Surgery during a Pandemic

There is a lot going on in this world at this time. A lot of fear around hospitals and it is not the ideal time to have surgery during a pandemic. Yet here I am just about to do this today.

I watch the news and follow the science. I am calmed each day by Governor Cuomo’s daily press briefings. It has been weeks since I have listened to 45’s press conferences, preferring to read what Dr. Fauci has said regarding the Covid-19 virus. We live in some very interesting times. It makes me think of my great grandparents that I barely knew. What it must have been like living through the Spanish Flu.

Rather intently I have watched this world wide event, because as this all began my hernia started acting up. I went from you are clear to resume your normal routine (and exercise) to back in my recliner hoping to not make the hernia worse in less than a week. If you have followed my journey you know I had three major surgeries last year. I have spent way too much time in my recliner, albeit necessary. My recovery from the last surgery was a long, slow process. NY Pause has a greater meaning to me.

It meant I needed to do everything possible to not become a life/death decision to have surgery. Which meant my days in the recliner were not over. For the first time staying home became a real struggle. I found a project in cleaning my website and as I got to the halfway point we had a break in the virus. Things began to improve in New York.

Last week I got a call from my surgeon’s office saying “We have an opening next Friday would you like to have your hernia repaired?” I looked at George and we both said YES! He understands the science as well as I do. This pandemic is going to be here for awhile. Although my hernia is not life/death, we don’t want to wait until that happens. What if there is a surge, how risky is it going to be then?

Hospital procedures have changed significantly, I had had to have Covid-19 test (came back negative) and George drops me off at the door and later picks me up. Can’t take my cell phone with me to occupy any wait time. George can’t sooth my nerves just before I go in. My routine is changed and I don’t deal with change very well. I try not to focus on that part of today.

The good news – I am not going to spend the summer sitting in a recliner hoping that my hernia won’t get worse. I can get back on plan to get back into shape after now four surgeries. So in the end, it all works out.