DiscerningHeart
This Too Shall Pass...
Jan 21, 2009
WOW!! I went in on the 1/13/2009 for my surgery. It started at 10:30am and I was on time as usual. I went into Prep, Anesthesiologist (two to be exact) and met with the nurse. I had my daughter (youngest) and my (youngest brother) with me. Thank God they were there! One of the nurses handed me a hat (shower cap like) and said, "here's your party hat". The party starts within 30 mins. It made me laugh and I was not nervous really, I remember the Anesthesiologist saying, Geezze you have alot of allergies and said OK, you'll be taken into OR and then you'll be sleep quickly. 
I remember being in a wheel chair, being asked to get on the OR table and the four nurses were telling me about the instruments they were going to use as they unpacked them and put them on the table. They called Dr. Boynton and I looked to the door for him. I didn't see him, but I remember saying the Lord's Prayer and then came the "oxygen" mask and I woke up in recovery at 11:20AM. It was so quick I really don't remember finishing the Lord's Prayer.
I really didn't have much pain at all and then I was taken to ICU where I stayed there overnight. I was told that I had to sleep in the reclining chair overnight, so I wouldn't get blood clots.
I remember being awakened every hour by the nurses so they could get my vital signs. Ugggghhhhhh.....I was so sleepy! 
Also, I remember having horrible gas pains and belching all night. I thought that was unusual. Anyway, my mother came and was rubbing my back and it felt so good. I was so happy she was there to give me some comfort.
I walked over to CCU from ICU. I was asked to move to that unit due to me not being able to swallow my my blood pressure medications. If I needed it, I would have to be given the meds intravenously, hence the reason I was there.
Then, day two......1/14/09
I developed blood in my stool and it would not stop!!!!!! It was cranberry in color and it was running through me like water. I lost a lot of blood that day and the Dr. came in to tell me if the bleeding didn't stop (leakage) I would need a blood transfusion. I was like WHAT????????? DID YOU SAY? He assured me that the bleeding would stop on it's own and I would need to start the blood transfusion as soon as possible. The nurse started it at around 10:30pm and it continued for the next day! The nurses took blood every two hours to make sure my blood count was going back up. It started at @ 10 and went down to 6.3. After receiving the blood, it went up again to 8.5....THANK GOD FOR DONORS. God bless you all out there that give blood. Just as soon as I'm able to give blood I in there giving. So So important. I usu sally do give blood. My goodness, I never knew how your blood count makes such a huge difference in the way you feel. I couldn't hold my eyes open and apparently, my breathing was shallow, I had to wear the oxygen and my heart rate went down. Whew.....what a couple of days make. 
The Dr ordered me to stop eating anything to allow the incision to heal internally, so on Thursday evening and all day Friday, I stopped eating and I felt better. I was feeling so much better. While my blood count was not back to norm, I was feeling better. AND....the bleeding finally stopped! Thank God for that! I was finally released to go home on Sunday. My brothers and his girlfriend came to pick me up and I was so ready to go home! I had three room-mates in six days.
I'm now on clear liquids, broth, jello, and protein, clear.....just a little hungry, but no so much concerned with my greedy mind...just set on healing and feeling better.
No matter how bad the moment, just know that God is always in control and he promised that This Too Shall Pass.....
