Here is the story.
I quit eating at 11pm the night before, I slept OK I guess, all things considered. I got up at 5:30 am. I have never wanted coffee as badly as I did that morning. I felt like I was getting ready to go on a trip. Getting my stuff ready, making sure I had everything packed that I'd need.. I was in great spirits, my mom, dad and boyfriendhowever were not.
We got there at 6:30am, surgery was scheduled for 9:30 with a pre-surgical MRI at 8:30am. After I was admitted I had to go to change into the regulation gown, robe, footies, and my special anti-embolism stockings. Boy was I the height of surgical fashion! Not to mention comfort.
We waited about half an hour before they came to get me for my pre-surgical evaluation. I was ok until I saw my mom start to tear up. Then I got nervous. I got onto my gurney, they started my IV and fluids and my nurse practitioner and surgon came out to talk to me. The surgon stuck stickers to my head so pinpoint things on the MRI, I bet that looked pretty silly..they sure felt werid (do you remember Colorforms? They were like nickel sized black colorforms). From pre Op I went to radiology - for an MRI. I got there and we did the thing twice with out earplugs... it was VERY LOUD. Once that was over with we were on our way back down to pre-surg, they drugged me and I kind of lost track of time at this point. I knew we were running late though.Suddenly we were going back to the MRI The wrong views had been taken the first time. However, this time I was pretty loopy and they gave me earplugs (thank God) and I fell asleep, they head to tape my head down because it kept rolling over to one side during the scan.
We got back down to the Quiet Room - also known as Pre Op and the anesthetist came and talked to me, he gave me more drugs, put these funky inflateable plastic wrap around things on my legs to promote cirrulation, and then began to wheel me into the surgery suite. I remember one of the nurses saying "Lucky number 9", that was the surgery suite number. I don't know why I remember that, they even told me I probably wouldn't, you gotta love disassociative drugs. The room was institutional orange tile with a HUGE clock on one wall and an even bigger surgical microscope that was going to be looking inside my skull in about 15 minutes. I crab crawled onto the table and got comfy. I could feel meds being pushed into my IV catheter. I distinctly remember asking what they were putting in there because it burned, they told me it was saline, now I feel bad every time ihave to flush an animal's IV line . Then down came the hand with the mask. The last thing I remember hearing was "Emily, close your eyes and breathe from this oxygen mask"
Surgery started an hour and a half late.
I woke up in ICU with wires and tubes coming from every part of me. My face hurt, my back hurt, and my head was swimming. Someone was saying it was my nurse's birthday and asking me if I knew the answers to all sorts of questions, including what was Guns-n-Roses' singer's name( I think it was my mom). I told her the answers I knew, (I remember now that it's Axel Rose) and to please be quiet, I also told my nurse happy birthday. I really just wanted to sleep and be left alone, needless to say I didn't get that. I remember seeing my mom, dad and gramma right away followed by my aunt and my boyfriend. I don't remember much from that first day. I think I am happy about that. They gave me a ton of morphine IV and I just layed there a lot.
My second ICU nurse I must have run ragged. I was SO thirsty. When you have pitutary surgery you wake up with a condition called Diabetes Insipidus. It's not a glucose diabetes but a water diabetes, it affects your kidneys and the water balance in your body. You dehydrate, I couldn't breathe through my nose (it had packing in it) so my mouth was really dry I was going through about 2 liters or water an hour . Her name was Grace, I know her dog from my former place of employment ( she still takes her pets to see my husband on occasion) her dog's name was Badger (RIP). I think that is pretty cool. I have nursed her dog and taken care of her dog while it was at my clinic and here she was taking care of me! She got me up the next morning to wash me up and get my teeth brushed, she helped me stand up for the first time after surgery and generally was an angel!! Thankx Grace!!!!
That day I went up to my own room, they took my EKG and pulse oximeter off but left the inflately leg things on and, the urinary cath and IVs in. Room 505, this would be my home for the next 3 days, I got all my flowers and visitors there. Thanks for all the suff and support guys. I really needed it. It was a total drag being in that bed and not being able to do much other than sleep, watch tv and play Tetris on my neighbor's Gameboy. I want to apologize to those that called and I was to out of it to make any kind of conversation. I was pretty drugged up. I was also informed after the fact that I was quite unpleasant to my family. I am sorry, I really don't remember it.
On the 17th my nurse Kim told me that my nasal packing would be taken out as well as my urinary catheter. I was so happy! My ears were all wonky from not being able to pop right, and every time I swallowed, breathed, talked or yawned my hearing would go in and out. All I'll say about the urinary cath was that I didn't like it.
Dr. Mullan ( my neurosurgon) came in and cut the little string that was hanging out of my nose tying the two tampon like packs together. He pulled. GOOD SWEET CHRIST!!! It hurt. It bled. I was not a happy girl. The packs musy have been as long as my index finger and at least as big around. It felt like my brain was being yanked out. I don't think my nose has ever bled that much ever. Poor Dr. Mullan had to lean on my face to get enough pressure to stop the bleeding.The next one hurt but not nearly as bad. I could hear! I could taste and smell (well kind of). I could almost smell the flowers that I had gotten, everyone kept telling me how nice my room smelled. I couldn't tell. It looked like it smelled good. I had my first solid food that day, it was so good, and we are talking about hopsital food!!! Not to mention fun to chew, liquid diets are really quite dull.
All in all I had 1 Urinary catheter, 4 IV lines, more bruises and blown veins than I care to count( I looked like a junkie.) , 2 spinal taps and LOTS of morphine.
I went home that afternoon. On the way home we stopped so I could pick up a Dr. Pepper ( the guy behind the counter at the gas station took one look at my pale bruised face and pin pricked arms and backed up as though I were contagious), that Dr Pepper was the best Dr Pepper EVER it hasn't tasted that good since.
I got throught it infection free, spinal fluid leak free and got my physical thereapy over with ( I still have excercises to do however). I still have to see an endocrinologist to deal with the lack of hormones in my body but that is easily dealt with by taking pills.My diabetes has gone away and I am doing very well....
It's over, mostly, thank God!
There is a possibility of recurrance but it's slim, and I think if it grows back I will monitor it as opposed to just have it removed. Once was plenty.
I SURVIVED BRAIN SURGERY!!!!!WHOO HOO!!!!
I don't remember much from that day. She must be giving me drugs of some king, I was on a lot of those.
Monday March 13th
I was only in ICU for one day.
I have a swag under my nose to absorb any drainage from the surgical site. I had that on for 4 days.
Tuesday, March 14th
I got all of my flowers, cards and visitors in this room. They wouldn't let anyone but family see me in ICU.
I got 13 vases of flowers, 4 ballons a mountian of cards, 4 stuffed animals, and a 4 pack of Starbucks Frappuchino. Not a bad haul if you ask me.
Wednesday March 15th
You can see my lovely anti-embolism stockings in this picture. While I was in bed, I had these inflatable things wrapped around my legs to promote circulation. They were really odd, not to mention uncomfortable and hot! Yeha that tube you can see is my U-cath - ick.
I went home the next day. I could have stayed until Saturday but I was about to go stir crazy in the hospital. I had had 4 IV catheters, and was getting very sick of my urinary catheter, and havning blood drawn every 6 hours.
Thursday March 16th
I know, I know I don't look it!
Friday March 17th
Saturday March 18th
This is a text version of the function of the pituitary gland, the surgery and what to expect before and after surgery.
