Wednesday, July 16, 2025

     I survive the surgery procedure on Tuesday.   Of course, it is uncomfortable and sometimes just painful.  The staff is quiet and competent. I am now sitting in my bedroom recliner eating my breakfast and reading the paper, as I usually do. This time I am attached to a long catheter tube collecting the urine for the next couple of days.  Won’t see the pathology reports for a couple of days.

     The highlight of the experience is the prep nurse who figures out how to prevent severe pain during the blue light bladder wash. I have been struggling with this for years. My solution has been to just say no. I am not doing it. You can’t make me do it. But this time the nurse offers a pain medication plan that actually works, surprising both me and the surgeon. I cannot stop being delighted with her plan.

     My daughter stays with me and brings a lightness to the room.  She laughs at my stories.  She protects me from whatever danger lurks in the hospital. She asks questions and backs me up when I question the staff. She is exhausted now. The tall man picks up the four prescriptions for CVS and delivers them to me.

     In the evening at home, we watch two more episodes of BALLARD on Prime. I discuss with a friend the moral issues around shopping on Amazon. Amazon helps me to live independently.  It is amazing that this 6^th surgery only gets two paragraphs of writing.