Well, Here I Am - Back Again
I made it! It has been a rough ride the past four days. On Monday my sister and I got to the hospital at 10:45 a.m. and the process started right away. I had a lovely nurse named Mary, who was great. Unfortunately, I had a severe reaction to the liquid tylenol (strawberry) and was coughing and barfing like mad. Half of the pre-op nurses came running to make sure I was okay. I seemed to be swallowing pills constantly - oxycontin, ranitidine and something else I can't remember.
Then the OR nurse came out and I walked into surgery! My sister was appalled (I was a little dopey by then), but it was fine. I must have looked charming in my ginormous attire, hat and stumbling around
And then I was being given something to "make me a little woozy" by Dr. Tang - no kidding. Then I kind of came to in post-op surrounded by doctors and nurses. Back out again, and then I was being wheeled into a room. I had enough presence of mind to say,, "Hey, I'm supposed to have a private room!". Unfortunately, there were none available.
It was one heck of a noisey night. I was in the Cardiac Step Down Ward and I had three roommates - two elderly men who had bed alarms and were constantly setting them off. Then there were the constant interruptions for blood pressure, temperature, etc.
I woke up Tuesday after a groggy, yet oddly sleepless, night. The nurse came in with two student nurses and asked if one of them could take out my catheter and the other observe. By this time she could have asked me to give up a kidney, I would have.
But my student nurse, Ashley was wonderful. She spent a great part of the day with me, cheering me on. At 7:30 a.m. I asked if I could get up and the nurses almost cheered. So for a couple of hours, I sat on the edge of the bed. Then I got up and walked around.
I must say I`ve never had so many strangers asking me if I`d farted in my life (forgive my language). And then they were shocked when I said I had been. Well, don`t ask if you don`t really want to know!
I must say that on Tuesday and Wednesday I had some serious `buyer`s remorse`. It was very intense and I was exhausted. They kept saying they were going to move me, but never did, so I was stuck in the ward with people shouting, alarms going off, families there at all hours. It was very tiring. I`m feeling slightly better about it now, but I shed a few tears in hospital.
Not to help was the fact that the only pain meds they gave me was the liquid tylenol, which made me throw up each time. Finally on Tuesday night, after vomitting again, I said, nope, not taking it anymore. And the only thing they had as an alternate was a high dose of demerol, which the nurses and I decided would not work for me. So from Tuesday night on, I had no pain meds.
Dr. Nguyen wouldn`t let me out in the original timeline. I was supposed to be out on Wednesday, but Tuesday he said I had some abnormal blood work, so I didn`t get out until today. As a matter of fact, I didn`t see Dr. N yesterday or today - he sent his resident instead.
AND they kept giving me the wrong kind of food - one meal they sent a sandwich!! The nurses were furious and they kept phoning the dietician. Shantilly said that she was happy I was so aware of what I could and could not have, or else we would have been in trouble! No kidding!
After another sleepless night last night, I thought I was going to croak. But the Resident came in and asked me if I wanted to go home (DUH!!) and off I went. Shantilly came and changed all of my dressings (fantastic looking, she said) and then I got dressed and got the heck out of dodge.
So it`s been a rough few days. But I`m home now and I must say I feel better being in my own space.
And I learned something really deep during my four days in a hospital gown. The only thing that REALLY separates us from the animals is our ability to wear underpants!
Have a good one everyone, and thanks for all of the good wishes. Sorry this was so long!
Cynthia
Then the OR nurse came out and I walked into surgery! My sister was appalled (I was a little dopey by then), but it was fine. I must have looked charming in my ginormous attire, hat and stumbling around
And then I was being given something to "make me a little woozy" by Dr. Tang - no kidding. Then I kind of came to in post-op surrounded by doctors and nurses. Back out again, and then I was being wheeled into a room. I had enough presence of mind to say,, "Hey, I'm supposed to have a private room!". Unfortunately, there were none available.
It was one heck of a noisey night. I was in the Cardiac Step Down Ward and I had three roommates - two elderly men who had bed alarms and were constantly setting them off. Then there were the constant interruptions for blood pressure, temperature, etc.
I woke up Tuesday after a groggy, yet oddly sleepless, night. The nurse came in with two student nurses and asked if one of them could take out my catheter and the other observe. By this time she could have asked me to give up a kidney, I would have.
But my student nurse, Ashley was wonderful. She spent a great part of the day with me, cheering me on. At 7:30 a.m. I asked if I could get up and the nurses almost cheered. So for a couple of hours, I sat on the edge of the bed. Then I got up and walked around.
I must say I`ve never had so many strangers asking me if I`d farted in my life (forgive my language). And then they were shocked when I said I had been. Well, don`t ask if you don`t really want to know!
I must say that on Tuesday and Wednesday I had some serious `buyer`s remorse`. It was very intense and I was exhausted. They kept saying they were going to move me, but never did, so I was stuck in the ward with people shouting, alarms going off, families there at all hours. It was very tiring. I`m feeling slightly better about it now, but I shed a few tears in hospital.
Not to help was the fact that the only pain meds they gave me was the liquid tylenol, which made me throw up each time. Finally on Tuesday night, after vomitting again, I said, nope, not taking it anymore. And the only thing they had as an alternate was a high dose of demerol, which the nurses and I decided would not work for me. So from Tuesday night on, I had no pain meds.
Dr. Nguyen wouldn`t let me out in the original timeline. I was supposed to be out on Wednesday, but Tuesday he said I had some abnormal blood work, so I didn`t get out until today. As a matter of fact, I didn`t see Dr. N yesterday or today - he sent his resident instead.
AND they kept giving me the wrong kind of food - one meal they sent a sandwich!! The nurses were furious and they kept phoning the dietician. Shantilly said that she was happy I was so aware of what I could and could not have, or else we would have been in trouble! No kidding!
After another sleepless night last night, I thought I was going to croak. But the Resident came in and asked me if I wanted to go home (DUH!!) and off I went. Shantilly came and changed all of my dressings (fantastic looking, she said) and then I got dressed and got the heck out of dodge.
So it`s been a rough few days. But I`m home now and I must say I feel better being in my own space.
And I learned something really deep during my four days in a hospital gown. The only thing that REALLY separates us from the animals is our ability to wear underpants!
Have a good one everyone, and thanks for all of the good wishes. Sorry this was so long!
Cynthia
Welcome to the other side!!!! Glad to hear that although it was rough you made it and are home where you belong!!!! Every day is a little better and you will back in the swing of things before you know it!!!!
Sorry I did not come to visit you, I had no way to contact you to find out where you were at!!!
Sorry I did not come to visit you, I had no way to contact you to find out where you were at!!!
Well I am happy to hear you are out and doing better, sucks about the pain meds!! Your situation is the perfect example why ppl need to bring earplugs and their own food (sugar free jello) Hospitals rarely seem to get it right!! Hope you can manage the pain ok at home and get the rest you need, congrats on getting on the losers bench can wait to hear updates!!
Rhonda
Rhonda
Thanks for going into detail. It helps those of us who haven't been through it to know what goes on. Looks like each hospital handles things a bit differently. Too bad about not having your own room but that's our beloved health care system, eh. I'm looking forward to reading your post-op posts.
Take care,
Cathrine
Take care,
Cathrine
HW 262, BMI 46.2 / SW 216, BMI 38.2 / CW 183 / GW 155
*45 lbs were lost pre-op. 5' 3 1/2"
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