Mummy arm

Elbow surgery is in the past, best scase scenario so far -if the biopsy is what we're expecting. The little bump, that Dr. Leslie had speculated long ago was cartilage - was said to look like just that. Dr. Kallemeier thought it was a pea sized piece of cartilage. From one of my clumsy falls of the past couple years?

The Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons nurses called Monday to notify me I needed to show up Tuesday at 10 a.m. for surgery. Their surgical center is near their office - on 60th Street in WDM, off Westown Parkway, just south of University. I wore shorts under my sweats, hoping I'd get to keep them on with my sports bra, but no such luck. Undies and socks only, along with a lifeless gown. Paul and I waited quite a while as the Doc finished up another surgery. A nurse botched one attempt at an IV (I'd make a terrible heroin addict - small veins), but got try 2 into my forearm.

The doc came in for a last minute check and to feel the area. The bump was easy to feel, right under the skin on the inside of my elbow. She marked it with a pen. She was in scrubs - I was likely surgery number 3 or so of the day. Did that bother me? Was she tired by then? I thought about it. For a surgeon - it must be like game day! It's what they live for. Office visits are the boring stuff - what they have to do to get to the good stuff - their performance, fun!

We had decided I would be put under general anesthesia in case the bump was woven around nerves. It turned out that wasn't the case - but better safe than sorry. I walked into the surgery room. Brrr! The nurses were chatty, until the doc shot something into the IV that I felt into my lungs. I said a couple more words...then - lights out. I came to in my chair in the recovery room. My arm was wrapped elbow to hand. It's an amazing thing.

They gave me crackers and water. I was damn hungry since I hadn't eaten since 10 PM the night before and it was around 1 p.m. Paul said Dr. Kallemeier told him about the "bump". He said she told him it pretty much just popped out. Perhaps I could have had him slice it out with his deer cleaning tools (after I had several Lemondrop martinis...). haha We stopped at burger king for a chicken sannie on the way home. After a nice fatty lunch, I napped all afternoon, and woke up feeling pretty good.

Anyway - I am supposed to keep this mummy arm wrap on for 5 whole days. Right. I don't think so. I'll see how long I can stand it. There are only a couple stitches on under there. It's supposed to keep the arm swelling down. I have plastics baggy things to shower in. Nevertheless, I imagine some moisture getting in. And it will start to stink.

Hope this takes care of the issue - burning pain, sporadic and very distracting. If not - I'll be back in for surgery to move a nerve. I got some Tylenol with codeine for pain, but I don't think I'll even need to take any. Glad that surgery is over with.