Getting Close to the Operation . . .

I checked in with Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.  That is the doctors preferred operating location.

The people were very nice.  I had first to check in with a clerk to see if the operation had been scheduled and that was an affirmative.  She then took me across to yet another person to do the real check in.  This was more correctly described as your rights and their money check in.  That took about three electronic signatures one of which acknowledged my signature itself, HIPPA instructions on rights, etc. and then we got down to the money part.  And of course, being retired military and on Social Security, there was no additional funds required.    Otherwise the clerk was ready to collect money but I did not owe any.  She then took me over to Pre Op Center.

Pre Op was the real nuts and bolts.  Long questionnaires on whether I had been out of the country in the last month, all the drugs I take, history of operations I have had and a ton of instructions including a vial of special soap (really cleanser of some kind) to use prior to the operation at least twice.  The instructions included not to take any drugs except bring one of them with me.

So when I start the final fast it is no nothing, not even my Diabetic drugs.  That kind of bothered me but I guess I could last until the next day.  No one knows how long maintenance drugs stay in your system anyway.  That is why no Aspirin or NSAIDs a week before surgery.  Those along with Fish Oils are blood thinners and they do not want to deal with thin blood.  My blood now days is thin enough to probably give them fits but that is life.

Finally I was handed over to a Medical Technician to draw blood and do an EKG.  I thought the EKG was odd since I already had clearance from my Cardiologist and had had a Nuclear Stress test about a month ago and a visit with the Cardiologist.  But no matter, it was done and I got my parking ticket validated.

It is a huge hospital complex, like six or sever high rise towers interconnected with a maze of hallways, the parking garage alone is seven stories by itself.  And there is yet another parking lot for heart patients (one floor for them) and a third parking lot for the  Emergency Care Center (Judie had processed through that one for her second go round back operation a couple of years ago).  It is a giant complex covering four or five city blocks and all kinds of other ancillary places like Cancer Centers, doctors offices, X-ray and MRI facilities and laboratories out the gazoo.  It makes Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge look tiny in comparison.  There is even a wing named after Ben Hogan, a famous professional golfer from years back and of course he was a Fort Worth native.

I have already been in and out of several of those facilities with Judie as well as Harris Methodist Hospital itself.

I was told I would be in for one night but advised if I thought I needed to stay longer I could do that (at what astronomical cost I have no idea).   So should be prepared for one night stay and discharge the next day.  Bring fresh undies, etc.

Not at all like the old days, check in at one place, and get the job done.  More people, more contentions law suits, more exotic diseases, and more government requirements has over laid the process with tons of bureaucracy.  Unending forms, paper work and computer entries all before we get down to the cutting.