X-1. Kept myself from panicking most of yesterday by keeping busy. Left when James did and went to the Cobb County License Office for my handicapped parking pass. It looked as if there were about 200 people in line (I probably exaggerate; it was more like 150...) and there were no parking spaces. I figured this. It's spring break and the kiddies are queing up to get drivers' licenses.

So I drove off to the hospital for the pre-op blood cross-match. They actually admit you when you do the test: do all the paperwork, draw the bloods, then give you your hospital bracelet--under pain of death (just kidding) do you take it off. It's your ticket next morning to just breeze through admissions.

Saw lots of upcoming surgical patients down there with me--a well-dressed woman with her husband sporting cell phone headphone, an elderly couple a bit bewildered by the procedure, a tall young woman with curly dark hair who looked as apprehensive as I felt.

Once this was done, I headed home to check if the doctor had called about my laxative-du-jour. She said I could eat until midnight, but the laxative--a huge jug with electrolyte powder in it that I was supposed to mix with water and chill--said to start using it at 6 p.m. and not to eat 2 hours before that. So the phone call straightened that out; I could start using the stuff at nine instead, since my surgery is so late. (She also said I could mix Kool-Aid with it as long as it wasn't red or orange.)

Then I was smart and ate something before I went to the license office again. The line was shorter, but just barely. Both the people in front of me had lost drivers' licenses and I knew they'd be there for a while. I managed to get through in an hour, finishing at 2:10. One gentleman had been there waiting since 10:30!

Then I decided to have a small good time and went to Barnes  & Noble and Media Play. Came home by Dragon 168 for my meal, pork fried rice.

And all the time read Madeleine L'Engle, which I do when I'm stressed.

I always think the gunk the doctor gives you can't be any worse than the last batch and I'm always wrong. This electrolyte stuff is the worst yet. There are four liters, which you are supposed to drink in 8 ounce increments every 15 minutes. Now, I have this honkin' great cyst in there taking up a lot of room, so after 32 ounces not only was I sick, I felt like I was about to explode. I couldn't take a deep breath without pain. I called the advice nurse. Unfortunately this is normal. She told me to slow down and not take it in such short increments.

It also took a damn long time to work, about two hours. The senna stuff starts you percolating in an hour or less. You might as well be on the toilet when you start taking it, because it's gonna work that fast.

So here I am blogging between bathroom breaks. I'm still scared witless...but am now sleepy on top of it. I expected the toilet business to be over an hour ago.

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 1:18:00 AM

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