I Love General Anesthesia

We went to Overlook Hospital yesterday, to meet Dr. Marc Mandel and see what he thought about placing a PD catheter in me. When he saw my huge liver transplant and smaller kidney transplant scars, he was kind of wary but is going to "go in there and look around" on Thursday and place the catheter if everything's ok. I know that my insurance company paid Dr. Maldonado thirty thousand dollars for the av fistula in my left wrist - the bane of my existence - so abdominal surgery must merit a significantly larger pile o' beans. I hope he's worth every one and that I wake up with a catheter and not so much misery. I have to fly to California the week after that and I don't want to do it whilst writing emo poetry. My one consolation is that this is a procedure which is done under general anesthesia, so I will not have to be a sparkling conversationalist or an assistant while trying conscientiously not to move. I'll be in my favorite state of mind for painful activities: oblivion. I won't know what's going on and that's just how I like it. Hello, Oblivion! How's the wife and kids? Oblivion and I are old friends. Unfortunately, we don't see each other nearly often enough. But, we'll be rocking Thursday together! I hope it all works out for me. I'm skeptical because nothing is ever simple when it involves a doctor, a knife and my personal body.

These are my goals for this surgery:

- The PD catheter can be placed
- I can go home the same day
- I am in moderate discomfort which is well-controlled by medications
- My discomfort resolves in 3 or 4 days
- I will be healthy and able to fly a week later
- I will not be in pain by the time I go to California
- Because I am going with Kimmy to try on her WEDDING DRESS! Yay!

As I am typing this, my mom is in the OR having her aortic aneurysm repaired. Please remember her in your prayers. She's an otherwise healthy girl and I'm sure she's going to do great, but prayer always helps. Ger and Lauren are there with her in Brooklyn, doing their patented hospital tag-team routine. I'm here in NJ keeping close to the phone; I planned to go to the hospital, too, but because I'm having the lap surgery on Thursday, I can't risk getting an infection from hanging around a hospital. Every time I walk in the door of NYU, I get MRSA. I'm sure that the hospital my mom is at is nice and clean (she said that it was lovely) but to me, a hospital is an infectious disease with my name on it. The sisters are keeping me informed and I'm so grateful for that. I feel like I live in Antarctica sometimes. When I hear something, I'll update. 

3:32 p.m.
Ger just called; she spoke to mom's surgeon and mom's out of surgery and on her way to the ICU. She did well and will stay overnight to be monitored. I'll be able to talk to her on the phone when she wakes up. What a relief. Thank you for your prayers!