Wednesday, September 12, 2007

My Surgical Diary

First things first, my friends: Many heartfelt thanks to for your prayers/well-wishes. It meant/means a lot to me.

Shall I bore you about my surgery now?

I was fortunate enough to be the first patient on the roster at the local surgical center... which is only about three miles from our house, by the way. Being first meant that I had to be there no later than 6 a.m., which is no big deal as I am usually at work by 5:30, right? The difference on this fine morning was that Mrs GF and Soccergirl were with me so they could drop me off. The plan was that Mrs GF would go back home with Soccergirl, get her ready, and take her to school and then return to the surgical center.

Once I got in the doors, the receptionist checked me in moments... and noted that I had my crutches with me. We had a brief conversation about the weather, and what it was like to live on St. Simons Island, Georgia... as it turns out, she and her husband lived very near where my family stays when we visit the island.

A very few minutes later, Rachel, my nurse, collected me from the lobby and took me to the pre-op room, where I got my laces-in-the-back surgical gown. Once I did that, she collected my clothes and left me, with the TV news on. All the news was about 9/11, and truthfully, I wasn't interested in depressing news when I was about to go into surgery.

Since I anticipated some waiting, I took out the novel that I had broguht with me. The book is titled "The Religion", by Tom Willocks. The story is about the invasion of Malta, by Suleiman The Magnificent, in order to rid the island of the Knights of St. John, also known as the Knights Hospitaller, or the Knights of Malta. One hundred and eighty pages into it, I am enjoying it.

So, I take out my book and start reading... ten minutes later, and ancient chap comes into the room to prepare me for anesthesia. His name was Dr. Thomas. He set up my IV port while talking incessantly. Nurse Ratched, er... Rachel came back in to ask me more of the same questions that she had asked earlier and then gave me a pill "to relax you" for the anesthetist. I asked her what the pill was... it turned out to be Oxycontin... that stuff you hear about so much in the news.

Once Rachel and Dr. Thomas were done, in comes Dr. Andriotti, a very handsome woman of about 50. She is the anesthetist, and she and Nurse Rachel are going to wheel me into the operating room... but before we get there, she says: I hear that you are a police officer, is that right?" I said that it was. She then asked if it bothered me that I was being wheeled around and being told what to do by women. I said that it wasn't a problem. She laughed and told me that cops tend to make bad patients because they don't like being told what to do. I told her that speaking just for me, I didn't have a problem bowing to her knowledge in her field... "just don't try to tell me anything about my guns, deal?" We had a brief laugh, before they stuck the mask over my face.

Oblivion.

"Hey! How did I get back in here?", I thought when I woke up in the post-op room. There was Rachel, my newest and bestest pal, who told me that I was all done.

It was ten minutes past eight.

"Is your wife here?" Rachael asked. I told her that I had been sleeping so I didn't know. I then told her that she should be here shortly, as Soccergirl couldn't go into the school until 8:20. Moments later, Mrs GF arrived and we were headed home by 9.

My dear ladies took good care of me yesterday, and I was feeling fine. Of course, I had completely forgotten that I still had the anesthesia in me... which caused me to vomit powerfully after I ate my lunch. That was fun.

The rest of the day was spent just bumping around the house and napping.

I was aided by my youngest nurse, nurse soccergirl, by having several of her favorite stuffed friends tucked into bed with me.

I tried eating dinner around 6 p.m. a spoon full of rice and peas... which made me puke again.

Damn.

It was a long night... especially after all of the drugs wore off.

Today, the pain is real... but no matter, I will be better for this. In a few weeks, I can start working out again, and shed some of this poundage.

GF

Check out the surgical, anti-blood clot stockings! Sexy, right?

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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugh, hate that post-surgical poundage. Glad you made it through! :)

Anonymous said...

Meant to say post-surgical VOMITING!! Duh. :( Must have been a freudian slip because I'm worried about my own steroid-induced poundage. Sigh...

Bent Fabric said...

Yaaaay!!! Glad things went well and you're on the mend.

Fourier Analyst said...

Great to hear you are doing okay. But the hard work is just starting! Keep at it!

PunditMom said...

Feel better! And that book -- MAN, you put my reading list to shame!

dawn224 said...

woo woo! sexy stockings!

Glad all went well!

Gunfighter said...

Thanks all.

Listen, PM. The thing you have to know about my reading list is that it is driven very much by my inferiority complex. I didn't go to college, so I have been trying to play catch-up for years.

I'll get interested in a subject and start going nuts reading about it.

A year or so ago, Mrs GF and I taught an adult class at our church about the Crusades, and their effect on present day history and the nightly news.

I am a history nut anyway, and I got sucked into the military, historical, and religious aspects of the Crusades, especially the military religious orders like the Knights of St John, The Teutonic Knights, and of course, the Knights Templar. So thisbook is just one on a long list of things in the qeue.

GF

Jackie said...

So glad that the surgery went well. And I bet those stockings look hawt with a kilt! ;-)
Hope you're feeling better real soon!

Jafagirls said...

arg, you are right, those are NOT sexy stockings lol!

Anonymous said...

I am glad all went well!

Lawyer Mama said...

I bet those stockings would go nicely with a kilt.

I'm glad it went well. Minus the puking and pain, of course.

That book sounds like a good read for my husband. Let me know if you like it as much when you get to the end.

Heaven said...

Yeah, glad to hear every thing went so well, I was said a little prayer. :)

That books looks interesting, I have a friend from Malta.

Nice hose, what does Mrs. GF think?

Anonymous said...

Sexy leggings! Glad to hear you are home and safe!

Anonymous said...

GF: Sexy stockings, man! I'll bet they'd be flattering with one of your kilts. ;-) Bummer about the post-surgical vomitousness. That's never fun. Or pretty. Glad to hear all went well and you're on the mend.

Heather said...

That's great that your surgery well!

Nice legs.

jodifur said...

Feel better!

My Dad had surgery today and he is in a ton of pain.

Lisa Johnson said...

I'm so glad that your surgery went well. Sorry you were a bit sick after. I hope everything is smooth sailing from now on! Take care!

Desert Songbird said...

That anesthesia is wicked stuff. I always hate coming out from under it. It usually takes me weeks to get over the effects. Ugh. It's as if I'm narcoleptic; I'll get sleepy at the worst times!

Take care of yourself. Soccer Girl seems to be adding just the right touch.

Anonymous said...

Nothing sexier than proper bloodflow. Am I right, ladies?

soccer mom in denial said...

I had general anesthesia as a 4-year-old and it is one of the earliest memories I have - especially throwing up on my mother's lap while driving by Ben Franklins (hey it was 1973 so calling my mom 'Britney').

Glad you are feeling better.

Alex Elliot said...

I hope you are feeling better and are able to eat something without getting sick. I'm glad that the surgery went well.

Jen said...

I'm glad it went well. Sorry your stomach troubled you so much. Glad you had soccergirls stuffed friends to help you feel better. Kids are the best nurses ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ha-cha-cha! Nice socks.