My surgery was August 5, 2010 at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. I got up at 4:30 a.m. and I had to be at the hospital by 6 a.m. My brother Jon spent the night at my house and Elliott of course was there. (The kids had decided that it would be best if they stayed with their Aunts, Uncles, and cousins in Bastrop while I was in the hospital. They came back 5 days later when I came home.) I was not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight before the surgery and for two weeks prior to surgery, I was not allowed to take any asperin products or ibuprofen. I was not allowed to drink alcohol, have chocolate or any kind or caffeinated products (or decaf products..No decaf coffee) or my beloved migraine medication frova. (That was the hardest one to give up.) Since I don't take asperin, drink alcohol, or smoke, I did not feel any withdrawls there.
I arrived at Methodist with my parents, brother, and Elliott at 6 a.m. I was checked in, I signed a form stating that I had a will..(kind of scary) and then they took me upstairs where I had my blood pressure and other vitals taken. From there, I was given a gown and booties, and a hair net. (The afternoon before, I had to have an injection of radioactive isotopes to show where there could be cancerous nodes..These nodes would be located during the surgery.) After I got into my surgical attire, I was given an IV with saline to start with. I signed more paperwork and then my family came in. I was wheeled to the pre-op room where I spoke to the anesthesiologist who was a wonderful and kind woman. I spoke to both my general and plastic surgeons before so that I could know further what was happening during the surgery. My plastic surgeon then marked up my torso and breasts with a sharpie. He asked me if I wanted a breast lift, to which I answered, "Make them nice and perky please!" He held my hands and we said a little prayer...After the surgeons and other doctors had left, the nurse told me that they would now put the sedative in my IV. As soon as they began wheeling me into the OR, I asked my brother, "Is this ok???" I was already starting to feel the effects of the sedative. When I was in the OR, the nurses moved me on top of the operating table and by that time, I couldn't do anything except lay there like a sack of potatoes. I told the nurses in a slurred voice that I was nervous and could they talk to me a little bit. I told them that when this was over with, I wanted to go to Disney World. They said that would be fun wouldn't it? Then they asked me what I did for a living. I told them I was a middle school band director...One of them said, I used to play the clarinet. That's the last thing I remember until I woke up.
Now, my brother Jon and I made a deal before the surgery..I was terrified that I would not ever wake up from the surgery. So he said that as soon as I woke up, he would be there and he would say, "I told you so." And it would be my line to say "Fuck you mother fucker." As drunk as I was when I woke up, I remembered my lines...The next thing I asked for was a sandwich, because being asleep for 91/2 hours plus no eating the night before is enough to make a girl pretty hungry!! While I was in the recovery room, I was in and out of consciousness. I remember saying, "mum mum mum mum mum I want my mommy." over and over again. I would then realize what I was doing and ask what was going on..Then I would start again with the "mum mum mum..." again. A friend of mine when she woke up after her surgery thought she was 5 years old. She apparently looked at her husband and wanted to know who he was. I wonder if there is some kind of regression that goes on during surgery toward childhood. My friend's surgery wasn't as long as mine...she only was 5 when she woke up..Since mine was a 9 1/2 hour surgery, perhaps I was regressed to a nine month old or younger?
As for today (10-1-10)....I was having serious side effects from something...I had tingling all over and I was panicking from it..It turns out it's my steroid, and I don't have to take it anymore, since my new chemo won't require it..Oh happy day!!!
More later my dear friends!!
Em
No comments:
Post a Comment