Surgery Day

OK, so I've been a little absent these last four days (it seems like MUCH longer), buy it's time i updated and documented this second surgery experience.  

The day of surgery I was awake at 4:30am, not because I needed to be, I just was-  ugh!  I had a protein shake and a couple of eggs for breaky and the set about getting my kids ready for school - all the while with this HUGE knot in my tummy. 

My fiance (still love typing that) drove me the 2.5hr trip to the hospital and cracked jokes all the way which helped lighten the mood a little.  We checked in at 12pm and that's when I started to get really nervous. 

I met my anaesthetist who managed to creep me out slightly and really question what the hell I was doing to myself.   I'm not sure he meant to, perhaps he was just ignorant.  Right after that a nurse had me change into my lovely surgical gear (& she managed to help me freak out just a little bit more) so much so, that it was then time to go and wait to be called and I was a blubbering mess.  But with my man holding my hand and cracking more jokes, I managed to not run away.  He took this photo (I had  just been sobbing) and then they called me in.......

Someone helped me up onto the bed and I was still blubbering (but trying really hard not to), most of the surgical team came out to say hi, and I made myself ask their names and what they'd be doing to try and distract myself.  My anaesthetist showed up then & jokingly asked who made me cry (duh - you did)!!  He gave me something to calm me a bit.  Dr D came out and had a chat with me which was comforting & then they wheeled me in & I had to wriggle onto another bed still chatting to my new surgical friends.

I remember one of the ladies putting these cool massaging things on my lower legs to keep the blood moving during my op; then seeing my anaesthetist put something into my tubes, and feeling like I was drifting & I waved bye-bye.   And then I woke up. 

And it felt SO GOOD!! Just the fact that that part was over, no more waiting, no more anticipation, no more knots in my tummy - I had done it and was now officially on the other side after being on the table for a bit over 4 hours. 

First thing I did was feel my chin & it was covered in plaster, so I knew I'd had a genio done. 

It felt like I was in recovery for ages, but it wasnt really, and they wheeled me back to my room where my handsome fiance was waiting for me with a new little friend to keep me company during my hospital stay. 

I could talk ok, and I was very excited with the amount of feeling in my face.  I could feel my cheeks, my nose, all around and on my top and bottom lips, and all bar a little tiny bit on the centre of my chin.

I did a quick update to my blog (ok so I cheated and drafted most of it before my surgery, so I ony had to write a little and post it); then we called my Mum (who was looking after my girls) and had a quick chat so she could let the girls know I was alright when they woke the next morning. 

Bernie told me that he could see bands on my teeth.  One of the nurses had to suction out my mouth a couple of times, but that was about it. 

I didn't get much sleep that night, my tummy wasn't very happy when they gave me morphine & then anti-nausea drugs; and with all the obs the nurses kept doing, but all in all it was a pretty successful (if not scary and emotionally draining) day.