Fractured Foot (Part 3)

Thursday morning we headed back to the hospital to handle pre-op.  I had to sign another dozen papers.  Then we had to meet with anesthesiology, then Katie had to have blood drawn, then we had to go to the pharmacy and get all her medications for after the surgery, then we had to go to physical therapy for lessons in how to use crutches.

Katie had already been using crutches for six days so I really didn't think there was much they could show her.  I was really surprised at how much more information there was though.  I had mainly been thinking of just walking with the crutches but they also showed her how to sit in a chair while using crutches and how to navigate stairs.

They even had her practice on a little staircase.

The physical therapist asked me who the surgeon was and when I told him he said, "Good.  If I was having surgery, that's who I'd want doing it.  And I'm not just saying that."

That made me feel much better.  Her surgeon is only thirty-three years old.  It's one of the first things I asked when he asked me if I had any questions after he had explained all the details about the surgery to me.  He laughed when I told him I needed to see his diploma from med school because he didn't look old enough to be a doctor.  He said, "I know, people tell me I look like I'm twelve."

He told me that Katie was scheduled to go first the next morning but that could change based on what other cases came up.

"I have a lieutenant colonel who decides all that though," he said.

"Well, I have a lieutenant colonel too, and he says Katie should go first," I told him.

Katie did not end up being first, but that wound up being a good thing.  Had she been first, we would have had to get up around 3:30 in the morning.  Going second let us sleep in a little later.  We were still trying to overcome jet lag and emotional trauma and a few extra hours of sleep were very welcome.

TO BE CONTINUED......