Pre-Op and Post-Op

I really don’t know where to begin today. I just woke up and took the three dogs outside, I made my coffee, and hubby is still sleeping. Thursday morning my new niece was born and I will post a picture later today.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the out patient surgery center to have a minor procedure done on my back, it was similar in what was done to the four I have had in the past, but my experience this time was horrible to say the very least.

We got there at noon as instructed, I got undressed and into one of those hospital gowns and the fun began. My blood pressure was taken; my heart rate was monitored, my temperature was recorded, and I was asked many questions as simple as what is your name and birth date.

The Pre-Op nurse then inserted the needle to begin my IV line. This, I did not like at all. Thankfully she got it in on the first try and the feeding began. All was pretty mundane after that, spoke to the anesthesiologist and the OR nurse more than two hours later as we waited patiently for my doctor to arrive; he was running late and there were patients lined up and own the hall already having gone through the same check in procedure I did, and all laying there in their checked blue gowns and blue bonnets atop their heads passing time as best they could without TV or magazines.

Many like I had a family member or spouse with them, one young girl talked on her cell phone and complained almost the entire time she was waiting in Pre-Op, I concluded she was either very scared about her upcoming knee surgery or she was just a spoiled you know what. One man was in for a 4mm kidney stone that would not pass, I also know he has had another one lodged in his kidney for a couple years that cannot be operated on, that he had heart trouble years ago and what medications he took, how many kids he has, what their genders are, how many grandkids he has, what his sister does for a living, and what size needle worked best in his size veins; okay folks this is way too much information, just waaaaaaaay too much.

All this on an empty stomach and no caffeine; we were not allowed to eat or drink since midnight the previous night and I was starving, caffeine deprived, and aching as I was forced to lay on my back in a checked blue gown that opened in the back, needle protruding from the top of my right hand providing no pain meds yet, and having to listen to who took two blood pressure pills with just a sip of water.

Finally the doctor arrived, he stopped by all our beds for a brief moment, then the very nice OR nurse and the pregnant anesthesiologist came and grabbed my cot and wheeled me down the hall to OR.

It was bright and cold as I was moved from my movable bed to the OR table full of huge fluffy pillows and stark white sheets and blankets. I laid on my stomach atop the fluffy pillows and the action took off all around me, beeping machines, blankets and sheets being moved, people touching me and placing things on me, and then the very kind woman in front of me with her protruding belly about eye level finally began to administer the good stuff, it took three full needles to prepare me, and I felt nothing at all as the needles were inserted so low into my back I would call it the extreme top of the rump.

Procedure done, off to Post Op. Again wheeled down the corridor, stopped at room seven, nurse comes rushing over, takes temp, takes blood pressure, and monitors heart rate; done. Gives me a soda, I asked for coffee but they didn’t have any, asked for Mt. Dew for my caffeine fix, they didn’t have any….reminder for next time, have one of these in the car for immediate consumption. Looks at my back, gives my husband papers to sign, because I am told I cannot drive a car, operate machinery, or sign legal papers for 24 hours, removes the IV and I am out of there.

We stop and get something to bring home to eat because I was about to eat the dashboard I am so hungry. All is well, take dogs out, eat the sandwich, made some coffee, and rested in front of the TV. About three hours later my head felt as if it was literally going to crack open and all the insides would blow out the top like lava from a volcano. It would NOT stop throbbing; hubby went out to get some Tylenol, told I could take nothing else because of the anesthesia I received. While he was gone I got out of bed as I needed some water, my stomach was now beginning to stir if you know what I mean; well needless to say I made it to the kitchen and then in the nick of time made it to the bathroom. Hubby comes in, I take pills with the water I had originally gotten up to take, and off to bed I go. Hubby can feed the cat, hubby can let the dogs out and dry their paws when they come in due to the rain we are finally getting, hubby can….it didn’t matter, nothing mattered at that moment except getting to my dark bedroom and stopping the lava from coming out.

I am awake now and drinking my coffee, and somehow survived yesterday pretty much unscathed except for the pin holes in my back, a small bruise on the top of my right hand, and a stomach that is complaining that if I don’t eat something soon it is going to revolt. So I must go for now…the fridge is about to be emptied.