Not that anyone is asking

Clear back in Sept, my surgeon ordered a spinal DEXA scan, pre-surgery imaging that checks bone-heartiness, and I went in and got it done, but his office failed to forward the images to the person who interprets the results and enters them into the system.

Because of that *oopsie* the surgeon couldn't order all the subsequent tests, and all the lab-work I already did expired.

Today I'm going in to do all the expired lab work and 5 other pre-surgery tests; tests that should have been done a month ago, including the dang DEXA scan. I don't drive and Michelle works till around 7pm, so my son is taking me, and because the surgeon's staff is really scrambling now, they squeezed me in for a 3pm spot, which is when my son, who works nights, picks his kids up from school. So I assume his wife has to take time off work to do that.

I'm so freakin pist. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery, in early Nov, but now he has to wait til the latter part of January, and he's not any happier about that than I am.
 

Murrmurr said:
Clear back in Sept, my surgeon ordered a spinal DEXA scan, pre-surgery imaging that checks bone-heartiness, and I went in and got it done, but his office failed to forward the images to the person who interprets the results and enters them into the system.

Because of that *oopsie* the surgeon couldn't order all the subsequent tests, and all the lab-work I already did expired.

Today I'm going in to do all the expired lab work and 5 other pre-surgery tests; tests that should have been done a month ago, including the dang DEXA scan. I don't drive and Michelle works till around 7pm, so my son is taking me, and because the surgeon's staff is really scrambling now, they squeezed me in for a 3pm spot, which is when my son, who works nights, picks his kids up from school. So I assume his wife has to take time off work to do that.

I'm so freakin pist. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery, in early Nov, but now he has to wait til the latter part of January, and he's not any happier about that than I am.
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I forgot to mention the worst part.

So I baked some Earl Grey Shortbread cookies yesterday but I can't eat any today until after I get back from doing the blood work because my PCP will tell me I'm borderline diabetic and take up 10-minutes of my next 12-minute appointment time lecturing me about it.

And I really want a cookie right now.
 
Murrmurr said:
I'm so freakin pist. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery, in early Nov, but now he has to wait til the latter part of January, and he's not any happier about that than I am.
Click to expand...
I’d be mighty pist too. Sure hope you enjoyed that cookie when you finally got it.
 

Jules said:
I’d be mighty pist too. Sure hope you enjoyed that cookie when you finally got it.
Click to expand...
I ate three. But they're small. 😁

Lemme tell you about these cookies, though; they're the yummiest things you could ever put in your mouth. That's how my Daughter-in-Law describes them. And the kid who comes to work here every week says they're his favorite. When he comes over he always asks "Did you make those cookies today?"

Besides being delicious, I like to make them because they're really easy, so I get yummy home-made cookies to snack on without the ordeal of excruciating back pain.

It's your classic shortbread; use a fork to stir 2 cubes of softened butter and a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar until the sugar's dissolved and you get it nice and creamy, then gradually stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of regular ol' flour, and when it gets hard to stir, you work the last of the flour in with your hand(s).

But, after creaming the butter and sugar, I mix in a tablespoon of good quality pure vanilla and half a teabag of Earl Grey tea, which is about a teaspoon, I'm guessing. And then I add the flour.

I like to use quality tea, too, like Twinings or Charbrew or Harney & Sons, which have hard little nut-like bits in it, so I go over the bag with a rolling pin before I put it in...cuz the hard bits tend to get stuck between your teeth. But the Earl Grey adds flavor and warmth and character that you don't get with classic shortbread. And, of course, the vanilla gives all those properties a big boost.

You're supposed to form the dough into a 2" (diameter) log, wrap it in cellophane or whatever, then chill it for at least 3 hours or even overnight, and slice it into half-inch slices when it's good and solid from chilling for so long. But I usually only chill it for an hour or so and then I just roll it into a square or rectangle a half-inch thick, and then I cut that into a grid with a good sharp knife, so all the cookies are identical 2" squares (about).

Doing it that way spares me from a LOT of pain because it's way less fussy and I can do it a lot quicker, so I'm not on my feet, bent over the dough for nearly as long.

Anyhoo, they're really, really tasty. And pretty tender, too.
 
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Murrmurr said:
I ate three. But they're small. 😁

Lemme tell you about these cookies, though; they're the yummiest things you could ever put in your mouth. That's how my Daughter-in-Law describes them. And the kid who comes to work here every week says they're his favorite. When he comes over he always asks "Did you make those cookies today?"

Besides being delicious, I like to make them because they're really easy, so I get yummy home-made cookies to snack on without the ordeal of excruciating back pain.

It's your classic shortbread; use a fork to stir 2 cubes of softened butter and a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar until the sugar's dissolved and you get it nice and creamy, then gradually stir in 2 and 1/2 cups of regular ol' flour, and when it gets hard to stir, you work the last of the flour in with your hand(s).

But, after creaming the butter and sugar, I mix in a tablespoon of good quality pure vanilla and half a teabag of Earl Grey tea, which is about a teaspoon, I'm guessing. And then I add the flour.

I like to use quality tea, too, like Twinings or Charbrew or Harney & Sons, which have hard little nut-like bits in it, so I go over the bag with a rolling pin before I put it in...cuz the hard bits tend to get stuck between your teeth. But the Earl Grey adds flavor and warmth and character that you don't get with classic shortbread. And, of course, the vanilla gives all those properties a big boost.

You're supposed to form the dough into a 2" log, wrap it in cellophane or whatever, then chill it for at least 3 hours or even overnight, and slice it into half-inch slices when it's good and solid from chilling for so long. But I usually only chill it for an hour or so and then I just roll it into a square or rectangle a half-inch thick, and then I cut that into a grid with a good sharp knife, so all the cookies are identical 2" squares (about).

Doing it that way spares me from a LOT of pain because it's way less fussy and I can do it a lot quicker, so I'm not on my feet, bent over the dough for nearly as long.

Anyhoo, they're really, really tasty. And pretty tender, too.
Click to expand...

I had to correct the flour amount. It's 2 1/2 cups.
 
Ok, I'm pretty sure all the pre-surgery tests are done. The surgeon might want to get images one more time, but he scheduled the surgery for early Feb and the follow-up for mid-March.

One of the lab tests was to measure nicotine in urine. It's fairly new as a protocol so I'm not at all familiar with the numbers, but I'm sure mine aren't good. In fact, any number is not good, probably.

I researched why the nicotine test is being done prior to a surgery...it's because science says nicotine disrupts the healing process.

I've been a smoker for 44 years and I've had 4 major surgeries in the past 34. I've always healed way quicker than the reported average. After my last surgery by the same surgeon (in 2017), he said the crucial healing time - you know, when you're expected to be getting around ok on your own - was 3 to 4 weeks, so my son set up a room for me at his house and assigned certain tasks to the whole family; Liam would assist with toileting, showers, shaves, and dressing, his wife was assigned to meals, linen changes, and my laundry, and his kids were assigned stuff like the TV, short walks, and bringing me tea.

That was really sweet, but I was doing great after only 3 days. Liam kept me for 4, just in case, and then he took me home; no reluctance because it was obvious I was doing fine.

Anyway, me and the surgeon have an appointment to go over all the test results. I hope he'll just explain the risks of the presence of nicotine, and asks if I'm willing to go ahead with surgery despite them. I mean, I hope he doesn't say he won't do surgery because I smoke. Some surgeons do.

I doubt this guy will, though. I've been his patient for a decade, and I'm pretty sure he'll accept the risks if I do. He's a very skilled, exceedingly detail-oriented surgeon who genuinely cares about his patients, but the man loves his paychecks. So we'll probly just go over the risks, and I totally accept whatever they are. Honestly, I'd rather die than continue living with this pain, and I'm not just being hyperbolic.

Doc scheduled surgery for the day after the day we go over all the test results, which probly means he's already good to go. He'll also explain the surgery in detail, with images, and that's always fascinating. I'm looking forward to that.
 

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