Surgery Day

Last Tuesday I was all sorts of nervous, as the following day would be the long-awaited surgery day.  After Yessenia came and started cleaning the house, I packed up all the kiddos and headed to the airport to pick up my mom.  Sadly, I hadn't been sleeping well due to anxiousness so I was dead exhausted and pretty worthless. Chad was running late from Corpus Christi so we splurged on some cat scraps (Sushi) for dinner.  {I was hoping that if I had any vomiting from anesthesia I'd barf up the sushi and never again care for it, as it's an expensive habit.}. Chad arrived home and I took my first CHG shower and went to bed.

Wednesday morning, as usual, came far too soon.  I felt like I only slept three or four hours the night before, but I had to be at the hospital by 6am.  I took my second and final CHG shower, shaved the legs, and dried my hair.  I got everything laid out for the day, packed my just-in-case bag, and waited for Chad to hit the road.  Although my anxiety was through the roof, I managed to stay pretty calm until they called me back to my pre-op room and wouldn't let Chad come with.  Sigh.

Amazingly, I convinced the nurse to allow me to wear my pretty gown that I'd planned on wearing when I delivered the twins, for awhile.  When it got closer for me to be wheeled back, I had to put on the standard issue gown.  My anxiety was about to shoot through the roof - why couldn't I be on the 3rd floor where you get a present {baby} when you leave?  Just nine months ago I had delivered (emergently) my sweet twins, but that day I was delivering my uterus.  Saying goodbye to my reproductive years. :(. 

Dr Heaps showed up as the anesthesiologist was finishing up, and we had a discussion about everything.  Totally terrifying.  I know, however, that I was in the best hands for this procedure. Yes, I'd considered chickening out, but I knew I couldn't really do that.  As much as I didn't want to admit it, this surgery was in my best interest.  The three of us joked around a bit, talked about a television show that we love, and decided we wanted to watch Mass for Shut-ins.  Had a few more words, and I asked my strange favor, which I will explain in another blog.  Chad gave me a kiss goodbye, and I got some Versed and I was wheeled to the OR.

Upon arriving to the OR an alarm was going off, and in true Diana style, I told them just how annoying that beeping was. I joked around with the team, telling them that the lioness wasn't asleep yet.  And, sadly, I may have fought actually falling asleep though I didn't last long.  Next thing I knew I was waking up in PACU. {Side Story: Apparently they were waking me up in the OR, and I was dropping F-bombs all over the place.  Cursing quite like a sailor.  Anesthesia was worried about me, but my OB knew better.  He apparently told them that he'd be concerned if I wasn't cursing.}  I couldn't even talk, and I honestly wanted to throw up from dry mouth.  I used hand signals to communicate what I did or didn't want.  I wasn't getting enough oxygen, so they kept me hooked up to the damn mask which irritated me even more.  Apparently, my heart was racing so they called anesthesia, who said it had to do with the robotic surgery.  Suddenly there was a surge of patients in PACU, so I convinced them to send me to my observation room. 

WHenever the alarm went off, I had to pay close attention to my breathing.  Eventually I got up to pee and only got a few drops out, but I figured it was fine and dandy since I'd had a catheter.  We got to pack up and head home.  The ride home was somewhat brutal, especially when we hit bumps.  I definitely was not comfortable.  I was so happy to see my kiddos when we got home, but I was in desperate need of my pain medicine so Chad went to Target to pick it up.  While he did that, I attempted to take a nap, but was unable to get comfortable.  Chad returned with the medicine and my traditional Little Caesars pizza.  I'd started having some unbearable pain while he was gone, and it appeared that I couldn't urinate.  YIKES!

After we got everybody to bed, I called the answering service and left a message.  The moron I spoke with was absolutely clueless.  He asked three times what I had done, and then asked me if I was pregnant.  After I said no, he asked if I was a hundred percent positive that I wasn't pregnant.  Hmmm...thanks for reminding me, ass hat.  It wasn't long before Dr Heaps called himself.  I was so thankful that he was on call.  We talked about it, and he apologized profusely.  We decided it was in my best interest to go to the Convenient Care Center in Sienna (MH ER) for treatment, and that the ER Physician needed to call him to discuss me.  Turns out, the ER doc was actually a neighbor that had just sent me a message about joining our mom's group.  This wasn't exactly the way I'd hoped to meet her, but whatever. I ended up with a Foley catheter and was drained, prior to hooking up my leg bag so that I could go home.  Of course, I was the bright one who was wearing shorts.  So, I walked out of the ER with a bag of pee on my leg.  Jealous?

I felt better immediately, but the leg bag didn't hold much fluid, which meant that I was waking up constantly and emptying it into the toilet.  It was quite annoying.  I went in to see Dr Heaps at 945 at the Sienna office, where he removed my "pee bag."  That, apparently, caught Chad off guard which made me laugh.  Heaps is really good at catching Chad off guard, the man really should work on his warnings.  He sent me home with three self-cath's, just in case, and decided that if it continued I'd go back to see him in the morning and get another leg bag through the weekend, and then would see him on Monday to remove it.  Luckily, I was able to urinate without difficulty.

To be continued...