Surgery Day

Didn't get much sleep last night, but everyone keeps saying "don't worry, you get to take a long nap..."

Mom, Tom and I got to the Methodist hospital on time and in one piece (it is one of the hospitals on the Mayo Campus that does the surgeries). We checked in and sat down in a little waiting room with a bunch of other nervous looking recipients, most with crutches. They were calling people in pairs again. My pre-surgery buddy, myself and our combined families were taken upstairs by the surgery concierge, a tall older gentleman with a coat and tie. We were taken to our respective rooms and told to follow the instructions given. I changed out of my tracks suit into my hospital gown and robe, tight calf socks and hospital socks. When the nurse came in with her little pushalong laptop, a few questions were asked and I was told to do the 2 enemas and the medicated douche. Fun.

After awhile we were told to say goodbyes. Hugs all around. I walked with another pre-surgery buddy to recovery, where they set us up. I got to sit there 45 minutes contemplating my mortality and wondering if I still had time to run away, escape, make off with my butt hanging out the back of my gown. Some of the surgical team came up to introduce themselves. The anesthesiology resident came up to introduce himself and start some things. My first impression of him was he was nervous and had to double check every thought before he let it leave his mouth. He put in my first IV well enough, even though someone else commented on it latter that it was a very interesting looking IV setup.
Dr. Patricia (the GYN resident working with Dr Monica Jones) came up, checked on things and said that it was time to go into surgery. They wheeled me through the busy surgery halls down to the last room, OR 10. There were a few people in there getting things setup who waved as I came in. I got felt up by the funny resident anesthesiologist while he was putting on my cardio sensors. Ha ha!

They asked me a few questions and then must have slipped me out really quick. Don't remember anymore.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


I woke up sometime after surgery but while I was still in the operating room. I remember chewing on something in my mouth and someone making another (seemingly sarcastic comment) about how he had the tube in far enough. I think it was the respirator which I think is generally out to at least your mouth. I had a bunch of people talking to me all at once telling me about a 13 pound tumor and then I was back out again.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I woke up in severe pain in the recovery room. All I could manage to communicate was OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWGODDAMMITOW! I got a couple of "I'm getting you something", but whatever they were getting me was definitely not enough. I kept up with my owows and I remember my nurse was on the phone with someone reading off all my info and procedure. I heard a few things that scared the crap out of me like "lymphectomy" which I knew meant cancer testing and bigger procedure. Finally the pain tamed down a bit but I don't think I ever relaxed my arms from fighting position. After a while it was time for me to be transferred to my room. My transporter introduced himself as "Esau, your personal chauffeur" He apologized everytime we went over a bump and seemed like a really nice man. I got to the room and finally got to see my mother and sister and Tom. They were shooed out of the room for a few minutes while they got me set up.

At this point I was manhandled by two nurses. They needed to remove the sheet or something from beneath me. They rolled me like an overly full soft taco. I yelled. They rolled me the other way. I yelled. They hooked up my morphine pump and told me to press the button. Tom was kind enough to push it every five minutes until the nurse caught him and told him not to. I looked at the clock and got a little freaked out. It was after 4 o'clock. They put me out around 7:00 AM. I asked everyone what the hell had happened. They told me what the surgeon had told them.

They had waited for a couple of hours and a nurse had come out to tell them that they were still in surgery and she couldn't really answer any questions. Tom later told me that he gasped and really freaked out because he was worried about cancer. Hours later the surgeon finally came out and told them that the tumor was "transitional" (which is like a precancerous mole you have removed from your skin) which meant they had to do the large incision, a lymphectomy and remove my intestinal fat pad for testing. They removed my right ovary and fallopian tube and did an apendectomy.

Tubes still in place:
2 IV's, only one hooked up to anything
1 nose tube that kept my stomach empty of everything so I wouldn't get sick and vomit
1 urinary catheter
2 drain tubes attached to pumps

My legs are in these leg wrap-arounds that quickly fill up with air every few minutes and force your blood up to keep the risk of blood clots down

Everyone eventually left as I got drowsy and fell asleep. Time passed in an unreal slow state. I would look at the clock and think at least an hour had passed and it would only show 5 minutes. I woke up at least every hour throughout the night and would just sit there and think. I remember turning on the light for the night nurse with her little flashlight every time she came in since I was awake anyway.

End of Surgery day