Saturday, January 17, 2009

Preparations with a side of Oriental Chicken Salad

On a whim tonight Greg and I went to Wichita for dinner. It was good to just run down there and have some fun.

I spent the day trying to get some MHA things organized and taken care of. And, of course, thinking about what I need to do at home before my surgery.

It's supposed to be really nice tomorrow so it will be a good day to get the car cleaned out and take care of a few outdoor things. Unfortunately, I can't lift much of anything so poor Greg is left doing much of the dirty work.

I'm doing my best to not get too freaked out about the whole thing. That's easier said than done. People cutting me open has never been high on my "to do" list. And it's not just the cutting, but the news they deliver afterwards. I'm starting to think of "benign" as one of the best words in the entire English language. I hope I get to hear it shortly after coming to in recovery.

I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row. I've done all that paperwork you're supposed to do that all of us put off until there's some reason to do it. When I started look at beneficiaries on my life insurance and other such things, I discovered one of them still had my mom on it. She has been gone since 2001 so I was way behind on that. I suppose it would have gone to my only brother still living since that's my closest kin, but it's all such a process if it's not spelled out. So, now it's all spelled out on all the appropriate forms in all the appropriate places.

I also did a living will and Durable Power of Attorney. Well, more accurately, Trish did them and I signed them. Trish was so very kind to jump right on getting those done for me when I asked what I needed to do. She has been wonderful.

You always imagine you'll do such things in a serious setting, with the appropriate gravity they demand. We were sitting at Applebees, waiting on our food, Trish with her notary seal out, me signing forms as quickly as I could. I guess I never thought much about the circumstances under which I would sign a piece of paper saying don't keep me alive by artificial means, but I'm fairly certain that Oriental Chicken Salad was never involved.
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