Is There A Doctor in the House?

[Zut8083]

Best of luck while you continue your prep for the surgery, and be well, Greg.  Cheers!

[pauldo]

Gregory, best wishes and positive vibes as you travel down this path.

[bigredbass]

Gregory, all my very best wishes regarding this forthcoming procedures.   After my wife's unfortunate result (she's now on disability), I would hope you've gotten second opinions and have covered all the bases that this is your only choice and your doctors (especially the surgeon) are very, very competent.  Good Luck, and I shall be hoping for the best for you.

[the_home]

Greg, The 5-7 fusion is the procedure I had. The first 6 months of recovery are really the most limiting (first 6 weeks very much so). I know I've said before, but going into the procedure in good heath, in (pretty) good shape, mentally prepared for the coming ordeal and optimistic for the outcome is a huge head start to complete recovery. Wishing all the best for you.

[edwardofhuncote]

The saga continues drags on... 

I thought by now, I'd be fitted up with a stylish back-less gown and some stitches, and this crazy chapter would be closer to overwith. Turns out there's some kind of idiotic, nonsensical reason why, but of the two hospitals in Roanoke, there isn't a single time slot available for Dr. Harron to perform this operation in the foreseeable future. I might be waiting until next year. So we decided yesterday to pick the show up and move it to another hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia, a good hour away. The good news -if you can call it that- is that at least now I have a somewhat firm date to plan stuff around. Which is kinda' important when live by yourself, and can't go anywhere for 6 to 8 weeks.   

So, it's on for; 10/9/2018.

31 days to go... but hey, you can hang by your thumbs for a month, right? 

[rv_bass]

Hang in there, Greg!  It’s good you have found a facility to fit you in at a reasonable time.  Same surgeon, or at least one with as good a track record?  I’m sure you will be glad when it is done, you’ve recovered, and the discomfort is eliminated.  .

[David Houck]

Blacksburg, Virginia; home of Virginia Tech.

I think you previously said that you were planning to stay at the hospital for three days?  And then at a recovery facility for three weeks?

[edwardofhuncote]

Blacksburg, Virginia; home of Virginia Tech.

I think you previously said that you were planning to stay at the hospital for three days?  And then at a recovery facility for three weeks?

Go Hokies! I was Dave, then I was enlightened by the Almighty Insurance company that they weren't cool with that, and that I should either pay for outpatient care myself, or use my phone-a-friend or something. So I went to Plan B... I'm going home as soon as they discharge me from the hospital. Shouldn't be more than 2 or 3 days, barring complications.

Hang in there, Greg!  It’s good you have found a facility to fit you in at a reasonable time.  Same surgeon, or at least one with as good a track record?  I’m sure you will be glad when it is done, you’ve recovered, and the discomfort is eliminated.  .

Yep, same surgeon Rob... Dr. Harron likes this alternate location much better actually.


Wait 'til you guys see my 'therapy bass'! <teaser> 

[David Houck]

... I was enlightened by the Almighty Insurance company that they weren't cool with that ...

LOL!!

[pauldo]

Sad to hear about insurance getting in the way of your best interests...   

Will keep puttting out healing thoughts and well wishes.

[edwardofhuncote]

Finally got an "approval of services" letter from the insurance folks in this Saturday's mail... Dr. Harron told me not to worry about it, that he'd take care of it, and he did. Doesn't sound like much, but it really is a load off the mind. I wasn't quite prepared for the full-on freak-out mode that happened when it became a little more real. I'm two weeks and a day out. Gave up on sleeping and played video games the last two nights. 

The plan is to work out the rest of this week, then take paid leave (vacation) until the surgery date, at which time I'll begin drawing from a bank of accrued extended illness time that I've banked over 17 years of service here. So many things yet to do. Pay a month's worth of bills in advance. Buy 2 month's worth of groceries. Get the car inspected. Finish making the house as idiot and accident-proof as possible. Move anything that weighs more than a duck that'll need moving in the next two months. Still got a couple small projects in my shop to finish up before locking up. 

There's quite a list...

[David Houck]

It seems to me that the big question here is - will the people of Roanoke have to ration water until you're back on the job.

[elwoodblue]

 

[edwardofhuncote]

It seems to me that the big question here is - will the people of Roanoke have to ration water until you're back on the job.

Ha! I'm guessing a couple weeks will go by before somebody will be like- "Hey... where's Greg at...?!"

In a strange twist of irony, one of my bigger problems is water. I don't trust my well at home for drinking. Usually I just carry a couple gallons home from work. No big deal, I'll just buy some store-bought jugs to carry me for a while. For those interested in trivia, they weigh 8.34 lbs each. My limit will be 5 lbs for a while. It seems strange to think I won't be able to pour water from a gallon jug into a coffee maker or a pot on the stove. New Reality.

So I told you guys a little about this. I had a bunch of store credit at Fret Mill Music, a local music store I do bass repair and setup work for... and they had this guitar-scale bass made by Ibanez, a PNB14E. I got to thinking... it might be just the thing to keep my brain at least thinking about bass while playing a real bass isn't possible. It sounds pretty good just by itself, and the electronics are very good, especially at the $250 price point. I tried it out while wearing my cervical brace, and it worked.


So... I got me a Therapy Bass. 

[mario_farufyno]

Nice tiny bass, glad that you'll be able to handle a bass during recover.