(no subject)
Hi all. Let's see if I can give a proper update.
At 5:30 a.m. Friday morning, I was at Norton Suburban hospital waiting to be checked in. Around 6:30 a.m. one of the pre-surgery nurses took me to my prep room and got me changed and started my IV. I was still pretty nervous, even with mom and Nathaniel there. The pre-surgery nurse said "Honey, I had this exact surgery when I was younger than you. It'll be all right."
My surgery was scheduled for 8 a.m. but by that hour, I was still waiting. Two or three different doctors came in (anesthesiologist I think) to explain what was going to happen, and by law tell me all the horrible things that could go wrong. I really started to worry when I was told that I'd be intubated during my surgery (breathing tube down the throat), but the doctor said "Nine out of ten patients aren't awake for the intubation or the tube being taken out."
At 8:30, they put my stylish hair cap on, took my glasses, and wheeled me away. I was starting to feel rather full in the bladder, since I'd been getting glucose (or whatever) for two hours. I asked what the chances were of my peeing on them during surgery, but they either didn't understand what I meant or thought I was being funny. I don't recall getting an answer, but by that time, they'd started giving me drugs, so I might have been a little out of it.
I was awake in the O.R. while they strapped my arms out to the side, Jesus-style, and gave me an oxygen mask 'to get my oxygen levels as high as possible'. The guy was smooshing it up against my nostril, so I finally said 'Um, you're plugging half my nose, I can't inhale as well through one nostril.' He immediately switched me to the knock-out gas, possibly to shut my yapper.
During surgery, I did not dream, but heard the theme song to Arthur (the PBS cartoon) over and over. The procedure took about half an hour, instead of the full hour I was told to expect.
I woke up in recovery, but must have been talking before I was truly alert, because I asked the nurse "Did I sing?" I don't recall asking that, but woke up when she replied "What do you mean, sing?" and another doctor answered, "She was singing when she woke up from getting her wisdom teeth out." At that point, I realized where I was, what was going on, etc. I was thrilled to discover the tube was already out of my throat, but I had one of those little nose thingies that supplies oxygen. At one point the nurse asked me if I wanted some more ice. "Have I already had some?" I asked, surprised. She laughed and said yes, then proceeded to explain that so few people can recall being in recovery that when the hospital sends out surveys (you know, 'how was your service', etc), the recovery nurses never get mentioned. I was pretty awake and alert at that point, so I will have to make sure to say how nice it was to be in recovery. I don't have any clue what the nurse's name was, but they can look it up. From that point on, I made sure to keep chatting, so I would stay awake. The nurse said SHE'D had the same procedure too, and how common it was, etc. And she was pleased with me because when my automatic blood pressure cuff started to puff up, I'd move my arm from where I had it propped on the railing to my side. "You're such a good patient!" she said. "I didn't even have to tell you to do that!"
I was in recovery for about an hour, and I must have talked about needing to go to the bathroom, because when they started wheeling me to the phase II room, they said "We're gonna get you on your feet and take you to the bathroom." So instead of trying up my gown in the back, they just draped a blanket over me to cover my butt, and shuffled me over to the bathroom (with patients getting ready for surgery watching... I hope I looked pretty!) I managed a tinkle AND could wipe myself, which was good. At this point, though, I started to hurt. Even though my incisions are relatively small, that's a lot of fat and muscle to cut through. So they gave me a percocet and helped me sit in a big recliner. Mom and Nathaniel arrived while I was still hurting and beginning to feel less cheerful, and yet another nurse talked to them about post-op things to do, etc. I was in that room for about half an hour before I got dressed and was wheeled out to the car.
The scariest part was my largest incision, which is fairly high on my abdomen, oozed blood whenever I moved around too much. But when I called to ask about this, I was told that it was normal, and to call back if it did not stop after 24 hours. So I kept changing my bandages and such, but sure enough, the bleeding has stopped.
I don't have stitches (or maybe I do internally, but none on the outside), just sterile tape that's holding my wound shut. I can take that off on Wednesday at the earliest, but if they come off by themselves, it's fine. I've got tape all up in my navel, a bit that's two or three inches to the right of my navel, and then the incision up above the navel, the big one. I took pain meds the first day, and one or two yesterday, but none last night nor today. I can only sleep on my back, and spent Friday and Saturday mostly reclined on the couch, but today I can sit upright more, and I even had a shower!
My stomach is sore and I'm showing mild bruising, which is normal, but the worst pain is gas pain. The pumped my stomach full of gas (I can't remember why) and so all that gas has to be absorbed into my body, or let go. So I've been trying to toot and burp it all out, and I can feel less gas pressure today for sure. There's a nerve that goes from your liver up through your right shoulder, and because the liver is filtering out the anesthesia, it makes that nerve twinge, so there's been some pain in the shoulder too. But it's all less and less today. I haven't had a doodie since Thursday, so I'm starting to feel awfully backed up. When I finally manage to get down to business, it will probably break all the plumbing.
And that is my update. Hopefully after my follow-up appointment, I will be told how many gall stones I actually HAD in my gall bladder, and can give that report.
At 5:30 a.m. Friday morning, I was at Norton Suburban hospital waiting to be checked in. Around 6:30 a.m. one of the pre-surgery nurses took me to my prep room and got me changed and started my IV. I was still pretty nervous, even with mom and Nathaniel there. The pre-surgery nurse said "Honey, I had this exact surgery when I was younger than you. It'll be all right."
My surgery was scheduled for 8 a.m. but by that hour, I was still waiting. Two or three different doctors came in (anesthesiologist I think) to explain what was going to happen, and by law tell me all the horrible things that could go wrong. I really started to worry when I was told that I'd be intubated during my surgery (breathing tube down the throat), but the doctor said "Nine out of ten patients aren't awake for the intubation or the tube being taken out."
At 8:30, they put my stylish hair cap on, took my glasses, and wheeled me away. I was starting to feel rather full in the bladder, since I'd been getting glucose (or whatever) for two hours. I asked what the chances were of my peeing on them during surgery, but they either didn't understand what I meant or thought I was being funny. I don't recall getting an answer, but by that time, they'd started giving me drugs, so I might have been a little out of it.
I was awake in the O.R. while they strapped my arms out to the side, Jesus-style, and gave me an oxygen mask 'to get my oxygen levels as high as possible'. The guy was smooshing it up against my nostril, so I finally said 'Um, you're plugging half my nose, I can't inhale as well through one nostril.' He immediately switched me to the knock-out gas, possibly to shut my yapper.
During surgery, I did not dream, but heard the theme song to Arthur (the PBS cartoon) over and over. The procedure took about half an hour, instead of the full hour I was told to expect.
I woke up in recovery, but must have been talking before I was truly alert, because I asked the nurse "Did I sing?" I don't recall asking that, but woke up when she replied "What do you mean, sing?" and another doctor answered, "She was singing when she woke up from getting her wisdom teeth out." At that point, I realized where I was, what was going on, etc. I was thrilled to discover the tube was already out of my throat, but I had one of those little nose thingies that supplies oxygen. At one point the nurse asked me if I wanted some more ice. "Have I already had some?" I asked, surprised. She laughed and said yes, then proceeded to explain that so few people can recall being in recovery that when the hospital sends out surveys (you know, 'how was your service', etc), the recovery nurses never get mentioned. I was pretty awake and alert at that point, so I will have to make sure to say how nice it was to be in recovery. I don't have any clue what the nurse's name was, but they can look it up. From that point on, I made sure to keep chatting, so I would stay awake. The nurse said SHE'D had the same procedure too, and how common it was, etc. And she was pleased with me because when my automatic blood pressure cuff started to puff up, I'd move my arm from where I had it propped on the railing to my side. "You're such a good patient!" she said. "I didn't even have to tell you to do that!"
I was in recovery for about an hour, and I must have talked about needing to go to the bathroom, because when they started wheeling me to the phase II room, they said "We're gonna get you on your feet and take you to the bathroom." So instead of trying up my gown in the back, they just draped a blanket over me to cover my butt, and shuffled me over to the bathroom (with patients getting ready for surgery watching... I hope I looked pretty!) I managed a tinkle AND could wipe myself, which was good. At this point, though, I started to hurt. Even though my incisions are relatively small, that's a lot of fat and muscle to cut through. So they gave me a percocet and helped me sit in a big recliner. Mom and Nathaniel arrived while I was still hurting and beginning to feel less cheerful, and yet another nurse talked to them about post-op things to do, etc. I was in that room for about half an hour before I got dressed and was wheeled out to the car.
The scariest part was my largest incision, which is fairly high on my abdomen, oozed blood whenever I moved around too much. But when I called to ask about this, I was told that it was normal, and to call back if it did not stop after 24 hours. So I kept changing my bandages and such, but sure enough, the bleeding has stopped.
I don't have stitches (or maybe I do internally, but none on the outside), just sterile tape that's holding my wound shut. I can take that off on Wednesday at the earliest, but if they come off by themselves, it's fine. I've got tape all up in my navel, a bit that's two or three inches to the right of my navel, and then the incision up above the navel, the big one. I took pain meds the first day, and one or two yesterday, but none last night nor today. I can only sleep on my back, and spent Friday and Saturday mostly reclined on the couch, but today I can sit upright more, and I even had a shower!
My stomach is sore and I'm showing mild bruising, which is normal, but the worst pain is gas pain. The pumped my stomach full of gas (I can't remember why) and so all that gas has to be absorbed into my body, or let go. So I've been trying to toot and burp it all out, and I can feel less gas pressure today for sure. There's a nerve that goes from your liver up through your right shoulder, and because the liver is filtering out the anesthesia, it makes that nerve twinge, so there's been some pain in the shoulder too. But it's all less and less today. I haven't had a doodie since Thursday, so I'm starting to feel awfully backed up. When I finally manage to get down to business, it will probably break all the plumbing.
And that is my update. Hopefully after my follow-up appointment, I will be told how many gall stones I actually HAD in my gall bladder, and can give that report.