surgeryjournal

December 11, 2001 - (Tuesday)
Ok, it's a little cheesy, but it is Christmas and I am full of
cheer, this year, with my surgery.

Here's what happened...
Surgery was scheduled for 12/11/01 at 9:45. We needed to be at the hospital 2 hours earlier so we got there even earlier, at 7:00 a.m. We valet park at the new wing of the hospital, very nice, I might add, check in, get a number, within 15 minutes, I'm on my way of getting dressed in the gowns that were supposed to fit really roomy, to an OK fitting gown.

Was escorted to a bed in the pre-op area, was asked the same question at least 6 times each by sometimes the same people and then just waited. I waited and waited and waited....I forgot to mention that previous to this surgery I have been having severe back pain (I believe from my desk chair) and this made laying on that bed table excruciatiating!!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF PAIN!!! After 4 hours of waiting in that pre-op bed, my back was in agony. If I had known it was going to be that long, I should have sat up in the chair if they would let me. I'll keep that in mind for my next surgery!I finally got my happy drugs right before I was pulled away from surgery, 2 hours delayed, because of a delay on the surgery before me.

After surgery was over, I was very panicky (if that's such a word), I had an oxygen mask on, and kept taking it off, complaining that I couldn't breathe, and they kept putting it back on me. The nurse was explaining how they do this surgery with the table on a decline, and all your organs get mushed up inside and it feels like oxygen deprevation after it, you need to keep breating and I will feel better...well, I didn't, I went through an hour of this, in this hour they gave me a treatment for athsma, which I don't have, but it did sort of calm me down. So an hour of agony till I got myself together. I have a tendency to panic after surgery and I don't like that gas mask, so everything was on track (lol). The nurse did give me the gas in through my nostrils, so that made life a little better. Also another gave me a little wand to suck up all that disgusting throw-up from either my lungs or my sinues and that helped tremendously. I didn't have to always be searching for the little pink basin, just had the wand handy and I was set. Once I was calmed down, I waited for a room to be available. I couldn't believe it was over and I was done with the surgery. Amen!!

They finally wheeled me to a room in Jefferson 1 in the middle of the afternoon, I believe. They fixed me up and got me my drugs and that was it, no eating, sipping or ice chips till they said so tomorrow, where I might have to go for a swallow test (which I did not).

In my room, I was still very uncomfortable with the back pain and my drippy sinuses. Not much they could do, I just waited for morphine to kick in and perhaps it could help the back. Next day, back pain was gone I was a new person!! LITERALLY!!! The pain from the surgery was mainly one left incision under the left breast, that is stapled to a muscle. All the rest are pretty painless and after the first day of drugs, I didn't hit the PCA pump that much and today, a week after surgery, I'm pretty much off my pain medication.

So far, I have had NO complications, THANK GOD!! I go tomorrow Weds, Dec. 19th to have my staples taken out and I begin to heal alittle better and faster. I want to know when I can begin to walk a little on the treadmill, don't want to overdo, but I want to be ready. Foodwise, I'm trying my best to get in as much protein as possible. I have wasted a lot of money on protein drinks and they all stink. I cannot get them down. I'm sure once I can add real food and meats, I will be much better with all that. I think I've already lost weight, can't wait till they weigh me tomorrow at the doctor's office.

Thank you everyone who wrote, your words of kindness and prayer were so generous and kind, I'll remember it always. I will update again with more detail, but right now I need a nap!!

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