Well, tomorrow's the big day. I check into the hospital at 0500 and I'm scheduled as #2 for the day. The procedure will take between 4 - 5 hours, then ICU for a couple days, then to a regular bed for several days then home for "healing"...1-3 months. The past several weeks has been a whirlwind of activity...poke, pinch, pull, shove, shave, cough, stick, pee, breathe, don't breathe, sit, stand, pee again (and this time try really hard not to get any on you), etc. The pre-op alone took over four hours.
One of the most sobering moments was a consult with one of the docs..."I've elevated your condition from "moderate" to "severe". In my opinion, without this operation, within 2 years you would either die from a heart attack or suffer a major life changing stroke." This guy got my attention and made me fully aware of the seriousness of all that's going on.
With all that said, I'm prepared to get this over with. Unlike Jerry V, I don't feel like I'm looking Death in the eye. If I was, I'd only hope I had half the courage Jerry had. Most of you know that I have a faith that transcends everything else and live my life that way. Thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes. They are more important than you'll ever know.
