There Was No Cat. I Feel So Used.

~~~

The little prep sheet said to get to the CT scan place ONE HOUR EARLY. Is there a security clearance and baggage check at the place with the scanny stuff? Turns out, yeah there is. Nonetheless, because we read the little sheet and followed the directions, we were rewarded. They whisked us to the Xpress Lane. 20 minutes, and our kid was loaded up with a pack of cheese cracker nabs and a juicebox. I didn't get anything, but I stole a Hershey Kiss.

After the CT scan at Fontaine Research Park, we headed to the Kluge Building for x-rays. They could have done x-rays at the same place we got the CT scan, but the tech at Kluge said Dr. Abel only likes her x-rays. Smug little hussy. They were good shots though. She had Ro lie on a table and bend to the left like this ( and then to her right, like this ) .




These shots were taken to see how much flexibility there is in her spine. Next was family participation time. Ellen grabbed her wrists and I took hold of her ankles and we pulled as hard as we could. Pull traction! Smile! BZZZT! Radiation!

Next, Ro had to stand facing the wall, very much like the end of The Blair Witch Project.

So OK. Are you ready? Because you're going to say what the tech, the head nurse, and my mom all said:


"Holy shit."

We had a great meeting with Karen, the head nurse. The surgeon couldn't be there, because he was in surgery. How lame is that, don't it? Karen had ninja nurse skills. Ellen rained a ballistic hell of questions down on her, and she answered every one of them.



1 - Between the first and second surgery, Ro has to be in a halo. Does she have to wear a body cast to stabilize the halo?

~~ Nope, no body cast, but the halo is bolted in.

2 - During the week between surgeries, is she in traction? Is it 24 hours a day?

~~ Yes. She's in traction 24 hours a day. The first surgery involves moving the spine by removing bone fragments. The second involves attaching the rods. In between, traction is held with the halo, and that is what keeps everything in place.

3 - Will she spend that time in one position?

~~ Yes.

4 - Assuming she will have narcotics on board in the week between surgeries, how do we contend with constipation? (it's a big issue, because you ... ummm ... really have to put your back into it when things are tight.)

~~ We've got mad drugs for that.

5 - Her rib hump (the bump on her back) is currently 25º. What will it reduce down to after surgery?

~~ That depends on decisions that the surgeon has to make.

6 - Will Ro be in ICU after either surgery?

~~ Yes, for at least one night and possibly the entire week.

7 - Where on the vertebrae will the rods be placed? (We know from thoracic to lumbar, but not which vertebrae specifically)

~~ Thoracic 1 or 2 to Lumbar 4 or 5 (ish)

8 - For the two hour ride home, how should we prep a vehicle? Does she need to be lying down?

~~ Seated position. Seatbelt on.

9 - Can we get a second bed in hospital room for parent?

~~ Absolutely.

10 - Wound care management - lots of sub-questions regarding drainage, dressings, as well as patient assistance in sittiing, rolling, etc.

~~ We'll get lots of on the job training while in hospital.

Thankfully, Ellen was laser-focused on the questions. I was sitting with Ro, who I could swear said, "There's a weasle penis on that wall." Naturally, I was startled. I looked at a wall filled with goofy pictures and spotted the one she pointed out. It was a ferret playing a piano - a weasle pianist. Thank God. Ro realized from my expression what I thought she'd said, and began cracking up. We missed a few important points the nurse was making.

Since the doc was not there, we still do not have a hard and firm date for surgery. That said, we know that March 30 is open and a strong possibility. On the way home, Ro asked to stop at Chipoltle. She scored a fat veggie burrito with black beans, rice, corn salsa, cheese, and lettuce. She ate the entire beast. If any of this is troubling her, she hides it like a professional gambler.

~~~