Saturday, July 3, 2010

surreal.

Wow. Dudes.
It's over? Really, it's already over?
I keep asking myself this throughout my breaks of sleep-induced Percocet comas and just can't believe it. I can't believe that I had the surgery and it's done and over with. I mean, yeah, I have weeks of careful healing to go and that's probably the harder part. But, it all just feels unreal. Surreal even.
I won't go into too much detail of the experience because to be totally honest here, I don't remember much. I do remember a few details that helped the experience go smooth and in effect, the smooth experience helped me relax and be discharged from the hospital in less than 24 hours.
I'll start with the overflowing of support from family and friends.
Oh man that helped me SO much ..it is incredible.
I'm one of those people that doesn't freak out about things until the last minute. A surgery in the making for 2 months had me freaking out 2 days before "the" day. I did that with Natalie's surgery, too. Like a hugely delayed response. With help from everyone around me, I got through it. Basically, and pardon my french here, but the night before the surgery I said "fuck it" and slept like a baby. It's amazing what a bit of "fuck it" attitude can do to help  your nerves.
So, the next morning I felt antsy again.. we ran around trying to find a place to mail out the realty paperwork for the offer on the condo and then I began my pre-op tests about 2 hours before the surgery. I just remember all of the nurses being so sweet and patient. My blood pressure was a bit elevated, which is unusual for me, and a nurse who helped with my March laparoscopy came over and stroked my face (my left cheek to be exact) and whispered to me, "you're going to do great, don't worry". And I sensed her ease and then just kept thinking of Natalie. How Natalie breezed through so many procedures with flying colors and that here I am, worrying about a half an hour, routine operation. The nurses fed my ego with saying how healthy I was, so that always helps. Especially right before being given my Versed. My doctor began the surgery a half an hour early, which sounded great to everyone, and I just remember seeing the operating room lights above me and then passing out. I don't even remember being given the "gas". Must have been one helluva party in there.
The procedure took 20 minutes and I only needed a small amount of blood to assist. My doctor told Rick that the operation went "smooth as a whistle". Perfect. He was able to let me keep both ovaries because both look great. Yahoo for that!!
I had zero complications.
Coming off of the anesthesia is always the hard time I have. I mean, it's nothing complicated I just don't feel like waking up, so I sleep it off. I only remember feeling alot of pain and then getting some delicious shots of Dilaudid and Morphine.
Dilaudid is my new best friend. I can totally see how addictions to that stuff can start.
You feel pain, but you just don't give a shit. You are floating in the clouds and you have very pleasant dreams. Morphine is okay.. but the withdraw is hard to take. Even the Percocet that I take only once or twice a day right now has me feeling dizzy and strange. I don't like it.
While still in the hospital on Wednesday night, Rick was home with the kids, while I watched show after show on HGTV and Food Network. I was STARVING come 9pm. That's one thing I didn't have with the anesthesia was any nausea. None. I didn't have an appetite but I never felt ill. At 9pm the nurses were feeding me packs and packs of crackers and applesauce. At one point, I pretended that my applesauce was really Bobby Flay's Pineapple Upside Down Rum Cake. mmmmmm
My IV was disconnected at about 11pm and my O2 was turned off at around the same time.
By 7am the next morning, I felt great. I felt awesome. I wanted to go  home.
And going home I did, because by 9:30am my wonderful nurse had my papers ready and I was on my way home.
Those nurses were fantastic. Every one of them were sweet and so patient with me. I know that they get paid to do that, but they were genuinely friendly with me and that helps out with having that type of surgery. Having a hysterectomy is kind of a more personal female thing. And those ladies treated me better than I could have ever expected. They reminded me alot of Natalie's nurses at Children's.
At around 9pm, the night before I left the hospital, I took a walk with one of the nurses. And she asked me how I felt. "I don't have that heavy feeling anymore in my pelvis...oh my god" I kept saying to her. I felt so good. Yeah I was hopped up on some serious meds, but guys, I don't have that heavy feeling anymore. It's gone!! It became normal for me and for so long to walk around like that. And my bladder..don't even get me started. I can go a whole night now without venturing to the bathroom once or twice.
I am so excited about how I'm going to feel 5 weeks from now. So excited!!
And for more excitement I want to say this about Rick and I... today is our 4th wedding anniversary.
He has been amazing these past 4 years.. heck, these past 7 years that we've been together. He has been taking such great care of me (and the kids) for these past few days. Naturally, I feel bad about that and hope to do something special for him when I feel better.. And let's face it, he takes great care of the whole family, surgery or no surgery involved.
He is a saint. I love you Ricky.

2 comments:

Chicke3 said...

When dan had his accident last july they gave him daulid....Oh man...while in the er still he pulled me close to him and looked at his mom and said "look mom I got a girl in my bed....and Im NAKED!"....yeah not exactly what his mother I expected from him, and both of us were very embarrassed...Dan also tried to tell his pastor dirty jokes...I stopped him...the morphine just made him very tired though

Chicke3 said...

sorry mommy brain....I am really glad that you came through the surgery with no complications! get better soon!