The Big Day!!!! Day #1

The day had finally arrived!!!  As I stated in an earlier post I woke up very early this morning with only a few hours of sleep, but I figured I could catch up while I was under the knife.  I finished out the last few hours of waiting with packing some clothes for the hospital and watching the news….trying to keep my mind off the excitement and the growling stomach that has now been empty for almost two days.

Finally the time of 10:30 came so I rushed my dad out the door and onto the road.  The ride there was exciting because my dad’s road rage and Charlotte traffic don’t seem to get along, so it was fairly eventful.

We arrived safely at the hospital and I quickly walked to the 2^nd floor surgical suite and checked in.  I was surprised to find out they took me right back to the pre op room.  All the staff that I dealt with was awesome.  Everyone came in and was helpful in any way that I could ever ask for.  Well, after doing all the paperwork and signing my life away and all that junk, I was handed my gown and was told to get naked and get in bed (too bad I don’t hear that more often, lol).  The nurse came in and helped me put on my pressure socks and anti-slip socks and then it was to the bed I went.  I was so excited at this point.  I would compare this waiting to the feeling you have while waiting in line at an amusement park to get on a ride….I couldn’t wait!!!

I was scheduled to be pushed back at 1pm, but delays had occurred all morning, and my operation was delayed more and more and more and more and more and more and more (at least that’s the way it felt in my head)  Finally at around 2:30 Dr Pirello came in and told me it was my time.  I shook his hand, we had a little talk, and next thing I remember was the nurse came in and gave me versed…….After that I was floating on cloud 9.  I remember being rolled back to the operation room and I remember moving over to the operating bed, and then I remember sitting up and telling the people in the room that under no circumstance was a tube to go up my penis….my exact words (besides a pulmonary embolism, that was my next biggest fear)….then all I remember was someone whispering to me sweet dreams!

While I was sleeping or recovery, I am not sure; I dreamt that the operation was a failure and that the doctor was unable to complete the operation….I was so sad, not sure if I was sad in my dream or in recovery….but I do remember that when I woke up, or came to enough I asked the nurse if everything was good, and she replied YES!!!!! And we gave each other a high five….the next thing I asked was….is there anything going up my penis…..she laughed and said so……I was very relieved.  The next hour or so I was very very very drowsy, but when I started to wake up more; I meet my little friend called an on demand pump filled with deluded…..and attached to this little man was a trigger, me and that trigger bonded over the next few hours.  I would not say I was in tremendous pain but it was very uncomfortable, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach really hard (funny to say that knowing I don’t really have a stomach any more ahhahahaa).  Once I arrived in my room on the 4^th floor I was shocked to see the time, it was 8:30pm.  I remembered being pushed back at 3pm, so I asked my dad if something had went wrong during the operation, and he told me that they had to do more work on me due to me having a hernia that they didn’t know about, and my stomach and spleen were attached (not normal), and my stomach was thicker than normal so it took more time for the whole operation…..but all in all everything went well.

Over the next few hours I was recovering, but I wanted to get up and walk around because I have a huge fear of a pulmonary embolisms.  I am in the fire department and am an EMT so I have seen people die out of nowhere with a PE, so I knew that movement would help prevent this.  So around 10:30pm I was able to get up.  I made it to the hall way and made me a couple laps around the floor.  I was amazing myself, I was still very drowsy and in a lot of pain, but I HAD to move to get better.  After those two laps I was wore out and very sore.  I went back to my room and got in my bed and got ready for sleep.  With the help of my new pain med friend I was able to sleep somewhat well.  But all good things must come to an end….and that happened around 3am in the morning when the nurses came in and asked if I had went to the bathroom, and my answer was no ( I knew deep down inside why they were asking, and what this was leading too, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself)….so me and nurse got me up and I stood in front of the toilet for what felt like an eternity….but I could not find the right muscles to strain to go to the bathroom….me and the nurse tried everything from running water, to dipping my hand in warm water, etc. but nothing!  So I told the nurse that I was ok and that I didn’t need to go….well her being the good nurse she was, she didn’t take that answer; next thing I know is there is a sonar machine in my room (one like they use to find out if a baby is a boy or girl)….so they gelled me up and took a look at my bladder; to my disappointment my bladder was full yet I wasn’t able to go to the bathroom……so what did that mean?????  You got that right, a cath…AKA the devil!!!!  I had never had this done before and was very nervous…..but thanks to my pain med friend and numbing gel; it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Come to find out she emptied like 800cc of fluid from me….and after that I was so relieved…..

Well, that is the story of Day #1, look out for day #2 to come very soon!!!