Thursday, September 11, 2014

I'm Home from Surgery

By all accounts my surgery was a success.

From my side of things, it leaves more questions than answers. You see, I was in pretty horrible pain for the two months leading up to my surgery. Based on conversations with a series of doctors over they years, we all thought we knew what the problem was - endometriosis. Alas once cut open and on the operating table there were no signs of endometriosis, and my right ovary - despite the searing pain I started feeling in that region in April - looked completely normal. So I got to keep my ovary and my appendix and they took the uterus and the fallopian tubes.

Although even that was touch and go as I went in. I have to say y'all, my pre-op interactions with the hospital staff did not inspire confidence. First, I was told I could use the bathroom because I didn't need to have a urine exam. Then, the lady came to put in my IV and she told me I had to pee in a cup. No can do, woman, as I just peed in the toilet. So I had to wait to give another sample. Alan said she did a good job getting my IV in but it hurt like a bitch and has left the worst bruise on my right arm. My second day in the hospital they had to take out that IV and give me a different one because my arm was swollen and my vein had blown.

Also, when it came to my pre-op paperwork there were some discrepancies and I was worried I'd go in for one procedure and come out having had another. While the paperwork said I was having a total hysterectomy, my doctors clearly knew that I was having a supracervical hysterectomy, but that's not what the paperwork said so there was a big old song and dance about that.

Out of surgery I was still less than enamored of the hospital staff. The lady that was assigned to me wasn't what you'd call quick about anything. She'd tell me she was going to do something, and then wouldn't do it. I'd have to keep asking her for updates. Finally I told her I just wanted to go to my room and to be done with her.

I know I wasn't an emergency case, but I felt like there were a lot of instances where I'd be told something was going to happen, and then it wouldn't. Nurses would tell me they'd be right back, and then I wouldn't see them for two to three hours. I had one overnight nurse named Candace and she was excellent. I wish she could have been my full time nurse. Everyone else was sub par.

So here I am at home, and my nurse is quite excellent. :-)

I'm waiting until I won't hurt anymore. Based on all the comments I'm seeing on social media I should be up running marathons by now. I can tell you, I'm not. I'm still in pain, and I don't see it subsiding any time soon. I am walking every day like I'm supposed to, but I feel like I'm going to fall apart. It's not pretty.

7 comments:

  1. Seppo Helava8:01 AM

    Ugh. Sorry to hear there wasn't an obvious like, sword, in your abdomen that could be easily identified & taken care of. We had similar experiences at the hospital when we had kids - some of the nurses were amazing, and some could obviously not give two shits about us. I can totally understand *why*, but it doesn't make it a lot better in the moment.

    Glad to hear Alan's an excellent nurse. I pinged him the other day about bringing over food sometime later in the week, and I think he interpreted it as "Hey, we're coming over! Be presentable!" but I'd just meant it in the "Hey, can we drop off a meal to make your lives *easier* and we won't even poke our heads in unless you'd *want* that. Anyway, lemme know, and I hope recovery gets better soon.

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  2. That sounds terrible. :( I'm glad it went well, though, and hope you feel better soon.

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  3. That sounds like a nightmare! I have never had a good experiences with hospitals... They always make me feel unwanted or like such a hassle because I'm taking up space. Or trying to get me to stay way longer then I need. I'm glad your surgery went well! :)
    Stopping by from the Merlot Twin Blog Tribe!
    Joanna

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  4. Of the people in my room, I was certainly the least problematic for them (the other lady got into a fight with her doctor), so you'd think I would have been a "good" patient but maybe because I wasn't super demanding they just forgot about me?

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  5. A lot of times it is because you're not demanding. And bc nurses are notoriously overworked. And too many patients. Last night, between 7 and midnight I logged 7 thousands steps on my fitbit and another 5000 this morning.

    That doesn't include the apathetic ones.

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  6. Not sure about food this week as I'm still trying to figure out what works for me for a post-op diet and what I might want from that list. I appreciate it though. Will give you a holler when it's a good time.

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  7. I hope the pain goes away soon! :-(

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