Thanks for thinking of me, Patti. I wish you'd called to remind me. :-)

With the crazy hailstorms and trees coming down, I forgot all about it. I also forgot to call the vet about the earmites I suspect (in a dog and cat, not in me).

I'll call tomorrow, I promise!

Susan - I think you're just having too much fun- hail, crashing trees, blocked roads, ear mites, attacking plants ( ooo-reminds me of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers), debilitating injuries.

I sure hope tomorrow is a brighter day.

I on the other hand will be waiting for the refrigerator repair man -sound familiar? My frig is cooling, actually it's cooling too well and icing up on the inside and freezing my vegetables and fruit. I sure hope he has the needed parts on the truck.

Oh, noÂhow old is your fridge? Good luck!

They've forecast a frost for tonight (outdoors, not in my fridge), so I'd better cover up the plants on my porch that have been waiting to go in the ground.

Susan has ear mites? How did I miss that!?

PS: Wish we could "average" our weather, Susan. It was 90-something here yesterday...and humid...

I hope you've called to make your Dr. appointment and that you don't have to wait too long.

Repairman just left. The frig needs a temperature control which he didn't have on his truck but he might have by the end of the week. It's a 23 year old Sub Zero and I really don't want to replace it. I turned the control down and I'll have to keep an eye on the lettuce and fruit to make sure they don't start freezing. But at least I can use it.

McMann...that's good news that it can be repaired. Seems like so much is "throw away" these days.

Susan, we know you'll make a dr. appt. today. :-)

I did! (But without this reminder I probably would have forgotten again.) I have an appointment for a week from today. Thank you!!

I meant to add that the appointment secretary tried to give me an appointment for yesterday. Now, that's prompt!

This morning at 7:45 I saw the orthopedist. He concurred that it's important that the piece of thorn be removed before it causes more problems. I thought at that point he would whip out his scalpel, maybe along with a needle for some Novocaine. But no, he said it'll require an operating room, anesthesia, and someone to drive me.

Can you believe it? All this time and trouble and expense because I made a careless move in the garden. (Believe me, I'm much better about wearing gloves these days.)

Susan

My Goodness! Are you going to be able to keep your finger?

Gayle

This place is always an education.
I had NO clue rose thorns were so darn dangerous!
Hope the surgery goes fine Susan!

Gayle, the thorn went into the back of my hand, at the base of my ring finger. So I'm sure I'll keep the finger . . . I just hope I'll still be able to use it.

A more immediate concern is that the order is no food or drink after midnight the night before, but the surgery won't be done until late in the afternoon. That's too long without food! I have low blood sugar, and don't respond well to fasting. Plus I'll have to question somebody about the anesthesia. They said they'll numb my whole arm, which is fine. But then why do I need to have a general anesthesia as well? Sounds like overkill to me.

Does the fasting information come from the surgeons' office? If so, that's the 'normal' and 'everyone does it this way' generic blather. Insist on talking to the NURSE, not the scheduling person, and discuss it with her. (I once had an upstart ask me what kind of surgery when I called an OB/GYN office. If I'd only been thinking fast enough, I'd have told her tonsils! Been 10 yr & I still wish I had!)

I personally think nothing after xx (depending on surgery time) to give you 8-10 hr fast would be ok for general anthesia. If local, why fasting? Might need to ask your primary care dr. They don't want you going into a coma! and ask about the double-dipping on the anthesic stuff, too. That's doesn't sound right, IMO.

Hope all goes well!

I don't like the idea of Anesthesia either. I'd request another time for the surgery because of the fasting.

If I can be awake for a C Section, I'm sure you could be awake for this.

Gayle

Will the procedure be done in his office or the hospital? Were you able to tell him about your low blood sugar? Maybe he can change the time. Scheduling can be more inflexible if you have to go to the hospital - some places reserve the morning for major procedures. At least it's worth calling his office to find out.

When are you going to have it done?

Thanks, guys. The date for the surgery is June 10, but I don't have a time yet. It'll take place in a short-stay surgery facility. I didn't tell him about the blood sugar, but the scheduling person said morning is never an option. Weird. Must be what you said, Mcmann, about major procedures in the morning.

A friend of mine just told me that they probably give the anesthesia (Diprivan) because the act of numbing the arm is very painful.

I asked the doctor if he could do it with just a local, and he said he could, but he'd rather not. So that's still a possibility, but even an uncooperative patient like me would like her surgeon to feel completely satisfied with the parameters under which he operates, at least when he's operating on me. :-)

Who would have thought something like this could happen?! We do learn from each other, but sorry you have to go through this.
I'm wearing gloves from now on.

This is just incredible...and I'm sooo sorry you're having to go thru this...I probably will NEVER work outside again without wearing gloves...something I'm really bad about...

Please keep us posted and I hope it's an easy op for you!!

DH is diabetic and cannot go that long without food etc. I just tell them afternoon is not acceptable because of blood sugar and they seem to work around it. But then our same day surgery group is pretty good.