3 Days Before Step 1
Soooo close. I must say I couldn't be more prepared if I tried. I am ridiculous. I have an entire file of everything I have accumulated from doctors, friends, websites, etc. on the surgery to bring with me. If anything goes awry, I put my trust in the good doctors and nurses of the University of Chicago to level me out. Of course, staying in a hospital whose motto declares, "At the forefront of medicine" kind of eases the tension a tad, don't you agree?
I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow j-poucher and his significant other this weekend over lunch to discuss our experiences. Sean (my boyfriend) accompanied me, as I felt it was just as important for him as it was for me. Not only was it a tremendous relief to meet young adults our age who knew EXACTLY the same woes and hardships, but to see them so happy and perfectly delightful people to spend time with was a pure joy. They fought through a difficult journey, and they arrived at the end stronger and happier than ever. It only boosted my confidence; although this will not be simple or easy, it's going to be much better afterwards. I think my dear friend Julia said it best during our phone conversation this afternoon , "You're taking a risk, just like with anything. A job, or school. That's what you do in life. You're taking that risk to make your life better."
So tonight my family and I enjoyed my favorite meal (Dad's homemade chicken parmesan). My liquid diet starts tomorrow. Thursday morning, my mother is taking me to get a massage and a haircut. She says it'll soothe my nerves. Thursday afternoon, I begin the Fleet phospho soda and my final night (hopefully) in the bathroom. 6 a.m. I report to the pre-op room to meet the anethesiologist. Surgery is at 7:30 a.m. I've made plans to bring a notebook and camera with me to document what's going on. Once I get home and I'm feeling less like a slug, I'll put it all up here. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this!
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