Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Genesis 9:13

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Quick update

I don't know how long I can sit up to type right now; I just walked around and maybe overdid it a little with use of stomach muscles.  But the basic summary is that I did very well with anxiety pre-op (and post), with no need for the psych consult team or the orders for IV valium.  I even had to wait for 2 hours because of my surgeon being behind schedule then the room needing to be cleaned back in a holding area with nothing to do but make potty trips (I had a liter plus of fluid while back there; I remember those trips fondly as it was the last time peeing was easy although that's improving).  There was a TV but I couldn't see it without glasses.  Finally they took me back, ran through procedures, got me on the table, my doctor held my hand and they gave me medicine to knock me out.  They told me that I should be feeling sleepy and would get more medicine and just as I got scared and started saying behind the mask NOT SLEEPY I was out.  It was the easiest I've ever come out of anesthesia; the other times I've come up rather violently, usually with someone trying to wake me.  Here they just let me come out of it and my nurse just was standing nearby.  I immediately wanted pain meds because my incisions hurt; they've never really hurt since.   I then wanted to pee which was when I found out about the catheter.  I could have sworn I was told that would not be long-term but it was.  I was kept on full bed-rest with the catheter until the next morning.  It probably would have been in longer but I had horrible bladder spasms (the worst pain by far) from it and so my dr. let it come out the next morning.  There was a whole thing where it was draining back into my bladder for some time during the night and that hurts as much as my patient's have always said it does.

I'll tell you about the more interesting aspects of my stay later.  For now let's just say I had:  a serious need for a d&C (and I now know that I had symptoms of that a year ago so if I need another I'll know about it), a small amount of endometriosis (which is good, better than it appeared it might be), cysts of both fallopian tubes (may or may not have caused pain and very typical but worth removing), something in my bladder that was biopsied but I don't know more than it was different appearing tissue; Dr. Body said there is another disorder that it may be a sign of but we'll not know until the biopsy is back, and the polyp which is gone now too.  So no huge findings, which is very good but also not an entirely clear abdomen.  There's no way to know if the pain will end now however although I have pain now it's not the pain I'd been having.  Sometimes that hurts some but tissue was removed in that area and because they fill your belly with gas the pain tends to shift around anyway.  The gas pain is supposed to be the worst part, and it does hurt but the worst by far for me was the catheeter.  I told my dr.that if it could come out and I could pee I'd be fine.  They took it out and said I wouldn't be able to pee.  They didn't even set up the measuring thing for how much I would pee but it was easily as much as every other time after that so 10-14 oz.  That's what got stuck in my bladder.  I hope to never have a catheter again.

And now I'm going to get back in the no typing but more comfortable position, after some meds, and work on sleeping more.  Sleep is a very good thing.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, sleep is a very, very good thing! Jen, I am happy to hear that you are resting, and not rushing your healing. Please take it ever soooo easy!

As far as the results of the surgery, I am glad they found something and I sincerely hope that removing those somethings will be the answer to your pain relief!

I am glad the worry and stress about the surgery is over for you. Not that recovering from it is a piece of cake, but at least you don't have it looming in your future. May your future be bright and pain free! That's what I am going to pray for.

B.

Anonymous said...

I'm with B! As it so happened, I "loved" catheters after my 3 c-sections because they functioned properly and gave me one less thing to worry about for a day. "Fuction properly" would be the key, eh? I had to give birth under general anesthesia because of concerns that an MS patient shouldn't have a spinal block. Yeah, you can really wake up in different states of mind. I'm SOOO glad that you were awakened gently! I'm going to praise God for a number of good answers in your situation.

I REALLY appreciate the news, dear Jen. Now, rest easy!!

xoxo Michal ><>

Jean Grey said...

Welcome home! You survived! Just in time for a hurricane.

Anonymous said...

I hope you are resting and healing tonight.
B.

Julia Roberts said...

Glad you are home and healing. I hope you really can rest and sleep!

Rachael said...

So, so glad to hear from you! And so glad this is all behind you. Now on to healing - Take care!