Back to Cleveland

At Least the NBA Playoffs are Away this week

I'm not a follower of professional or college basketball, although most of the guys at work are, so I was surprised last week when all the flights were overbooked to and from Cleveland. A taxi driver had to tell me that the NBA playoffs were going on, and that the Cavaliers were on a winning streak. So back again I go, but the Cavaliers are playing in Atlanta I think this week, so the plane rides should be a little less crowded (I hope!).

I talked with the study coordinator and she asked that I think about when to have the surgery. I told her - at the earliest opportunity! No telling what that date will be. I fly out tomorrow (luckily got a cheap local flight so no drive to/from St. Louis!) very early and fly back Wednesday in the evening. Wednesday morning I have to be at the Cleveland Clinic to fill out what I think is their on-line general anesthesia questionnaire, and then have an appointment at 2:00 to have my stimulator pulled out by the roots.

My hair is getting icky - I want to wash it sooooooooooo badly. It is getting flatter and flatter and flatter every day. I bought some waterless shampoo type things at the local drug store and am debating about trying one. I don't know if it will just make my hair yet flatter and skankier! eeeeeeew Yuck!!!!

Today I turned on the stimulator whether I was supposed to or not: I wanted to give it a drug free try out at work. Not as good a result as I had at home, probably because I was much more active and also was overdue for a bad day on my own headache cycle. I could turn up the voltage and I could ignore The Headache - not sure if it covered up the pain or just allowed me to focus past it, but the minute I let the voltage drop The Headache was back. The Headache has stalled out at about a 7 to 8 on my personal headache scale which is good - generally it would just keep going on up to a 10 and an ER visit! I will be medicating in some form tonight

My bosses are so nice about the absences - we are gearing up for several installs/projects and they really need my man hours but are being patient about the "I don't know" factor of this.

I'm going by myself this time. I was told there was no need for a "companion" to accompany me for removal of the stimulator trial. Personally, I would have taxis and planes - don't have to drive even when you go by yourself but I guess they want someone there if something goes wrong????

With my luck the timing of the surgery will be during the NBA finals with The Cavaliers playing in Cleveland and it will be extremely costly to have two people there and I won't be able to book a flight. I guess I can always drive!