Re: My surgery - or what I remember of it!

[Guest guest]

Hey Marsha,

Thanks for telling us about your surgery day...like you, I like to

read about them-it does help!! I hope you are doing great.

Connie

> Ok I am 1 week and 1 day post-op. Here is my story of THE DAY.

>

> My surgery was scheduled for 12:45 on July 8. I was asked to be at

> the hospital at 10:15.

>

> I arrived devoid of jewelry, make-up, nail polish and valuables and

> was sent to a waiting room, within 10 minutes I was called to

> admitting. I was asked a million questions and given my id

bracelet.

> I was also given the opportunity to fill out a living will and have

> it witnessed. We reveiwed all of my insurance info and I received

the

> pleasant news that since this is considered out-patient surgery

even

> though I stayed overnight I will not even have a co-pay for the

> surgery, it was fully covered.

>

> Ok back to the waiting room. In a few more minutes I was called

> again, to the pre-op area. I was asked another million questions

some

> of which I had already answered, but hey I have no objections to

them

> double checking! I was then given a beautiful and tremedously

stylish

> (!?) blue hospital gown and told to remove EVERYTHING and place it

in

> a plastic bag that had been labeled with my name.

>

> At this point my boyfriend was allowed in to stay with me until I

had

> to go. We waited about 45 minutes (it felt like 10 to me) And I was

> then given a ride to the surgical area and put in a waiting area

with

> about 10 beds. THe anesthesiologist came and we spoke for a few

> minutes, he then put my IV in ( great job, no bruising). I was then

> left to wait. The room was freezing I finally flagged down a nurse

> and she brought 2 blankets form the blanket warmer (nice and

snuggly

> warm). During this period a few people came to introduce themselves

> as surgical assistants and whatnot. My surgeon stopped by and asked

> if I was ready. I told him " I will not be ready for this even when

it

> is over so let's go " .

>

> My anesthisiologist returned with a nurse and he said, I'm going to

> put something in your IV to relax you. By the time I was wheeled

out

> of the room the world was spinning.

>

> That is the last I remember.

>

> I woke up about 6 hrs later in the recovery room, with all the

tubes

> out except the catheter. I lifted my head and immediatly got

naseous,

> a nurse was there immediatly she asked if I was naseous and put

> something in my IV. She asked if I wanted anything and I asked if I

> could have visitors (I had to write it on a white board). She said

no

> but if I was ready I could go to my room. My catheter was removed

> (didn't feel a thing). About an hour later I was taken to my room.

my

> boyfriend was there with flowers and balloons.

>

> It was 8:30 by this time, my nurse came in and introduced herself,

> she was an angel. I asked for water and she said she would get a

> syringe, I said no and pulled out my zippie, she had never seen

one.

> I was given cold water smeared ointment on my lips and I was good

to

> go. The night in the hospital was not that bad because my nurse was

> so great ( and I had a morphine clicker). She came in constantly,

she

> even put my nose drops in for me because I didn't want to (I'm such

a

> baby) My Ice was changed every 2 hours or so. When I was finally

able

> to get up and try to go to the bathroom I wasn't able to pee, but

boy

> did I get dizzy and naseous. I immedietly got something for naseau.

> and that is how I spent the rest of the night dozing and going to

the

> bathroom.

>

> About 3:00 am 2 residents who had assisted in my surgery came to

see

> me and take a look at things. They asked a few questions and

removed

> the oxygen ( had one of those little nose things that you can put

on

> and take off your self).

>

> After they left an alarm kept going off and the nurse would come

> running apparently I was too stuffy and swollen and not gettting

> enough oxygen so the oxygen went back on, an hout later she took it

> off and a few minutes later the monitor beeped again, ( damn thing

> kept waking me up just because I wasn't breathing!) Any way by 5:00

> am I was breathing fine on my own. I got a lot of visitors that

> morning, the residents came back and put some bands on. I had a

> splint wired in place already. My surgeon came and said everything

> looked great, he needed some x-rays and I could go.

>

> When the morphine was removed I was told that I had used it 10

times

> in 12 hours. I was permitted a dosage every 8 minutes and I used

it

> every 1.25 hours. So that can give you and idea of my pain level.

>

> I hope I didn't go on to long, but I know before my surgery I

really

> liked reading these accounts. so I hope this helps to relieve some

> nerves.

>

> All in all it was not nearly as bad as I expected.

>

> Marsha