Day of surgery......my new Birthday!

It is about 3:30 am on Tuesday the 7Th of October. I am up and ready to go. We have packed a big cooler of food, feed all the animals and the house is all in order. I took care of all personal stuff....paper work, legal stuff, etc... I am prepared! We all meet a few miles away, my family! And a few friends. Off to Boston for a 6am check in.


Of course we are a few minutes late. We always are late! The check in is packed with people lined up for surgery. I get greeted and escorted to a changing room. Get the house gown and a pair of scrubs, oh the slippers too. Then I go to get weighted and vitals taken. All is going good, although I can see my hubby is starting to get freaky. I wished I could take that away for him......but I can't, I just tell him I will be OK and that I love him.


So they call my name....I am next! I give everyone a hug and kiss, extra one for my hubby! Tell them I love them and I will be fine! I get walked down a long hall and into another holding pattern of rows and rows of beds. I get my place and they cover my hair with a fish net and begin to hook up lines for the heart. Then it's the IVs and since I have Low Blood Pressure they put in a A line to get the most accurate reading.


Each part of my surgeons team comes over to talk with me. First are the Anesthesiologist, what a hoot they were....some pretty funny people. They did give me a choice of how I wanted it to work: with there eyes open or MINE! I picked theirs! Then the Nurses, which one commented that I must have done a lot of prep and research because I have the TOP team in NE working on my case. This made me feel very comfy. Then the surgeons that would be helping: they promised to take good care of me and keep my husband informed. Finally my doctor: Dr Heilman, in his scrubs ready to go. I asked him if he slept good? He joked and said he has not yet........ No he replied, when I have a case like this we ALL go to bed early! My friends with the medications came back and I only remember him saying......so you like Ativan, well wait till you try this..........................OUT!

Seemed I was only out a second. I woke and my throat was so dry and it hurt. I was thirsty but they would not give me anything. I could hardly talk. The back of my head felt like cement. However, funny I had NO pain in my right eye and NO pressure in my right ear. Everything else hurt. I opened my eyes and looked around and it was crystal clear.....the smells, the sounds, I was understanding everything! Now to some this may be odd, but I was excited! A nurse came over and asked me my name.....where I was......my birthday......To which I replied all correct except my Birthday, I told her it was Oct. 7, 2008. No she said what is YOUR birthday! I giggled......my real one is Aug. 14, 1966 but today I am REBORN! She got it!! Then Dr. Heilman came to check on me, I told him I have NO eye and ear pain! He was reserved and said lets just hope it stays. He told me it was VERY crowded in there and things cleaned up nicely.

They got me my husband and I was so glad to see him. He looked so tired and stressed, poor baby! My nurse was a general I swear, she made him leave. Not before he gave me a hug, kiss and my pillow. Which by the way was the WRONG pillow for me to have and for YOU if you are having this surgery.

Onto second shift nurses (7pm - 7am). Not as much a warden but pretty close. I get to see my daughter for about 2 minutes. That's it. Can't see my sons or my mom. By midnight she sees I am not comfortable and she comes in and says.......do you want to get out of here faster? YES I DO. Then lets do this MY way, I have cared for many whom have had your surgery, lets start with your PILLOW. GONE! She has soft smaller ones and some big side ones and kept rolling me side to side every 30 minutes. Kept increasing the degree on the bed. Shifted me up when I was slipping. She was there the whole time! By the time 7am came she had bought me an Ice Coffee and had me propped up so good I could drink it! So I am ready to move to a normal room.

As soon as I get into my room, PT is there! Lets Go! So I go! They got me out of bed. No stopping me now. Lines are coming out and my medication is by pills. This is what I want! They feed me good hot food, no it really was good! So the first day I walk around the halls every hour for 15 minutes. Yes I hurt! But it's on the outside, no longer do I hurt on the inside! I get my visit from Dr. Heilman whom is shocked to say the least. I am 3 days ahead of the normal recovery time. He asked me if Tomorrow I would like to go home......if........I promised to be good! I agreed and started making my plans to go home!