The Day Of

Scroll down to the previous post for the day before.

I woke up on Tuesday the 23rd to my mom's excited "This is the first day of the rest of your life!" Ah, Mom, you gotta love her enthusiasm sometimes. I still felt calm and unworried. I showered, washing from the neck down with a special sponge the surgeon's office gave me. It smelled weird. I couldn't use lotion ,and my hands were already starting to panic - they like to be well-moisturized. I brushed my teeth, making sure not to swallow even a drop of water, as per my instructions. Mom was kind enough to eat the hotel's breakfast while I was in the shower, so I didn't feel any deprivation. Frankly, it was kind of a treat not to have to drink a SlimFast!

We drove to the hospital, later than I had wanted, but as usual, I had given us plenty of time, so we arrived perfectly on time. We checked in and only had to wait a few minutes before being called to the back to be weighed (just me, not her) and taken to my pre-op room. A kindly nurse came in, gave me my hospital gown, and instructed me to change into it. I did, thinking of the funny scene in As Good As It Gets where Jack Nicholas's character is loopy from the heart meds and runs around in the hospital gown with his bum peeking out - my mom and I couldn't stop laughing when we saw it the first time - it still makes me giggle. The surgeon and anesthesiologist came in to talk to us and see if we had any questions. I asked for clarification about my post-surgery diet, glad Mom was there so we'd both understand. My surgery was scheduled for 10am but the doctor before us finished early, so they wheeled me into the operating room about 9:40am. I don't remember a lot - they'd already given me the anesthetics - I was out before they even had me count backwards from 100. However, I heard afterward that I was cracking jokes, making the nurses, doctor, and anesthesiologist laugh.

I woke up wondering when they were going to ask me to count backward from 100. The pain hit and I realized I was post-op! Wow! That was fast. I found out from my mom later that I was in the operating room for about an hour and a half. I saw a nurse bustling around me and tried to tell her that I was in pain but couldn't make the words come out - my throat was so dry. Finally, I managed to tell her, she gave me meds, and I asked her how my liver had looked and if it had done nicely. She looked surprised and said that my liver was fine and had done fine. She later said she had never heard anyone ask how their liver was after a surgery for anything other than the liver. I was glad all that SlimFast hadn't been for naught. I started chatting with the nurse. I couldn't believe how talkative I was, especially since my throat was dry and my mouth was becoming more so with every word. I asked for water but she said I'd get some when I went into my room, I was still in Recovery. I still felt a bit of pain, so the nurse gave me more meds, keeping me in Recovery 30 minutes longer. Mom said she had started to worry when it had been over an hour and a half since the surgeon came out to tell her everything had gone well and they still hadn't brought her back to see me.

Finally, they took me to my room and I finally got a bit of water. I couldn't handle much, but the little bit I got sure felt great in my mouth. A few times, Mom would tilt the cup to give me water, nothing would manage to get into my mouth, but she'd pull the glass any way. I'd have to ask her to try again. Each time it made us giggle. I slept intermittedly, but surprising not a lot. I was pretty alert. After a seemingly short amount of time, the nurse had me get out of bed to try walking. I did so without a problem (thank heavens for pain med!) and even tried to use the restroom (to no avail). They finally released me. I dressed in my comfy exercise pants and t-shirt, Mom carrying my personal stuff, and headed out. Mom left before me to pull the car around to the front of the hospital. I got to be driven down in a wheelchair by a former NASCAR driver. Seriously, she took curves like she'd forgotten I had came out of surgery a few hours previously! I thought I was going to be sick.

The ride home wasn't bad. The weather had cleared, thankfully, and we were leaving before 3pm, so there was still plenty of light. The toughest times were when Mom stopped and started - it really pulled my stomach and hurt like a mug - even with the liquid loritab in me from before I left the hospital.

Speaking of which, that stuff is nasty! I realize they gave me liquid meds because of my particular surgery, but I really wish I could've had it in pill form. There were times I dreaded taking my pain med so much that I'd almost cry. A week later, I haven't had any since Sunday night. I'd rather suffer a little pain and try to relieve it with rest than take any more of that poison. Bleh!

Anyhoo, we got home and I laid down on the couch. More than anything, I craved water. I could only handle a couple drops at a time, but it was seriously the best thing in the world. I slept a bit, had the yummiest beef broth ever - it was warm and not sweet!!! - then got a visit from Cardine. She brought me flowers. (I'm pretty sure it was Tuesday that she visited, but details are a little sketchy due to the meds.) It was so nice of her to visit! My little brother arrived that evening and we chatted a bit. I'm always happy when he's in town. I watched a lot of tv and slept off and on. I remember having to drink that nasty loritab periodically. Yuck! Oh, and Mom kept making me walk up and down the hall a couple times every hour or so. I also remember my brother and mom discussing who was going to sleep where. Mom kindly gave up her uber-comfy bed to me for my entire stay with her. I was so relieved to be going to bed and getting to sleep.

I woke up a few times during the night, every time I changed positions, and a couple times to take more medicine. Oh, and to walk a couple times.

Let me explain the walking. The nurses and my surgeon all told me to walk to dispel gas. They had to inflate my stomach cavity with lots of gas so the surgeon could see what he was doing. Before sewing me up, they tried to get as much out as possible, but there was still a lot inside me. Walking is the best way to get rid of it. They warned me that I'd feel pain in my shoulder from the gas and they were right! It hurt so much! And the pain med didn't seem to help. So, I walked as much as possible. To keep it real, I'll tell you that it took a couple days before the gas started to...ahem...leave my body. The first time was such a relief. Okay, enough of this subject!

All in all, the day had gone smoothly. The nurses and doctor all expressed how impressed they were with how well I did in surgery and afterward. My body recovered so nicely that I left the hospital a couple hours earlier than Mom and I planned on. Really, it was as good an experience as surgery can be. Nice, caring people took care of me. No complications. Recovered quickly. What more could I ask for?