Crutches

I'm still here... A long day yesterday and not much progress. Tetsu was irritated right down to his boots. The short story is that I will be at home until Tuesday when I go in for surgery the same day. THAT'S when I'll be away from the computer. So until then...

The last post's picture was taken while I waited to have my knee manipulated and photographed etc. THAT'S why I was still smiling (less so afterwards). Also Tetsu couldn't believe that I wanted a picture for posterity right there in the hospital. How far do your blogging posts go?! So I was laughing while people around me wondered why my husband was taking a picture of me in such a fix.

The first hospital (that we went to on Thursday,) was great. Lovely nurses and staff, nice, friendly capable doctor. If only they did surgery there everything would have been great. But they don't. We should have known that. So the morning spent getting a diagnosis and MRI and x-rays and then taped up for a trip to the major hospital yesterday. The major hospital (not so major really) is in the next city over and they don't see patients after 10:00.

Tetsu got me to the hospital by 9:00. Lots of papers, LOTS of people, LOTS OF WAITING! This is what annoys Tetsu. We all sit there on benches or in my case, a wheel chair while hordes of people mill around and everyone looks grumpy. Occasionally a nurse will come out calling someone into the inner workings of the hospital and finally after an hour and a half I got to see a nice doctor. Who said that she had looked at the x-rays and MRI results and yes, I would definitely need surgery.

So. Go get more x-rays taken, do other tests, go home and come back the next day (today) after they make an appointment for another MRI. They like their own MRIs. And schedule surgery for Tuesday.

"Mrs. Watanabe. Do you want local anesthetic or general? Local is a spinal block. General means you have to be admitted to the hospital the day before."

By this time Tetsu was in his irritated, pursed lips mode and wasn't offering advice to me.

"It's your knee. You decide yourself."

So I decided local... because I figure women are strong (those of us who have experienced childbirth), Tetsu is already annoyed that he has to take so much time off from work to drive me around and fill in forms etc. He also has to spend Monday taking his own mother to ANOTHER major hospital and that's another day off from work and another full day of irritation at the hospital.

We could have saved a whole day if we had just come to this major hospital on the first day but live and learn.

Another thing to decide was whether to just be admitted yesterday and sit around all weekend waiting for Tuesday. But that just costs money and besides Tetsu thought I'd be happier at home with cats and handwork (he brought some downstairs for me) and the computer. So that's why I am home.

BUT, on the way home we stopped to eat lunch and me on my crutches and not very good at using them crashed over backwards frightening other customers, sending the restaurant staff into a panic, and getting Tetsu more upset than ever.

"You can't manage those dumb things. You never did have much arm strength. I should have insisted they just admit you."

The only damage from the crash was bruised pride and a sore rear-end. And now I'm scared stiff to move from whatever chair I am in. This is going to be a long weekend...

As I said, Tetsu brought down scissors, fabric and even the templates I wanted so I am back to hand sewing my Alabama Beauty blocks. There is a plus to everything! This quilt may get a bit more color to it!

Okay... I'm off to the hospital again. Tetsu has taken the third day in a row off from work... He is cheerfully whistling while he cleans house so I guess he is over his annoyance. When he is happy he is an angel!