Surgery

I’m on my 3rd bowl of ice cream for the day. It’s all I can eat. The anesthesia made my throat VERY sore and all I want to do is pour ice cream down my gullet. My mouth hurts like the dickens. My tongue is a little swollen and it hurts when I move it.

Let’s rewind to the start of my day. I wake up at 6:00am. We had to be at the hospital by 7:30. I put on my new comfy clothes (purchased yesterday evening. What? It’s how I dealt with my anxiety for the upcoming surgery), brushed and flossed and got in the car. Dale stopped at Starbucks to buy a coffee, a bottle of water, and a breakfast sammich. I could have none of those as you are not allowed to eat or drink anything before surgery. NPO = Nothing Per Orem (Nil Per Os in Latin).

We got to the hospital (Seaton NW) and made our way to the surgical center. Everyone there was extremely nice and professional. I signed a few papers and was asked, again, if I had a living will or advanced directive. I do not. Dale and I really need to get on that. You should too! I for one do not want to be kept alive via a breathing machine and feeding tube if I am brain dead. No sir. Getting the living will, medical power of attorney, and advanced directive are on my list of things to accomplish in 2012.

I then had to pee in a cup. You know, they gotta do a pregnancy test and what not.

They brought me to the pre-op room where I changed into hospital attire (so sexy) and read a little (Stephen King’s new book 11/22/61). The nurse came in and took my temp, bp, and started an IV.

Ewww.....

She then asked me a series of medical questions that I would have to answer 3 more times as the anesthesiologist, surgeon, and surgical nurse all came to visit one by one.

Before I knew it, they came to wheel me to the operating room. Before they did, the nurse shot two different meds into my IV. The room took on a soft, warm glow. Everything is beauuuuuuuuutiful! I kissed my husband and away we went.

In the OR, I rolled from my bed onto the table. I was amazed by the ceiling but I can’t remember why. The anesthesiologist put the misty mask over my face and that was that. I was out.

A nurse woke up me up in recovery. Except for shivering like a leaf on a tree, I felt fine. No pain. No nausea. The nurse placed a warm blanket over my head and wrapped it around my shoulders. So nice. Dale came in and they told me I could get dressed and go.

So I did. I was still cold when I got home so I crawled into bed, turned on the heating pad, wrapped a scarf around my neck, cuddled my dogs, and went to sleep.

A few hours later, the pain kicked in. Guess whatever pain killer they had me on at the hospital wore off. I feel like my trachea is lined with sand paper. I am not talking because that hurts my throat and my mouth. Dale is being a wonderful care taker. He brings me the ice cream and my water. He checks on me and tells me he loves me.

Cooper and Charlie only leave my side when they need to eat or use the bathroom. Aww. They do love to nap but I also believe they know when I am not feeling well and want to comfort/watch over me.

Charlie is not in the picture because he is under the covers next to my feet.

That’s all for now. My pain meds are making me sleepy so I am gonna post this and then nap a little. I’ll probably wake up later and have some ice cream for dinner.