Wednesday July 15, 2015: I've actually started this post a few days before the big day. I knew that I would want to post this as soon as I could following surgery.
So I really can't write much except our plans. We have to be at the hospital early 5:30am. That means getting up early enough to take a shower with this special soap. Like 3:45 early. I am so overjoyed about that one. I really don't mind too much. I want this surgery. We had to get up and on the road by 4am when my husband had his leg catheter. So leaving by 4:30am should be no problem. The drive is normally 30 minutes but I want to make sure to give us time to make detours in case something happens. I want this. I really want this to happen so I will make sure if it doesn't happen it's not because I was late getting to the hospital.
Monday Morning : I had really planed on finishing this Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. It just wasn't happening.
We got to the hospital 30 minutes early. I was glad about that because I didn't sleep well. Excitement I guess. We were there before the receptionist at the check in desk, but she finally arrived and Don gave her my name and we waited some more. They finally called me and another gentleman in at the same time, and we waited some more in a little holding room that felt like the morgue. It was cold with a capital C. Finally I was given my hospital gown, footies and weighed. A few minutes passed and I was met with a transfer person who took me up to pre-surgery where, you guessed it, we waited. During the wait I met the anesthesiologist PA, surgical nurse, cruel IV lady (she put it in my wrist OUCH) and we found out the gentleman called back with me was on the schedule for a barbaric surgery with Dr Green too and that he would be first. DRATS I WANTED TO BE FIRST!! Don's sugar was getting low, I worry about him eating properly with his being diabetic so I sent him to the cafeteria to get him some food.
He came back from the cafeteria and suddenly there was a heard of people coming in my holding area smiling at me. I thought my surgery had been cancelled and the surgeon had sent in the troops to inform me. They told me the guy that was first didn't have all the lab results in and I got bumped up to first. It was a whirlwind. Wheeled into the OR, got over on the operating table. Heard the words "Connie we're giving you the shot to relax now" and next thing I knew some strange nurse was waking me in recovery. First of all let me say BEST SLEEP EVER!! OMG it was so nice. I really hope I didn't pass gas or anything like that.
Next thing I know there is a strange woman waking me up saying something like she talked to my husband Don and that he knows everything is ok, the surgery went well. But it couldn't have gone ok because I had this stabbing pain in my hip. Did they cut out a hunk? Did they slam me around the operating room? The pain was excruciating. If there had been any pain in my stomach I wouldn't have known it, I was too fixated on my hip pain. After several shifts did not alleviate the pain, she declared "I am going to give you something for pain" and left. When she returned she had this syringe and a vial and typed stuff into the computer, loaded the syringe. She expertly put the syringe in my IV port and as she slowly administered the medicine she told me it's name, Dilaudid. If you have never experienced Dilaudid let me tell you it is nectar of the gods as far as pain relief is concerned. Within a few minutes the pain was gone and all was right with the world.
After a few minutes she told me I had been assigned to room 702 and a transport person was picking me up to deliver me to my waiting husband. I was really ok at that point except for two things. My mouth and lips felt like I had just dragged them through the Sahara desert. Look up the word cottonmouth and you don't see a venomous snake, you see my mouth. I couldn't have anything but then glycerin wipes and lip balm until after a test the next morning to determine if there were any leaks in what was remaining of my stomach.
Let me take this moment to say if you are ever in Plaza Medical Center, Fort Worth and you have a male nurse named Eddy you have the best nurse EVER!! I really wish the next day I would have had the pleasure to have him as my nurse. He was so attentive and personable. Just a overall nice guy. Before I left the hospital the nursing supervisor came by to see how my visit was and I could not praise Eddy enough. Not that my other care givers were not top notch, Eddy just rose to the top a bit.
The rest is somewhat a blur. I did the required walking. I bitched at a physical therapist that did not care about the excruciating hip and back pain I experience. I got a fan and it was set up right next to my bed blowing on my face and I went on oxygen because the stupid oxygen alarm machine kept on going off and I couldn't sleep. I also got a sponge bath, my first ever. All between 11 and surgery day and 9am the next morning.
I finally got my test. From what I understand the test is a swallow test or a upper GI. I'm not sure but I can say that swallowing liquid dog poop would have been more pleasurable that that stuff. I passed the test and got my first of my 2 day liquid diet delivered right before I was discharged. I was home by 4pm Friday.
The journey REALLY BEGINS.
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