Had my pre-surgical screening, clearance, & workshop yesterday at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Things went very well. I arrived a little before my scheduled 9AM start time. After meeting with patient registration, they took some blood for labs, did a chest x-ray, and did a urine screen. Things went very smoothly and everyone was very nice.
I went back down to the lobby and read while I waited for my 11AM total hip replacement education class to begin. The class was a little over an hour long and was taught by a nurse educator, physical therapist, and case manager. There were about 10 patients in the class, and not surprisingly I was the youngest one. They gave me a bunch of reading materials and a DVD about what to do before my surgery, and what to expect during and after my hospital stay. I’ve never had a hospital provide provide so much information prior to a surgery before. It makes a lot of sense to prepare patients as much as possible prior to the procedure, as opposed to waiting until they’re in pain and on narcotics.
After class I roamed around the East side to find some lunch. At 2PM I met with a doctor who cleared me physically for my surgery. She said that my leg length discrepancy may be corrected, but at the least would be improved. I got home a little after 4PM both tired and excited for my surgery. Only one week away!