: one day til myo/Thanks to so many!

[Guest guest]

:

You're on my calendar! Thoughts! Prayers! Outpourings of well wishes! Tell us

the time (and what time zone you are in) of your surgery!

Last-minute things you might want to pack.

1-A long-distance Phone Card (practically every other call you make from the

hospital is " long distance " ) Also, bring a list of your " Frequently called

numbers. " Granted, my previous hospital stays were longer than the 3-day myo

stays. Some stretched on for weeks!!!! So, it's possible that this has less

relevance for a short hospital stay.

However, let me pass on my experience.

I'd often get an unexpected incoming telephone call from some well-meaning,

but obscure coworker during an inopportune time--(say, while I was snoozing

away or while Dr. Gunkly was making his rounds, or when my 97-year old

neighbor was visiting me. I'd tell the coworker " Can't talk right now,

Eula-belle, but I'll call you right back, after Dr. Gunkly leaves, ok? "

Except I didn't actually KNOW Eula-belle's number!!! Furthermore, being in

la-la land, I'd forget many telephone numbers that I normally knew by heart!

Also, every phone call I actually MADE from the hospital, I stupidly charged

to my home number. Bad idea! When I came home and got my telephone

bill---Agghhhhh!! It was larger than the debt of some third-world

nations!!!! Bring your long-distance phone card to the hospital--and use it!

2-Paper and pens! This is not my original suggestion, but it's a good one

to reiterate! There must have been some little-known " Paper Reduction Act "

passed by the American Hospital Association some years back. Because it is

nearly impossible to find a blank piece of paper any where in any hospital.

Why would you even need paper and pen?

1-To keep notes of your myo for this group.

2-To write down telephone numbers and messages of the various " Eula-belles " ,

et. al--- who call while you're in the middle of napping.

3-To write down questions you have for your doctor. Nurses can be terrific

sources of information about general questions, but many times, they will

adhere to a strict code of silence, much like the Mafia's " Omerta`! " They'll

look at you blankly and say: " I can't answer that. You must ask Don

Corleone, errrr, I mean DOCTOR Corleone. " Since your doctor only comes by

once a day, you want to remember/prepare your questions ahead of time in

writing.

4-Bring a TV Guide or equivalent. We ALL know what's on CNN these days

( i.e, " Breaking News! " " Countdown to War in Iraq!!!!!' " Avalanche Kills 6

Skiers " Earthquake Devastates Mexican Village " ) But it's nice to know and

look forward to some really soothing shows like " Shabby Chic " on the Style

Channel and " I Love Lucy " reruns while, you're trying to recover.

5- Earplugs: Reread Jen's email for why.

All the best to you, ! And to your fibroids I say: GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!!!

-Roma