|
This post might be longer than my first post op round as I am almost pain free! I don't even know where to start since everything was almost 180 degrees from my first round. I didn't even do ANY pain meds last night. I had taken .5mg dilodid (I know I spelled that wrong) at about 6:00pm and that was it. One perc. this morning at 4:00am and it's about 11 right now and I haven't even wanted one. For one thing, the stent is much lower, and as we know smaller. There's a small signature of pain that feels like I have a really swollen gland (you know the ones your mom felt to see if you were sick). Sitting at the 'puter is no problem at all.
Dr. Dake came in this morning and I was already dressed from the waist down, shoes and all, with my gown hanging from my IV pump since all the lines had to go through the arms! He was just 'wow do you look alert'. I also feel that way, this quick, amazing. I'm already finding my words quicker, I'm just blown away. I walked 3 laps around the area I was in not 2 hours after the procedure (this time I was where Randi was; along the entrance to the hospital) and stopped in and saw Tracy (Questor). He looked like I did 8 weeks ago post op, but he was very upbeat, but I could tell he was really hurting so I didn't spend too much time in there. Everytime he would raise up to talk to me, his alarms went off and I could tell he just needed to be flat. So there I was talking to him with a catheter bag hanging from my IV pole which had 3 bags hanging from it. "Ain't we a raggedy ass bunch!" was all I could think. I saw Coach too. She will have a story to tell also, but I didn't know where she was in the hospital. She and her husband are soooo very nice as is Tracy.
On to the goods: So after finding out that he suspected my valves were not functioning, he 'went around' them and tried to get flow, and sure enough, the valve did not open. So he puts a balloon in to see what it's going to do once it's open, which BTW hurt like hell this time, and he was like a little kid. I think he actually jumped a little bit and exclaimed "that's it, there's the money shot!". The collateral just disappeared. So after having some fun with his phraseology , I pulled my hand out from under the surgery blanket for a fist bump and got promptly chastised by the nurses about the sterility and all that. I told them I was already sterile, but anyway....
Now I know I'm making some transcription errors in terms of the procedural portion of it here as you are a little goofy during the procedure, but that was basically the gist of it. I found out that last time, for some reason, I was in like an ICU lite room last time (probably just INpatient post op), and this time I was in outpatient aftercare, so there was no pulse monitor or anything and I slept like a rock for about six hours straight. I'm ready to fly home today. Last time, not so much. I ate a turkey sandwich, yogurt and 3 juices right after surgery in the room where you go while you're waiting for your actual room. Well that only lasted about 10 minutes and it was off to my room, and dinner came in not 5 minutes after I got there and I ate the whole damn thing.
So it was great, I am in high cotton right now, but I'm sure I'll come back down and find out how I really will feel by tomorrow. Right now I'm just flying high since it was such a major difference from the first time and I actually feel something (the clear headedness). I can open my mouth this time. Last time that hurt so bad I spent about a week "flattening" my food and putting it to my mouth on a fork and sliding it off with my fingers. The floor around my chair at the table resembled the 18 month olds' area. So this time I'm going to chow. I also walked out, no wheelchair. I haven't used one yet this visit, not once. It has been an awesome experience this go around and I hope I start to see some improvement, but I am going to be OK if this is where I'm stuck. I am walking very well for me and I'm thinking clear. I would still love some bladder relief, but as I've said before, make the walking better and that's not nearly as much of a trial. Seeing Dr. Dake's face when he came in was the best part. I think I caught him off guard. He just kept saying "you look great". That was pretty cool coming from him.
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
