This has been a busy week in terms of logistics. I’ve submitted all my paperwork for my FMLA and for my short term disability. The FMLA has already been approved. The STD (teehee) takes 5 business days to clear typically.
I also paid off the portion of my surgery that is self-pay. And of course, as is par for the course thus far, something got messed up along the way and the bank cashed the check for $200 more than I wrote it out for. We jumped on that really quick to get corrected. Once the lady on the phone read the very obviously written out number on the check she processed a refund for the amount, which of course will take several days to process. Oh well. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
Usually the surgeon’s office takes care of faxing the FMLA and STD paperwork back to their respective homes, but because of all the paperwork issues I’ve so far I wanted to be as hands-on with the paperwork as I could be so that if something messed up I only had myself to blame. Plus, with my chronic migraines I actually have an intermittent FMLA set up already that I have to renew every 6 months so I am very well versed in what needs to be done and have a very good relationship with my coordinator. I think they didn’t know quite what to make of me when I wanted them to only fill the papers out for me to pick back up and fax myself.
With my surgery date looming at less than a month away, 27 days to be exact, my next step is to start gathering supplies for the immediate recovery, and to start transportation/babysitting plans for the girls. We’ve already got the day of covered. I have to be at the hospital at 6am. Their bus picks them up at 850ish. So my dad is going to come to the house before we leave, get up with them and get them ready and on the bus. Then he’ll be back to get them off the bus and do homework, dinner, and to take them to karate later. The weekend we’re having them stay over at a couple grandparents houses, splitting the weekend up between the sets. My husband has taken the next week off work, using a vacation week, so he’ll be able to get them, and me, where they need to go from then on.
As for buying supplies I’m not going to go crazy: a few front opening bras and pajama sets, dressings, vitamins, protein shakes, a backup abdominal binder, and a walker (which I intend to attempt to buy used at a yard sale this weekend). We already have a shower seat from when my mother-in-law moved houses, though I won’t be allowed to shower for the first week post-op. I know some people go a little crazy buying a bunch of supplies beforehand, but I figure with amazon prime and stores close at hand that if I need anything it won’t take too long to get.
The closer it gets the more I get excited! The nerves are starting too. And the guilt a little bit. The thoughts of how dare I spend this much money on myself when we could probably use it elsewhere, and spend this much time out my life and my family’s life while I recover while “inconveniencing” everyone. But then I banish those thoughts with thoughts of how good my back, neck, and shoulders are going to feel. And hopefully as a happy consequence less migraines which means more family time and less time away from work, less time sequestered away in the dark in pain. Hopefully. At the least, I’ll be able to buy off the rack cute bras for cheap. I’ve been adding a bunch of clothes to my amazon wish list for future potential purchases. I realized the other day that my go to style is very much styled around my boobs and belly, around minimizing the belly and making sure the boobs fit but aren’t on display. I’m going to have to readjust my whole way of shopping.
Adventures from the Loser's Bench 