So much for finishing the computer class.

Well, when I left you last I was preparing for surgery and going to head out to finish the last day of computer class at the library. Well, I have to inform you that did not happen. After jumping out of the shower at 8:30am, there was a message on my answering machine from the hospital. When I returned the call to the O.R. I was asked to come in now I told them I could be there by 9am, to which they replied that was good.

So much for finishing the computer class, I got dressed and Brenda and I headed straight for the hospital. After sitting there for what seemed like forever, I went and asked the nurse at the pre op nurses station what the hold up was. It was them that called me in early! Finally at around 12:00pm they took me down to the O.R. waiting coral.

After about 20 min or so the anesthetist came by to ask a few questions and asked if I had any, to which I replied, nope you've covered it all! Shortly after the nursed came and got me and wheeled me into the O.R. Slid off off my "comfy" hospital gurney onto the cold 18" wide slab in the O.R.  that is commonly referred to as the operating table. Marble slab is more of a description for it. The nurse had me put a hand on each side of the "slab" to make sure I knew where I was on it as she didn't want me to fall off. Wasn't long after that, the anesthetist told me I would start to feel drowsy soon, I looked at the clock it was 12:30pm and that's the last I remember till I came to in the recovery room.

The first thing the nurse asked me when I came to was, "what is your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10" I informed her it was 20! That was answered with a shot of morphine which lasted maybe 15 min before the pain started again, and the routine was repeated until I was able to answer somewhere in the 1 to 10 range she was looking for. Not 100% sure but I think they let Brenda in there at some point to see me.

I remember looking at the clock in the recovery room when I came to and it was now almost 3:30pm. They then wheeled me up to the ICU unit and after hooking me up to everything and getting me comfortable and asking a bunch of questions. Brenda came into the room with her mom who only stayed a few minutes in case someone else was there to see me. Only 2 visitors at a time and short visits.

It was only the next morning after being up all night with no sleep due to the pain, the noise of the ICU and my blood pressure alarm which went off every hour due to extremely low blood pressure that I finally started getting some relief. My nurse through the night would give me a shot of dillaudid followed by a shot of morphine for the quick relief till the dillaudid kicked in. This too was also the cause of the problems with the low blood pressure all night. The drugs were really just taking the "edge"' off of the pain. This was because the pain was from all of the gas they put in you to "bloat" you up during surgery to make room to move around, and there was no cure for that other that to get it out. Easier said than done but I belched most of the night to try to get rid of it.

Day two was becoming  a much better day. After Dr. Elelam came in to let me know things went well and if I felt up to it by dinner time and my chest x-ray which I was sent down for came back ok, then I could go home if I wanted to, or I could stay if they found me a bed on another floor. Well I can tell you this, there was NO WAY I was going to spend  another night  in ICU with all those bells, alarms, phones, and chatter going on. So when they informed me early afternoon there were no beds available it was adios amigos for me!

Friday: Doing well, sleeping better, able to sleep on either side now, been doing very short walks at the mall the past couple days, feeling the effects of that today so I will back off for a bit. My nurse was by this afternoon and advised the same, said I looked pale, and in pain pale. So will take a full week off. Might go stir crazy but I'll do it.

Wishing everyone well in their journey's wherever that may be.
Love and Hugs,
Tim, xxx