Daveed Reviews

The OR

Thursday

Like yesterday, much of this day is a blur, too. I think I needed to be at the Baylor Surgi-Center by 12:00 for my scheduled 1:00 PM out-patient procedure. Thank goodness Rudy was around to keep track of these "minor" details. Rudy also kept track of how many meds I could take and when.

Today I got a full-on shower. Well, semi-full-on, because we kept the water off my right shoulder and arm. Feeling clean does make a difference.

Prior to the surgery, I was connected to an IV drip and a wedge-shaped cushion was placed under my knees. All I could think of was how much this pillow reminded me of The Liberator (hey, does that come in pink velvet?).

I am aware that anytime you are under anesthesia or cut on, there are risks. Oddly, there wasn’t even a fleeting moment when I was scared or even just nervous about what was about to happen to me. Perhaps some of it was the blanket my mind had put over the events of the last few days, but, mostly, I think I just knew that the sooner this was done, the sooner I would get on to getting better. Hurry up, Doc! Let’s get it on!

The anesthesiologists arrived and started to wheel me away. One last kiss from Rudy and “Happy Hour” commenced. I was out before I made it to the OR.

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I was rudely awakened by a faceless woman shoving a Styrofoam cup filled half full with ice and sprite into left hand. I was told to “drink up”, which I did with the help of the provided straw. Then I passed out again.

Soon after (I think), I was again rudely awakened when my liberator was ripped from under my knees. Melissa was there and I was told to get up and get dressed. I guess it was closing time and we were being booted.

Everything was happening really slowly. There seemed to be a fluffy layer of cotton over my entire body, especially in my mouth. Melissa helped me step into my pj bottoms and Beanered my shirt around my neck. A wheel chair appeared in which I was told to sit in while Melissa fetched the car. I was wheeled out a back door and helped into the front seat of the family ambulance and we were off. The whole thing had a very back alley feel to it.

I felt like a bobble-head doll on the way home. At some point another, succulent smoothie was placed in my hands and, despite the continuous brain freeze, I sucked the straw like a Hoover. I remember pulling into our driveway and seeing my brother’s truck in front of the house. “Hey, Andrew’s here” I astutely observe.

Before Rudy had even put the car in park, Andrew had swing open my door and was unfastening my seat belt. He helped my swing my legs out of the car and, with one hand on my left arm and the other behind my head (sorority girl style) to protect my head from any further bumps and bruises, gingerly helped me to a standing position. He then led me through the house and to the bedroom. Melissa had already relocated the house’s pillow collection from the couch to the bedroom. I was lowered to the bed, propped up with pillows and tucked in. I garbled some sort of thanks and was back in la-la land. I’m guessing it was about 5 PM.

I don’t really remember if I ate anything that night. I do remember at some point Melissa was sleeping next to me and it was dark outside.

About mid-night I woke up, very uncomfortable and with sharp pains in my lungs, a common side effect of the general anesthesia ( I later learned by reading my discharge papers that I was supposed to take deep breathes and cough as much as possible after the operation to help clear the gook out of my lungs. Good thing someone took the time to tell me this).

No matter how I wriggled and squirmed, I could not find a position in bed that was either comfortable or eased the pain in my chest. I maneuvered myself out of bed, waking Melissa. She popped up like a jack-in-the-box and asked if everything was alright. I told her I was going to take a pee. I did, but I also never came back to the bedroom.

I went to the living room and played Deaf Man’s Musical Chairs, as I moved from chair to bar stool to couch to recliner, trying to find one that would offer a position that would allow me to sleep with out putting any stress or pressure on my chest. I eventually stuffed several pillows around my waist and placed one on my chest to rest my chin on and drifted in and out of sleep in this rather awkward position.

posted by daveed @ 16.9.06