The Preparation

Wow! There is a lot of planning for these surgeries!! I feel like I have been in constant motion since I last posted! First, I decided to eat organically, starting 2 weeks ago and I plan on doing it through about the 4-week post-op mark. I have read alot about this as part of recovery, being the healthiest you can be before surgery. "Clean" eating supposedly increases your immunity and strength and God knows that I am going to need strength. But you know what?? It's darn expensive to eat organically. I would say I am eating at least 80% organically; I'm not too crazy about it. I mean I still go out to dinner and I don't worry about it, but I'm trying - so that's has to be good enough! Along with that, I have been trying to follow the US guideline of eating 5 fruits and vegetables a day. Do you know how difficult that is? To do everyday? And I LOVE fruits and vegetables! I'm not always successful - but once again, I'm trying so it has to count for something.

The next thing was to self-donate blood, which is called Autologous Donations. My sister Ursula and my son Ben both share my blood type and they donated for me. That is called "Direct Donation". So with that out of the way, I should be good. Spinal surgery is known to be "bloody", so in fact there is a good chance this won't actually be enough blood, but let's pray that it is. We'll see!

Along with the organic eating and deciding to follow that right through to at least the 4-6 week post-op mark, I realized that I needed to do some cooking!! So for the past couple of weekends, I have been preparing and cooking only organic food for myself and freezing it! I chose the 4-6 week mark because otherwise I'll be poor - this can't go on for forever, that's for sure. But at least, I'll know I tried.

I've also been taking my vitamins and supplements religiously. I repeated bloodwork requested by my Primary Physician. She called last week and said that everything looked great. So that was a good thing.

I have scheduled my yearly Gynecologist appointment and a dentist appointment for right before surgery - these 2 particular appointments are evidently difficult, if not almost possible, for a few months after surgery. I'll be due for both so I figured it would be best doing them before and getting them out of the way. My yearly mammogram cannot be done (due to insurance restrictions) until after the middle of April - so that will be late this year. I will have to check with Dr. Glazer about this and when he feels that I will be able to do this. Ladies - you know what I am talking about when I say that you have to "twist" slightly during a mammogram, right? So I'll have to check into that one. I may have to be a few months late this year.

I've had to arrange care for during the day - as I can't be left alone for the first few weeks. Also, it depends on how much narcotics I will be on. Dr. Glazer recommended planning on 6 weeks of care with the notion that I could always cancel it if I didn't end up needing it. So I arranged for about 5 weeks. It wasn't too difficult, but I was anxious as it seems everyone works during the day.

I've returned to church. I had gotten "a bad taste in my mouth" about church for a while. I didn't really like the new priest we have at my church and I didn't particularly like his homily's either. There was just a distaste. I was "disenchanted" by church. I originally thought that I would just go to another church, but that never happened. Recently I had an urging to return. I mentioned this to a devout, religious friend of mine. I said, "I feel foolish going to church because it's been so long" and she said, "God forgives Valerie. Don't ever feel foolish visiting the house of the Lord. He will always accept you, and with open arms. If you want to return to church, then return to church". Hmmm.......so I did. It has given me a sense of calm and solace. Prayer has become my friend. Interestingly, I did a little Google research and found the patron Saint of back disorders!! Her name is St. Gemma. She was a beautiful young woman, who died at the age of 25 and she was canonized just 33 years later by Pope Pius X. She had scoliosis and had to endure this huge, heavy IRON brace!! She eventually developed tuberculosis and died. I have ordered a medal and say the St. Gemma Novena asking her to pray for me and for the skilled hands of my surgeon. So, I expect each and everyone of you (even you lurkers who refuse to join and prefer to be "silent") to pray to St. Gemma for me on March 15 and march 16. I am going to post her picture on the sidelines. Isn't she just the prettiest thing?? I'd love to go to Italy and see her shrine. I suddenly have a real affection (and connection) with St. Gemma.

People have been asking me if I am scared? I'm not sure. I think I am a "normal" scared, not over the edge. I KNOW what I am getting myself into and I KNOW that this isn't a cure. As Dr. Glazer says, "All I can do is what we have to work with today. I can give you no guarantees". So, some might say, "then why do it?" Well, that is a good question and the answer is QUALITY OF LIFE. I can't do much. And if enduring this, I can get the next 30 years with a higher quality of life, meaning without pain and able to live again, then it will be worth it. So in 25-30 years, I'll be around 75 years old. Perhaps I'll have to go through all of this again? I suppose it's a crap shoot, isn't it? Scoliosis is a demon. It is nasty and mean. It is a beast that some of us have to fight for our entire lives. But at least I have life, and a beautiful one at that, while fighting it. And that is more than some have had. So it's all good. And I will persevere. Beside the fact that I am now counting on St. Gemma, I also know that my mother will have it no other way!! ;)