Surgery 10/31/17

I’m having surgery 10/31/17.  Remember those nerve/arterial studies, tests, etc [ http://blog.scottsontherocks.com/blog/2017/10/17/nerve-study-test-pt-2-101717/]  Well… the results were significant.  The short version is that all the specialists agree that I need to have the surgery and THEN start PT (I think about 10 days later)  Part of the discovery found during the venogram, was that I had REVERSE bloodflow at my neck/ shoulder area.  Nor good.  Now whether of or not THIS was the original cause of the original clot…. is being debated 😉 and… it’s possible that once this bloodflow issue is resolved, I will no longer need the Xarelto….  One thing at a time, but have multiple docs telling me this independently now.

… and my surgery will take place next Tuesday 10/31/17

after I spent a little bit “freaking out”  I was like… this is right up there w/ being “glow in the dark” radioactive (which I’m still bummed I couldn’t pull off ON Halloween.  I’m not up for hunting down the post for thyroid radioactive iodine prank I pulled off…. but it was after Halloween 2005)  THIS TIME… I get to be a skeleton on Halloween…, they are cutting out a rib 😉

The type of surgery is called  “thoracic outlet syndrome”. The surgery involves removing first (top) rib of left side and the scalene muscle on left side. I’ll be in hospital around 5 days but I can’t have visitors right away (will have to keep ya posted on whether that changes near the end of my stay or even if it continues after I come home).

I know I can’t drive for some period of time, since I can’t have shoulder strap near my left shoulder.  

Since I found all this out AFTER blog emailed out yesterday, ya’ll will probably be seeing this next Thursday, when I’m about 48hrs post-op.

I haven’t been on FB since… March-ish? so dunno if I’ll feel up to posting anything there.

As always, thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

[NOTE : I might have to change my joke wording about “being on a diet plan –one organ at a time”  ;-P  

but it still kinda works w/ “rib” & “muscle” added to the list!  especially if my sister Stacy can claim they didn’t put “all the stuffing back” whenever I say “they sawed off my head & glued it back on”  that originally started w/ the thyroid surgery in 2004 but also continues to work for the brain clots in 2013.  HAHA!]

[MORE NOTES/answers :  

1) No, I don’t get to keep the ribs…. yes, I asked 😉

2) yes, I’ll be having some movement PT starting immediately in hospital 

3) I’ll have drains/equipment type stuff attached for a few days, which doesn’t make it conducive to having visitors those first 2-3 days

4) the surgery lasts -5hrs so it’ll be Tuesday evening before there will be any surgery status updates.

5) I’ll be in the hospital 3-7 days (usually 4-5) but ya’ll have met me right? 😉  however, since my neck/shoulder has been bothering me for years & I haven’t had much use since clot…. I’m assuming I can only improve from this point… right?