The Gory Details

It's Tracey, living and breathing. Phew! Glad that's over. It may seem crazy that I am updating the blog right now but the memories of yesterday's events are a bit hazy so I figure the longer I wait the hazier they will get. Plus I just woke up from a nap and am 3 hours into a 4 hour drug dose, so this is about as clear thinking as I'm going to get. On that note, forgive me if this is non-sensical, I am in quite a lot of pain, but more so high as a kite on pain meds! So here goes...

We got to the hospital at 1pm and they rushed me through admittance as the surgeon was running ahead of schedule. Not a lot of waiting around pre-surgery so that was good, and I held off the tears until I had to say goodbye to Jordan.

Of all the things I had been nervous about for this surgery, one thing I didn't consider was what it would feel like to be back in the OR after my most recent surgery being the boys' birth. That was the most terrifying event of my life and knowing we weren't having more kids, was pretty confident I wouldn't have to relive it. Boy was I wrong. The minute I laid on my back and looked up at the ceiling in the OR it all came flooding back. So add the nerves of the day plus the horrible memories of the boys' c-section and saying I was a mess was an understatement. The funny thing was, no one even paid attention to me bawling my face off on the table so I guess I'm not the first.

Next thing I knew I was awake, which was pretty strange to me, as in past surgeries the anaesthetist narrated the whole thing and therefore I knew when I was about to be put under. Not this time! Suddenly there I was in recovery, and was with it enough to look for a familiar face - our friend was working so I requested her to be my nurse. My stay in recovery was a good one - no medical drama and we got my pain under control quite quickly. The strangest thing was the hot flash I had - I woke up and was absolutely BOILING. Not just like "it's hot in here" but like what I imagine menopause is like. I had a BP cuff on plus some cuffs on my legs to prevent swelling, and was covered in blankets so I really quickly felt very confined and uncomfortable. But we got rid of all of the extras, got me some cool cloths and an ice pack and within a few minutes it was under control. I'm wondering if it was the shock to my thryroid, suddenly missing half of itself, as your thyroid helps control your temperature.

Having a friend as my nurse in recovery meant I got to see Jordan a bit sooner than others would see their visitor, so that was a pleasant surprise. After 2 hours there they took me back to surgical daycare where I was to wait 4 more hours - doctor's orders to ensure there was no excessive swelling or airway issues. While I patiently waited there they kept me comfortable and I got to eat little bits, although I was having a terrible time with nausea and dizziness (still am quite dizzy today but the nausea is more or less under control). We got some wound care instructions, got my prescription sorted, and at 10:30pm I was discharged.

The drive home was pretty horrible as my nausea kicked into high gear in the car. Unfortunately my surgery was at the hospital 30 minutes away, not the one right down the street, so it was a pretty painful ride. About 2 mins from home we had to pull over so I could throw up on the side of the road. Just what you want to do when you've just had your neck cut open! Made me laugh a bit though, as the last time I threw up out of a car was when I was 19, driving back from Nelson to Trail after a weeeeeee bit too much to drink. Ha! That's a story for another time! ;)

Anyway, we got me home and settled and I had a pretty uneventful night; however I didn't sleep very well and was suprised at how overall awful I feel, aside from just the pain in my neck. Dr. Jordan is keeping me confined to bed whether I want to or not. Thankfully Jordan's sister is here with the kids and they are all doing so well together, the kids are not missing a beat!

So aside from the pain, the dizziness and the nausea, the part I have yet to mention is the incision itself. Apparently it is stitched from the inside and glued shut but I wouldn't know as I refuse to look at it. The incision itself I think I could handle - but the added "bonus" is the lovely rubber drain hanging from it. It is about the thickness of a straw and runs about a foot long to a bulb reservoir that is pinned into my shirt. So-so-so gross. I was really not prepared for it, and certainly not prepared to have it so long - A WEEK! It is uncomfortable and disgusting and the main reason I don't want to look at myself. So whenever I am up and about I have a bandana on my neck, cowboy style. We decided I should cover it up for Rio's sake (Jordan said it would look SCARY to her) but now that it is covered I am glad it gives me the option to not see it either. Jordan can check on the incision when necessary and otherwise I won't look at it till I get the drain out. The surgeon did say that if it is bothering me on the weekend I can have it out then, and so I will definitely take him up on it. The drainage is quite minimal as well, so I know that after a few days it will be safe. As gross as it is, if it is helping the healing process and preventing swelling, I appreciate it.

So there you have it. I survived. Although I do feel worse than I was prepared to, I think I am doing pretty well, all things considered. Thanks to eveyone for the emails, facebook messages and texts, I really appreciate it. I am not up for phone calls yet (eating and talking hurt a fair bit) but keep the supportive notes coming!