Trip to TJ - Memories and Observations - Day 2
I just realized I never got this finished. I really want to have this for the future, so here's the blated surgery report. You are warned that there is a little TMI in there--not too gory, though.
When I left off, we were just going to bed. I felt a small headache, but I was already passed the point where I could eat or drink anything. In a bit of bad luck I had started my period and that occasionally brings on a migraine. Guess what, I got a horrible one in the night.
I spent much of the night before surgery curled up begging for morning and the nice IV drugs. Seriously, I had no ability to worry about the surgery because I was vomiting or contemplating sticking an ice pick through my head. Our 7:30 wake-up call came none too early and we were all ready and down in the lobby on time at 8:30.
Mrs. Ortiz (the Dr.'s mother) was there to take us to the surgery center. This is when I first learned that Scott and Carter might not get to stay with me in the center through the surgery. I had contacted the Dr.'s patient coordinator asking about this before surgery and was assured that S and C would be welcome in the center. This was the only reason that I agreed S and C could come with me. Otherwise I would have made the trip on my own. Since I was not convinced that they could not stay, I said they would come with and then just come back if not allowed to stay at the center.
There were 2 other patients and one other family member. She didn't have room for everyone, so one couple waited behind. It worked out well since S and C might need to come back to the hotel anyway if they could not stay with me at the center. This was the one time that Carter had to ride in a car without a car seat (of course he did on the return trip as well). We went up to the waiting area of the center which was in a very large office building. The building appeared to house mostly medical offices. In the waiting area we signed paperwork notifying us of the procedure and giving our consent to it.
I asked the doctor supervising the center if S and C could stay and was told no. That "the baby does not need to see the blood." I still wonder if she misunderstood my request. I only wanted them to stay in my hospital room, not witness the surgery! So, I grudgingly said goodbye to S and C when they took me back to my room.
I was given compression stockings which I struggled to get on as I started crying. I was just so unprepared to be alone for this. I wasn't scared really, I just didn't want to be alone. My room overlooked the hills of TJ and a pretty golf course. I had satellite TV with a few English stations. While I waited for things to get going, I watched Beverly Hills 90210 while I did the breathing treatment ordered by the cardiologist.
They started out giving me a sedative in pill form that I had to dissolve in my mouth. They hoped it would get me to stop intermittently crying, I think. :) I think this is when the nurse also placed my IV. I then met the anesthesiologist. He was very nice and comforting. When he asked about my reaction to prior anesthesia, I told him that I often got paranoid and depressed a few days afterward and it lasted sometimes a week. He said he'd put something in the anesthesia for it. I didn't believe him.
Later the nurse came in and gave me a shot of Lovenox (IIRC, a blood thinner to prevent pulmonary embolism in any case). It was a tiny shot in my stomach--hardly felt it at all.
I met doctor Ortiz just before surgery. We talked quite a long time about the procedure, etc. He was very nice and clearly knew a lot about the surgery. By this point, I had very few questions.
I was first to go into surgery and I was asked to just walk into the operating room. I got up on the table and barely remember looking and the lights and laughing at a joke. Then...
I remember being told I had to hold the nebulizer and breathe. I was so groggy, I kept falling asleep during the breathing treatment. I had no pain at all, just that feeling that I couldn't stay awake. I kept fighting it because I knew I needed to get up and walk. Every time I jolted awake in an attempt to not drop the nebulizer, I'd make sure to tense my leg muscles. Once the treatment was done, I feel asleep for a couple of hours.
I woke up sometime in the late afternoon/early evening and was given some water to drink. I was much less groggy and got up to walk to the bathroom. It was fine and only a slight bit painful. But, why is there a step from the bathroom floor up to the toilet? Hello, people healing from surgery do not need to step up to get to a toilet!
After the bathroom, I walked the halls 3-4 times before I got too tired. For the rest of the evening I slept and watched TV on and off with a good walk every few hours. By morning I was fully ready to go back to the hotel.
When I left off, we were just going to bed. I felt a small headache, but I was already passed the point where I could eat or drink anything. In a bit of bad luck I had started my period and that occasionally brings on a migraine. Guess what, I got a horrible one in the night.
I spent much of the night before surgery curled up begging for morning and the nice IV drugs. Seriously, I had no ability to worry about the surgery because I was vomiting or contemplating sticking an ice pick through my head. Our 7:30 wake-up call came none too early and we were all ready and down in the lobby on time at 8:30.
Mrs. Ortiz (the Dr.'s mother) was there to take us to the surgery center. This is when I first learned that Scott and Carter might not get to stay with me in the center through the surgery. I had contacted the Dr.'s patient coordinator asking about this before surgery and was assured that S and C would be welcome in the center. This was the only reason that I agreed S and C could come with me. Otherwise I would have made the trip on my own. Since I was not convinced that they could not stay, I said they would come with and then just come back if not allowed to stay at the center.
There were 2 other patients and one other family member. She didn't have room for everyone, so one couple waited behind. It worked out well since S and C might need to come back to the hotel anyway if they could not stay with me at the center. This was the one time that Carter had to ride in a car without a car seat (of course he did on the return trip as well). We went up to the waiting area of the center which was in a very large office building. The building appeared to house mostly medical offices. In the waiting area we signed paperwork notifying us of the procedure and giving our consent to it.
I asked the doctor supervising the center if S and C could stay and was told no. That "the baby does not need to see the blood." I still wonder if she misunderstood my request. I only wanted them to stay in my hospital room, not witness the surgery! So, I grudgingly said goodbye to S and C when they took me back to my room.
I was given compression stockings which I struggled to get on as I started crying. I was just so unprepared to be alone for this. I wasn't scared really, I just didn't want to be alone. My room overlooked the hills of TJ and a pretty golf course. I had satellite TV with a few English stations. While I waited for things to get going, I watched Beverly Hills 90210 while I did the breathing treatment ordered by the cardiologist.
They started out giving me a sedative in pill form that I had to dissolve in my mouth. They hoped it would get me to stop intermittently crying, I think. :) I think this is when the nurse also placed my IV. I then met the anesthesiologist. He was very nice and comforting. When he asked about my reaction to prior anesthesia, I told him that I often got paranoid and depressed a few days afterward and it lasted sometimes a week. He said he'd put something in the anesthesia for it. I didn't believe him.
Later the nurse came in and gave me a shot of Lovenox (IIRC, a blood thinner to prevent pulmonary embolism in any case). It was a tiny shot in my stomach--hardly felt it at all.
I met doctor Ortiz just before surgery. We talked quite a long time about the procedure, etc. He was very nice and clearly knew a lot about the surgery. By this point, I had very few questions.
I was first to go into surgery and I was asked to just walk into the operating room. I got up on the table and barely remember looking and the lights and laughing at a joke. Then...
I remember being told I had to hold the nebulizer and breathe. I was so groggy, I kept falling asleep during the breathing treatment. I had no pain at all, just that feeling that I couldn't stay awake. I kept fighting it because I knew I needed to get up and walk. Every time I jolted awake in an attempt to not drop the nebulizer, I'd make sure to tense my leg muscles. Once the treatment was done, I feel asleep for a couple of hours.
I woke up sometime in the late afternoon/early evening and was given some water to drink. I was much less groggy and got up to walk to the bathroom. It was fine and only a slight bit painful. But, why is there a step from the bathroom floor up to the toilet? Hello, people healing from surgery do not need to step up to get to a toilet!
After the bathroom, I walked the halls 3-4 times before I got too tired. For the rest of the evening I slept and watched TV on and off with a good walk every few hours. By morning I was fully ready to go back to the hotel.