Originally Published: August 11, 2015

Day 5 — Surgery

Despite my general anxiety about surgery, I’ve been looking forward to this moment. After today, I can focus on healing.

I’m admitted into pre-op around 10:30AM, and after 90 minutes of preparation and waiting, I am wheeled into the operating room.

Just like my last surgery (over a decade ago), I fall asleep in the operating room and awake in recovery. There’s a fiberglass cast fitted uncomfortably around my leg, from my toes to just a few inches shy of my knee. An attendant named Craig asks about my pain level, and injects some pain-killers into my IV line.

Dr. Sladek stops by, and I find out that my first post-operation consultation will be just three days later, on Friday, at which point I will be prescribed a walking boot to go over my cast.

After an hour in recovery, I’m discharged and sent on my way. Though I could hold down real (solid) food, I’m satisfied to have juice and soup.