May 23 - SURGERY DAY

May 31, 2013

Up at 4am - had my 2nd shower with the medicated sponge - stinks like rubbing alcohol.

by 5:30am I was downstairs waiting for Mom and Doug...panicking that they slept in - called/text, then saw them pull in...now it's getting real - I'm on my way to the hospital.

Arrived to the hospital/parking at 5:45am - the parking attendant doesn't come in until 6am. we waited around for a few minutes but when he wasn't there by a couple minutes after 6 we headed in/upstairs. But not before a drunken bum was stopped at the entrance where we had to go through the doors - yuk!

Head up to the 5th floor admission and now I am shaking like a leaf. All my paperwork is prepared and we are asked to take a seat in the "waiting room" ?? this room has gold trimmings and high wingback chairs - decorated like the lobby of a upscale hotel. It sure looked nothing like a sterile hospital waiting room - I guess it was to be relaxing...like you could actually forget why you were there LOL. We sit for a few minutes, Mom and Doug attempt conversations but I find it hard to focus. My name is called within a few minutes and I am shuffled to a room with a blue easyboy type chair and provided with a gown, cap and booties. I ask Mom to stay with me. My clothes and shoes are put into plastic bags. One last trip to the washroom. The the nurses came to check my vital signs and give me a couple of medicated clothes to wipe down my belly. Then the show up with this little machine with a hose attached. This is hooked up to my gown and warm air is pumped inside my gown during surgery to keep my body at a constant temperature. it was a bit too warm to keep on while sitting there waiting. A few minutes later the nurse comes to bring me to the OR waiting room but only 1 person can come (Mommy) and they are given instructions to be waiting in the golden waiting room about 1 1/2 hrs after I am taken in for surgery and the Doctor will come and speak with them to let them know how everything went.

in the OR waiting room there are more blue lazy boy chairs, Mom and I sit and wait there. The anestesiologist comes to speak with me - really, really nice man! 7:30am and my phone rings (text) from Jeff (at work) such a nice guy...texting to wish me luck! The nurse comes to get me and we are headed for our walk to the OR. Can't bring my cane with me, so it's a bit slow but that was OK. It felt so weird to be walking down this hallway - there were about 8-10 operating rooms all getting prepared for surgeries. Doctors and nurses, etc...scrubbing up, dressing in their surgery garb...now this is getting real! My OR is the 2nd from then end. I walk and see a familiar face...the surgeon that I met with the very first time on Feb 7, 2012 and I say to her, "Hey I remember you". she says, "Wow you have a great memory". I remembered asking her if she would be doing the surgery (hoping she would be), she stated that she may be doing it, it would just depend on the day. I asked her again if she would be performing the surgery -  she said that yes she would, but Dr Grandcharov would be there as well.

I hope up on this huge bed (with quite some effort) and shimmy my way to the pillow. I am officially scared out of my mind - all the equipment, all the chatter that I am not involved in. The anestesiologist tells me that he is going to put in the IV but first he will freeze the area because it is a really large needle. Once the IV is in he tells me he is putting something in, I can't remember what he said, but as soon as he did I felt a strange tingling feeling in my 'vaginal area' and asked is that normal to feel tingling "down there"?? I lifted my head and said to the surgeon, "please do a great job" and with that I was out (catching up on my missed sleep from last night) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

I wake up in agony in the recovery room - (Whew, I was so worried) seems like forever before they are able to get my pain under control. Seems to all be in my back - just awful! When I am finally awake enough and the pain somewhat under control I realize I have to pee and bad!!! I was told for the 1st day I would have a catheter in and asked if I did...but from what i can remember previously you never 'feel' the urge to pee...the bag just fills up and you really have no idea you have even pee'd.

the nurse offers a bed pan to which I agree. The slip it under my butt and I attempt to pee...nothin' She asks if I want to sit up a bit perhaps that will help, good idea...still nothing. I try to close my eyes and envision me sitting on the toilet - nuttin'. Another nurse offers to turn on the water...then yells across the room, "Can you hear it" - yes I could, but I still couldn't go and now my tummy/bladder is quite sore. They were so nice, they rushed to get me to my room and left a note saying that I really needed to go the washroom when I arrived in my room.

As I am leaving the recovery room, I notice Mommy in the hallway (likely pacing the floor). I yell to her and she says, "finally" I guess the Doctor told her that I should be out of recovery in a couple hours, which would have been around noon and now it was after 1pm - she was getting worried...poor mommie!

Get to Rm 108 and I tell my nurse how badly I have to go the washroom - a couple nurses give me hand and I finally go pee!!! LOL

The nurse checks my vital signs and notices that my heart rate is pounding way too hard and my blood pressure is quite high. The nurse jokes and tells Mom and Doug to leave me alone to get some rest, but they were heading out anyhow. (mom said she had to get home to her dog LOL) She said that Karen was coming around 3pm.

around 5:45 or so Brad calls me to ask what room I am in, I tell him I think it's 108 on the 16th then in walks Katie, then Ryan then Brad and Karen. We had a nice visit for about an hour or so, then they had to bring Ryan to his military thingy on thursdays.

Got up and went for another walk with them since everyone wasn't allowed in my room. Ryan needed to shave otherwise he would get in shit tonight so we asked for a razor and some cream...fixed him all up LOL

After they left had a good sleep...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I am sure I was woke a couple times in the night zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzzz

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