Surgery

It has been a week since I was released from the hospital. I feel 100% better than I did when I was released. On the morning of my surgery I had to check into the hospital at 5:15 in the morning, it was so early! Once I was signed in I was sent back to the pre-op holding area, changed into the always flattering hospital gown, and waited. The anesthesiologist came into my curtain room and started my IV. My hands are so small Cody made him go and get the smallest needle that they have, and he told him to get a shot of lidocaine. Once I was in the operating room they would put in a much bigger needle so that they could give me a blood transfusion if necessary. At around 7:30 I was taken back into the operating room. The next couple of days are a blur. I remember a little bit of the recovery room: the recovery nurse loosing Cody and then finding him, my mother-in-law Carolyn giving me a huge kiss before she left to go home, and Cheryl (my plastic surgeon’s PA) standing at the foot of my bed. When a room was ready they moved me into a private hospital room.

View out the window of my room






When they wheeled my bed into the hospital around 4:00 pm I remember everyone in the room staring at me – Dad, Diane, Mom, and Cody. It was really surreal. The room was dark and cold, and I was the center of attention. The rest of Tuesday and the night were a blur. I was in a lot of pain, and the morphine they gave me for pain did nothing. It was not until after the day shift came on that I finally received something for my pain. I don’t remember my night nurse, but I remember the doctors coming and checking on me. Tuesday night I was visited by Dr. Smith, Dr. Bedrosian’s resident. Wednesday morning Dr. Chang and Cheryl came to visit. Cody was so adept at discussing my pain and the different ways to manage it that Dr. Chang asked if he was a physician or pharmacist. Next, Dr. Thomas, Dr. Bedrosian’s fellow, came to visit. I never thought I would be visited by some many doctors in one day. It is normal for a teaching hospital, and I expected it, but it was still strange. All the doctors decided that I needed to stay one more night in the hospital because I was unable to stop vomiting. The consensus was that I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and that it was not unexpected after undergoing a seven hour surgery.

Whiteboard in my hospital room used to keep track of important milestones, names of my care team, and treatment goals.






Cody managed to read to me all of the messages that people sent when he sent out my surgery updates. It was really nice to hear so many people were thinking about me. Poor Cody had to sleep on this awful sofa/chair thing in the hospital. It was really nice of Diane to take him back to their hotel and let him take a shower and nap. I’m really glad that he got a chance to get away. It was very strange being in the hospital. Every few hours someone would come into my room to do something. Wednesday night I managed to get a good night sleep, as good as one can expect in the hospital, and by Thursday morning I was ready to get out of the hospital. First I had to eat something (and keep it down) and take at least a 5 minute walk. My walk around the floor was the first time that I had been out of my room since they wheeled me in on Tuesday. It felt great to finally get out of that stupid bed, with its stupid air mattress, and stretch my legs. It took five hours from the time I was told by Dr. Smith that he was letting me leave the hospital until the discharge papers were ready for me to sign.

 Waiting to sign the discharge papers and get unhooked from my IV.





They called down to have someone assist me out of the hospital, and after waiting a few hours Dad and I decided to make a break for it. He grabbed my bags and we made our escape. On the way to the elevator we encountered the discharge cart, “Let me guess, room 22?” So we piled all my stuff on the cart and went to meet Cody downstairs. I insisted on walking out of the hospital under my own power, no assistance necessary. Cody managed to get me in the front seat, all of our bags loaded, and we were off. Back home to Austin.