Friday, Oct 30, dawned - and we actually saw it! Now, that doesn’t happen very often, nightowls that we are. But - I needed to be checked-in at the hospital by 8:30am and we had L.A. rush hour traffic to contend with to get there. And quite a few miles worth of it, too.
We made good time and I presented myself at the admissions desk, check-writing chops at the ready. Sigh. That was a nice chunk of change. The Dr. was willing to send me home right after recovery, but he didn’t seem really happy about it. Neither was I, so I decided to spring for the cost of an overnight stay at the hospital.
The wait that followed in the prep room seemed interminable. More signatures. Then some really lame questionnaire by a staffer whose accent was so thick I could barely understand her. I was in nooo mood for any of that, by now - I just wanted to be put under and get the show on the road. Thankfully, the Dr.’s office had directed me to local test facilities for blood & EKG earlier in the week, so some of the circus was cut out of the admission procedure.
Finally (but actually very close to original schedule!) they wheeled me off, straight into the operating room. I was surrounded by calmness - the last preparations for the surgery were being seen to by this most outstandingly efficient, yet unhurried, calm team. Had I had any qualms about anything, they would’ve disappeared right then - the whole environment exuded confidence and competence. The anesthesiologist very calmly started his procedures, then went about some “secret tasks” (not secret, I’m sure - he was within my field of vision past the foot of the table staying busy with something) and asked my birth date at intervals. I thought I’d feel it coming, but nope - at some point I was just gone. From crystal clear to blank, no woozies inbetween.
Not a clue as to what time it was when I came to in what was my own private room. NICE! The “usual” hook-ups, and various medical staff making sure it was me, there. It was. Liquid meal was brought - chicken broth & some juices. Pretty good, actually. Spirits coming back, taking in the set-up. Great big room with a seating area off in the corner BY THE WINDOW! And, of course, my very own bathroom. Considering all the equipment, attention and care on top of the physical room itself, that extra money spent was so well worth it. Later that night I could look out that window and see lights and lightning in the hills. At a lower nightly rate, I’d move in permanently!
Not everything went peachy - the aftereffects of anesthesia made for a reunion between the chicken broth and fresh air. That was not fun, not with my mouth freshly re-arranged and with only about 1/4 inch opening exposed through the bandages. No pain, just a soggy unpleasant mess - yuck. Whatever time it was, I snoozed off and on, and RK was visiting and time went by. I don’t know if there were pain meds in the drip - I doubt it - but I felt no pain. Sweet nurses kept checking on me. Then we went for a repeat performance of the chicken broth experience. Darn! But, that somehow seemed to be it, to get those aftereffects out of the system. Put me off chicken broth for a bit, though - not so good when looking forward to three weeks of sucking nutrition through a straw and a 1/4 inch mouth opening. C’est la vie, I guess… 
The Dr. stopped by and gave me passing grade so release procedures followed. RK was there to transport me home, I signed some more papers, got another prescription, or two, gathered up all the dearly paid-for plastic tubs and hygiene products, put my clothes back on and got my ride in the chair to the front entry.
The ride home was pretty smooth. It was October 31 - Halloween - no masks or costumes needed, here! I was pretty scary looking “au naturel”, but oh, so happy.
