Houston, We Are a’Go

Its done. I’m officially part of the band. HA. Today has been rough so far. Lots of pain in different areas.

I woke up early thinking I needed all this time to get ready and forgot, no make-up, no lotion, no breakfast. Just shower, dry my hair and pull it back, take out the contacts . . . and done. I was rady in about 30 mins. I had to laugh at myself. So then we headed out to the car. We decided to take mine because I thought it would be easier to just slide in rather than trying to get into Cbell’s SUV that sat higher off the ground than mine. So without even thinking, I grab the keys and head to the driver’s side. Cbell just stood there snickering. Sheesh. I hadn’t had the surgery yet, can I drive my own car? She kept snickering and got in on the passenger’s side. So off we go. Arrived at 630am for admitting. Suz arrived 7ish after I had been taken back to be prepped. Why is it those ever-so-stylish gowns they have you in are so ugly. I mean really. I’m about to lose all dignity and on top of it, you want me to wear this? Maybe I’ll go into designing fashionable surgical attire.

I don’t remember much more of the day from here. Its all a blur. Here are the things I remember. Not sure if this is the order they happened, but this is how I remember them:

• The anesthesiologist coming in and couldn’t find a vein. Told her I have really deep veins (the nurses at the Red Cross have a love-hate relationship with me and my deep veins). She stuck me 3 times and dug around before I finally told her “Enough. Go find someone who can find a vein, please. You’re done.” (Yes, I used those words exactly. I did apologize later for copping an attitude. She was sympathetic.
• Laughing with Suz and Cbell at the leg braces (that help prevent blod clots by keeping the circulation going) that kept falling down my legs and almost tripping me as I had to get up for a restroom break . . . twice! The IV was already in so I had to figure out how to hold that and proceed with the task at hand. Someone should invent some portable IV holder thingy for that kind of thing.
• My sweet friends praying over me. I really don’t know what I would without you two.
• Crying as I was wheeled from the prep area to the OR. Up until now, I hadn’t been too nervous really. But now. My nerves went into overdrive. Not knowing what was going to happen and the huge-ness of all of this and leaving Cbell and Suz behind . . . really all of it. I just needed to cry. Thankfully it was just tears, no sobbing or anything. The OR nurse might have called that psychologist in, so I couldn’t let that happen.
• Once I got in the OR, they wanted me to “scooch” over onto this table that didn’t look like it was more than 12 inches wide. Really? There? Are you sure? I don’t remember the scooching or anything less until later. But I’m assuming I must have done it since, well, the surgery took place.
• I woke up in some room. Then went back to sleep.
• I woke up in x-rays and had to drink some watered down barium. Yuck. Heard someone say “she’s clear” and then went back to sleep.
• Mike Mann was there at some point. He said they had a good laugh at my hospital wristband. But I recall nothing. Just that I saw his face.
• I dressed myself but don’t remember putting on my socks and shoes.
• I got in my car (the passenger side this time!) But I don’t recall telling anybody goodbye or thanks for coming and loving me through this ordeal. I hope you know I am thankful.
• Sitting in the recliner. How did I get here?

I’ve had a lot of pain today. Not so much the incisions. Which by the way, I have 6. I thought it was supposed to be 3 or 4. Need to remember to ask him why 6. They pumped my abdomen full of gas in order to be able to move the instruments around and there’s no way to remove it. I was told the body absorbs a good deal of it. But sometime it will settle in the body and cause pain. That’s been today. Its in my left shoulder and I feel like I’m having a heart attack. I’m glad they warned about this. It really would have concerned me. They also discovered that I had a hiatal hernia when the surgeon opened me up yesterday. I’m having a hard time taking a deep breath because of that. I’m on clear liquids until tomorrow. Very swollen. But for the most part, I’m feeling okay. Ready for this part of it to be over.