Pre-op makes it real (NAC:13)

I've started the Normal Anatomy Countdown - we're at 13 days.  I was at NAC:11 until I met with my surgeon today, when she requested I change to BWH's Faulkner location, which meant pushing it a couple days. 

Today was pre-op appointment day.  It started off with an x-ray of my colon.  This is a weird thing.  Maybe not as weird as the portacath but still up there.  This was necessary to confirm the anastomosis from my last surgery (fun word meaning "communication between two tubular organs").  They use barium sulfate as a contrast.  It's a relatively short, relatively uncomfortable procedure.  I got to do it twice.  After reviewing the images, they took another x-ray (sans contrast) and then she recognized that I had another anastomosis, the original one from when they took down the very first transverse loop ostomy, and she didn't get good enough images of that one.  Just as I was about to get dressed and leave, she asked me if we could do it all over again.  Better safe than sorry.

The second time around was slightly less unpleasant.  I craned my neck so I could see the imaging monitor - you maybe don't want to do that if you don't want to know exactly how your insides look.  It's pretty freaky.  And mind-blowing.  Imaging technology is unbelievable.

Then I met with my awesome surgeon who said everything looked just fine and we could proceed with the reversal.  (I peeked at the images again on  her monitor, too.)  Such good news.  The request to switch surgery days was unexpected but not a big deal.  Also, at the Faulkner, apparently I will get a private room.  I never thought that was a big deal until I didn't have one.  It's a big deal, especially with GI recovery.

And then finally there was the appointment actually called pre-op, or "pre-operative screening."  I just did that two months ago so wasn't sure what else they'd need.  As it happened, since I had switched to the Faulkner only moments before, the BWH staff was no longer allowed to do the pre-op.  But they didn't want to make me come in again so now I'm waiting for a phone screen to be scheduled with Faulkner staff.  Or something like that.  We were glad to be done early and grab a Penguin Pizza lunch.

And now I can start freaking out!  Pre-op makes it so very real.  And even though this time I don't need an epidural, and won't have a giant incision, and shouldn't have that much pain, and know what the outcome will be instead of not knowing until I wake up, and know that it's the outcome I want, it's still terrifying.