It's Done

My daughter Jenny picked me up early on Wednesday November 2009. We headed for the hospital, both of us thought the other had the directions so we had to call to find out how to get there.
We found the parking garage and then couldn't find our way out of the garage to get to the building. We finally found a long hallway and headed in. We asked a man as we were headed in for directions and he briefly told us where to go, he wasn't too interested in helping us.
We found our way finally to the third floor, where I signed in on a computer and picked up a round disc that would buzz when they wanted me. I joked to Jenny that it felt like we were at the DMV.
The buzzer didn't buzz but someone called my name. I went up to the desk and they sent me on my way. Jenny and I went down the hall and as we went the lady taking us picked up a magnet from a large chart and placed it on my name. She said I'd like the nurse getting me ready for surgery because she had had the same surgery a few years ago. That was so great because this nurse really was helpful and put me at ease. They had some trouble drawing blood from me and called in the expert. The expert had more trouble and apologizing put the IV in my wrist. It was OK I was used to people having this kind of trouble.
Before I had time to think about it a nurse came and said they were ready for me and to get on the gurney. I got on the gurney and she turned me around. As she rolled me away I started to cry, I felt so bad because Jenny then cried and I know it was just nerves. She rolled me down a hall and at the end of the hall stood my Dr. It felt a little surreal. It was like Peter at the gates of heaven. He said don't be afraid this is going to go just fine. There's no need to be nervous. I sure was glad he was there and re-assured me.
Then then took me down another hall and parked me in front of these doors, I thought that it was my surgical room.. I was just parked in the hall for a while. The anesthesiologist came out and talked to me. I told him about my last experience with laproscopy and how my heart slowed. He explained to me that there was a nerve near the heart that would sometimes do that but he had a way to keep it from happening. That was good news for me. He gave me some stuff in the IV. I waited for quite a while staring at the wall next to me. It was weird because they had an arrow where I was parked that said to park there, above the arrow was this
holder and in the holder were little throw away markers that they used to mark where the surgery would be. I guess no wrong legs are operated on there. After what seemed like ages the anesthesiologist came back and said he was giving me a sedative. Then someone came and said OK it's time to go. I remember them turning me around,which was a surprise because I thought I was going into a different room. I then remember being rolled into the surgery room.
It really seemed large. I don't remember much after that. The next thing I know I am awake and they are telling me they will be taking me to my room. Then I remember going to my room and seeing Jenny. I was so, so glad to be alive. I wasn't sure how this would turn out. But now I knew I had a chance to change my life.
They gave me a morphine pump, so I rarely felt a lot of pain. Jenny stayed with me for a long time then had to get back to my grand baby Max. My friend Sophia stopped by and gave me a silly card with a half naked man on it and a congratulations balloon. The kids came by later and brought me another beautiful set of balloons with a big butterfly balloon. It was really neat. I wasn't the worm that turned into a dragonfly like the Irish series of books I just read by Brendan O'Carrol , but a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. This was a much better outcome for me! The second day Jenny came over and brought some Movie DVD's but by the time we were able to figure out the DVD player my friend Kim stopped by. In just a few minutes she was followed by Sophia. We all went for a walk, and while walking found out my IV just blew. We went back to the room and Kim took the IV out for me, we were having great fun. Kim's an accomplished Nurse Practitioner with her own clinic and I was calling her Nurse Ratchet, and Sophia was having fun telling jokes. We are dangerous when we get together, John the nurse from the hospital came in and I'm sure wondered what he got himself into.
I was not allowed to drink anything until the following day. I'm not sure why, but I was so glad for that 1 oz cup of water the next morning you wouldn't believe it. The first day I was allowed and oz of water every hour. The next day I was allowed 2 oz of water an hour. Then on Friday three oz. Saturday four oz. I was allowed one oz of jello the second day three times a day. The third day I could have jello and broth 1 oz of each three times a day. Today I am allowed creamed soup and 1% milk three times a day. And 1 oz of skim milk. It felt like a feast.
I haven't experienced any hunger. Just a longing. It's kind of weird. I just feel a sense of loss. but it's very subtle. I am not overcome with it and accept it as part of the package.
While I was at the hospital the nurse that admitted me and John, one of my nurses on the floor, told me the same story. They told me a man came in for bypass surgery and after surgery went straight to McDonald's and ate french fries, and God knows what else, he ended up back at the hospital. Who would do that? It made me even more determined to stick with everything the Dr.'s and nurses told me.
I had wonderful care and great nurses, Irene was a little Scottish lady from Glasgow, my grandmother and great grandmother are from Glasgow so it was pretty neat to have her there. She asked me to be sure to hug her when I left, but I couldn't find her. John my last nurse was very concerned that I should stay on the diet. I asked him if any one ever came back to see them after surgery and he said no. I promised him I would be back to show him how well I have done. He said "I believe your going to do it" I agreed. I am glad I had the surgery at LDS everyone was so kind to me. My daughter Angela came and picked me up Thursday and brought me to my youngest daughter Emily's house. She took good care of me and I spent one night there. I was ready to go to my own home that Friday night and am now writing this blog from there. I am doing great, the only discomfort I have is the gas pains from having the gas pumped into my system. I also found three staples that weren't removed, but my friend Kim will probably take them out for me. They were up high and I just think the nurse missed them. It was kind of funny to me.