Finally I have something to post!
I made it through my first ever surgery.
I had a ganglion cyst on the big toe of my right foot. It was itty bitty and hardly noticable when I first found it in September. Well, I started Zumba in October and from October to December it got pretty big and painful. I had 3 choices- leave it alone, have surgery in office, or surgery in an operating room. The doctor said I really could'nt do option number one because if I left it alone and my shoes kept rubbing and irritating it, it would keep getting more painful and grow larger. It was easier to take it out now before it got too much larger and root in more. So the last two options were surgery, it just depended on where. He strongly recommended surgery in the OR because it looked like the bloodflow to the cyst was too good and I could lose alot of blood. He said he could apply a tourniquet but it might still be too bloody too see what he was doing and then maybe have to rush me to the OR anyways. SO- operating room it was!
So- I went in at 6:30 am to be prepped and the nurses were all so sweet and understanding when I told them it was my first IV and first surgery ever. They took time to explain stuff and joke with me so I did feel somewhat less nervous. When it was time to go to the operating room it was freezing but they put warm blankets on me and it wasn't too bad. My doctor is already pretty neat and when I heard him start playing ZZ Top in the OR, I KNEW for sure he was COOL! LOL
I got the injection into my iv that started to burn. They said it would burn for about 10 seconds and right about the time I was thinking "Its gonna be a long 10 seconds" I apparently was out cold. I then woke up in the recovery room where they fed me graham crackers and Sprite. My throat feels raw and ragged from the breathing tube and I am doing some Darth Vader-ish breathing and talking but otherwise I am ok. I got a black post-op boot to wear for a couple of weeks.
I went to the doctor today for my post op follow up. He removed the bandages and proceeded to check everything out. Although my toe was still a little orangey from the Betadine and wrinkly soft from a week of being under wraps, he said there wasn't alot of swelling and no sign of infection. WHEW! He checked to make sure there was no nerve damaged and I expected to work today but he said wait until tomorrow and I am glad I did. He pressed and poked it enough to make it sore again while checking the nerves. He said it was tougher than expected because the ganglion cyst was larger than it looked and was burrowing its roots into the bone. I get the stitches taken out on the 25th of March.
If you have a morbid curiosity, the pics are here under the cut. I snuck pics while he wasn't looking. LOL
TL:DR;
I had surgery to rip out a cyst on my toe. Pics follow.
Please excuse the stray toe hairs- they have been underwraps for a week and will get whacked soon! LOL
I had a ganglion cyst on the big toe of my right foot. It was itty bitty and hardly noticable when I first found it in September. Well, I started Zumba in October and from October to December it got pretty big and painful. I had 3 choices- leave it alone, have surgery in office, or surgery in an operating room. The doctor said I really could'nt do option number one because if I left it alone and my shoes kept rubbing and irritating it, it would keep getting more painful and grow larger. It was easier to take it out now before it got too much larger and root in more. So the last two options were surgery, it just depended on where. He strongly recommended surgery in the OR because it looked like the bloodflow to the cyst was too good and I could lose alot of blood. He said he could apply a tourniquet but it might still be too bloody too see what he was doing and then maybe have to rush me to the OR anyways. SO- operating room it was!
So- I went in at 6:30 am to be prepped and the nurses were all so sweet and understanding when I told them it was my first IV and first surgery ever. They took time to explain stuff and joke with me so I did feel somewhat less nervous. When it was time to go to the operating room it was freezing but they put warm blankets on me and it wasn't too bad. My doctor is already pretty neat and when I heard him start playing ZZ Top in the OR, I KNEW for sure he was COOL! LOL
I got the injection into my iv that started to burn. They said it would burn for about 10 seconds and right about the time I was thinking "Its gonna be a long 10 seconds" I apparently was out cold. I then woke up in the recovery room where they fed me graham crackers and Sprite. My throat feels raw and ragged from the breathing tube and I am doing some Darth Vader-ish breathing and talking but otherwise I am ok. I got a black post-op boot to wear for a couple of weeks.
I went to the doctor today for my post op follow up. He removed the bandages and proceeded to check everything out. Although my toe was still a little orangey from the Betadine and wrinkly soft from a week of being under wraps, he said there wasn't alot of swelling and no sign of infection. WHEW! He checked to make sure there was no nerve damaged and I expected to work today but he said wait until tomorrow and I am glad I did. He pressed and poked it enough to make it sore again while checking the nerves. He said it was tougher than expected because the ganglion cyst was larger than it looked and was burrowing its roots into the bone. I get the stitches taken out on the 25th of March.
If you have a morbid curiosity, the pics are here under the cut. I snuck pics while he wasn't looking. LOL
TL:DR;
I had surgery to rip out a cyst on my toe. Pics follow.
Please excuse the stray toe hairs- they have been underwraps for a week and will get whacked soon! LOL
