Bank of Holly Springs

Close to Nowhere

Not much need for all that horror

You just haven't lived until you've sat in a doctor's office and had staples taken out of your armpit.

Well, OK, it may not be something that many of us hope to do. That doesn't mean it wasn't fun though.

About six weeks ago I had the first surgery getting my arm and veins ready for dialysis ­ something called a fistula. It meant a vascular surgeon was going to be playing with the veins and artery in my left arm.

He explained very carefully that the first surgery would involve taking a blood vein and attaching it to the artery to make the vein very strong. The first surgery was a breeze. A couple of steri-strips held the tiny incision together and I barely even noticed I'd had surgery.

The second surgery last week was a tad more fun, starting with all these heart tests. It seems like this surgery required general anesthesia. And while the doctor didn't say it exactly this way, he was worried I might be too old and decrepit and wanted to make sure my heart would stand the surgery.

Fortunately, I passed those tests with flying colors and the second surgery was set to go.

Things have changed a lot in hospitals with this pandemic. I could only have one person to drive me and stay there. My youngest granddaughter Remy was elected to spend the day sitting in an uncomfortable chair and waiting on me.

Everything went pretty much as it was supposed to. The surgeon said he was going to be making several incisions and rearranging the veins and arteries in my arm. I expected bigger incisions and more pain. I was not disappointed.

The foot-long incision on my upper arm was closed with staples. Oh all right, it might have only been about seven or eight inches long. But staples!

My horror knew no bounds when the next day I found more staples ­ in my armpit.

I lived the entire next week in dread.

It was almost anti-climatic at the doctor's office Monday morning. Poor ole Remy was once again elected as my driver and I even made her come back in the exam room with me. My surgeon has a great "bedside" manner and he was reassuring me that removing the staples wasn't going to be bad at all Hah! I knew better. Pulling staples out of skin was not going to be fun.

I had all this adrenaline built up in preparation for the horror. And then, in less that a minute, he was through. All the staples were out, painlessly I might add, and I still had all this terror built up.

The doctor laughed and threw me out of his office, never to return unless I had a problem.

Whew!

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
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