Surgery

Hey all,

I have survived! Still fairly sore and that shoulder tip pain is a killer. Thought I'd try to reccap what happened on Wednesday.

GB's dad picked us up from home and headed to St John of God Hospital for our 8am admission. Signed a few more forms and was taken up to our room. Yes we got to share a room which was sensational! A couple of nurses came in and took obs and asked a million more questions. I was 3rd in line for the op and GB was 4th. GB decided the best use of his time was to play with the bed :). The anesthetist dude came in about 10.00am and said I'd be taken up in about an hour. Gave me my pre-meds. Because I'm not good with anaesthetic he gave me a few anti nausea pills as they don't want you vomiting after surgery (which is my normal MO) in case your band slips. I had to take about 6 pills in a capfull of water - which totally didn't do the job! Had to ask for more water! Then it only felt like about 20mins later, the orderly came to take me to surgery. He drove my bed down to the holding ward. Another nurse came and asked me who I was, what I was having. Then after an eternity (about 10mins) Doc Watson came to say hi and make sure everything was good to go. He had forgotten that GB was having the surgery after me as he asked if anyone would be home with me after and I said just GB. He had this weird look on his face. GB told me later that Watson told him he felt like a goose forgetting! A few minutes later a nurse came and wheeled me into surgery - the room was as cold as ice! I was asked to hop over to the other table, at which time I found I had the gown on back to front. I'd asked the nurse and she said to have it done up at the front but nope, should have been done up at back. so over on the table, arms stretched out wide, the anaethetist pricked my arm, the nurse put on an oxygen mask and the next thing I remember is waking up in recovery!

I think the nurses were talking to me but I can't really remember. I remember the ward nurse coming to get me and I asked if GB was out yet, she had a look around and said she couldn't see him but just as she said that they wheeled him past.

Up to the ward I went, where they took obs every half hour I think. GB came back to the ward about an hour after me. Hard to tell as I was drifting in and out of sleep.

After that, we were given panadol through the IV, as well as something for nausea and tramadol for pain too and coz I had some shouldertip pain, they gave me a heatpack. We also had Hepron injections to thin the blood so we don't get blood clots.

GB was recovering pretty well, chit chatting away when his folks came to visit us that arvo - I think I only managed to stay awake for about 3 mins! That night he slept through most of the night, meanwhile I was only sleeping in about 15min intervals and my pain increased to nearly a 7 so they gave me a morphine injection which knocked me out for a few hours. I was having to go to the toilet every hour which was a pain in the butt because we had these airpump things on our legs (also to prevent dvt) which had to be unplugged, then the IV had to be unplugged and then the waddle to the loo.

The next day GB looks like he's been on hols, not just had surgery. He's drinking his cups of tea and his soup. I'm managing about 3 sips of soup and took me 6 hours to drink half a 300ml choc milk. Doc Watson came in about 2pm to check on us and told us it was totally our choice whether to stay another night or go home. I'm of the belief that you get better faster at home but I really regret that decision now. I think an extra day in hospital would have been way more beneficial.

Anyway that's all really about the surgery. I'll post more about my recovery in normal posts.

Em :)