him. The staff who I had contact with were terrific.
It started the moment I walked into the Day Surgery unit at 6 am and met the nurse, Laurie LaMoore (from Cannon Falls, I later learned). After I changed into one of those flattering hospital gowns, she noticed I was cold and brought me a heated blanket. Heated! I should have asked for a hot toddy, now that I think of it.
Then anesthesiologist Jim Moy arrived and he spent probably 20 minutes carefully explaining all the details and rationale for everything he was about to do. It included a story of his own rotator cuff surgery, which I really appreciated. (His injury, like mine, can legitimately be blamed on our offspring.)
Since I have two shoulders, but only one in need of repair, every subsequent staffer I met subjected me to a line of questions, eg: who are you, why are you here, what’s your address, which shoulder, etc. All that, of course, to prevent surgical debacles like removing the wrong kidney. It was reassuring to know that these folks were following the guidelines to the T.
I saw my surgeon, Bob Shepley (shown here with some babe he picked up at the Governor’s Ball) just before I faded into the sunset. Bob did my ACL a few years back and since that worked out well, I thought I give him some repeat business. My sweetie was there to greet me in recovery (she also had great things to say about the staff) and I was on my way home in a shoulder sling strapped to my body before noon. Piece o’ cake.
After a long nap, Robbie and I went to see Wall-E at the Southgate (hilarious). I hit the sack around midnight as the surgical block was wearing off (at the precise time Jim Moy predicted). A bag of ice and a Tylenol got me through the night and I was back blogging at my corner office at 6 am.
I do feel a nap coming on, tho. I better get one in before the kiddie parade begins. Photo duty left-handed today.
I suppose you’re gearing up now to watch the real fireworks. Glad to hear such a glowing review of our soon to be renamed hospital, and that your ordeal was as painless as those good folk could make it.
I’m on my way to the east coast to see my kids and to give my son the Back RX book you earlier recommended so highly. Do you now recommend Wall-E for post surg rotator cuff celebrants?
Happy summer!
[...] I had a bottle of Oxycodone from my 2008 rotator cuff surgery that I never used so I was eager to get rid of it today, given the prevalence of theft from [...]