Surgery done

Aug 13, 2009

Well 8-10-09 was THE big day. I got to St Agnes about 6:30am, my surgery time was 8:45a and I was supposed to be there 2 hrs early. Well I later found out surgery was actually 10am, but the 8:45a was for prep, and they want you there early to be sure.

So, I go through all the prep, anestioloist, and nurse, tights, BiPAP picked up by security ect. and hit the OR just after 10am (10:02). As they were wheeling me there, the nurse said she was starting the drugs, so I should start feeling woozy. I remember a little small talk, then lights out, no counting backwards ect. I woke up in the recovery room, was given a pain pump, and taken to my room around 3 - 3:30. (Still was feeling pretty good from the nap). El and the girls arrived shortly there after, and I hit the button on the pump. Within a couple of mins I started hiccuping, then started to dry heave. DAMN THAT HURT. I told El to take the girls home as I think they were freaked out by daddy laying in a bed with tubes coming out of him, and dry heaving like a sick animal. Did two laps of the hall, nurse was impressed. Monday was an ok day, but had quite a bit of heaving no matter how much meds they gave me to prevent nausea. They bugged me ALL night Monday, (I know it's their job) and didn't sleep much. Heprin shots were a regular thing.

Tuesday morning I started putting 1 & 1 together and started to think the narcs were making my sick. I started to seriously reconsider pushing that button. The nurses, and Dr Averbach kept urging to use the pump, but I was not as nauseaed, and pain was better from not heaving. Tuesday brought the cathotor removal, (real fun) and best of all the GI tract check. I will leave the taste out of it, because I was expecting  the worst, and maybe it wasn't that bad. ( I DID NOT order a six pack to go though) Walking around the hospital halls, BORING.I told El it was her decision on wether or not to bring the girls, we both decided a good night call was the best  choice.
Test came back good and I was brought apple juice, broth, jello and tea. I had some of the broth, (pretty good) and apple juice and I was done. Dinner was the same. Tuesday night they bothered me LESS, but still saw the nurses and techs regularly.
Wednesday brought breakfast, apple juice, milk, NASTY BLAND oatmeal, jello and tea. Got the news I was probably going home later in the day. Lets talk lunch I was brought a PLATE, which contained two mystery blobs, and mashed potatoes, apple juice and tea. Ok I'm game, I'll try almost anything once, mashed potatoes, not bad, brown blob, really pretty good, (turned out to be pureed chicken) orange blob, not bad, not really sure if it was carrots, sweet potatoes or what? The luch blew the breakfast away, but I could not eat much at all before I was full. Presurgery I would have asked for a few more blobs of chicken, mashed potatoes, and maybe one more blob of the orange stuff. Dr Averbach came in and said because I did the mushies ok, I could go home. I started packing, BiPap cleaned and packed, and anything else I could get ready. Most of Wednesday was spent in the chair not the bed. My biggest complaint is with the damn IV pole, it had six wheels, all went in different directions. So the next experience was the "JP" drain removal, that was a weird feeling, I thought it was a tube, but the doc pulled 2-3" of tube, then a 4"x.5" white flat piece.. The IV was left in untill very last. It was removed and I was free to walk around without the IV pole from hell. El arrived 3:30 or so I we were off to the house. I was given three scripts, one for nausea, one for stomache acid, and one for pain. So we stopped at Target, but we were going to have to wait about an hr, so El brought me home, and went to pickup the girls from a friends house and back to get the scripts.
I weighed myself Wednesday night and had lost 7 lbs. Sleep was impossible on a flat bed, (even with the mega priced sleep number bed) so I tried to sleep sitting on the sofa. I think the Lazy boy will work better. I spent the night "deflating" from the surgey.
Thursday woke up, took one of the neusea pills, my vitamn, calcium, and a shake and took a shower. Shower was good for a couple of reasons, one of which it let me shave my mellon, I shaved it last september, and never went more than two days without. I decided to weigh myself again(I know ONCE a week) but I was obviously less bloated, 4 more pounds gone!

Tom

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