Written December 13th 2008…..

three days after having major surgery, laid up in bed 90% of the day…just listening to my children play (and fight) trying to rest and allow life to happen around me…..

****So i left my outlook contacts at home, so i apologize in advance for not having my hubby send out emails to notify most of you of my condition. however, i am chipper and a little sore lol.  i woke up from surgery feeling like id been forced to do 8thousand sit ups then knocked on my ass for a few hours.it wasnt unbarable but wasnt fun either.  but then again i was attached to a morphine PCA and wasnt quite awake from the surgery yet.  I remember opening my eyes in the post-op area and it was so amusing to me because as a CNA i have worked in post op and cared for many post surgical patients.  none like me i am sure.  but let me back up a bit…..

We showed up to the hospital at 6am, in fact i think we were a bit early, but anyway we argued amungst ourselves wether or not we were in the right area but then we were called back.  surprisingly enough as soon as we walked back and i was given the gown and socks to change into all of my nerves dissapeared (trust me, NOT what i was expecting).  i changed, made a few jokes about going comando under the gown and then hopped back into bed, Oh yea after taking a picture or two.  then the nurse came in reviewed my boring medical history and then placed my IV.  again i expected my nerves to start bubbling out of control at this point but i was calm as could be, or well the opposite. i was happy and cheerful and excited.  eric on the other hand looked like he was going to pass out.

at this point i still had not met my surgeon or the anesthesiologist and was anxiously awaiting this meeting.  in order to do this i had to walk from pre-op to what the called the Holding Room. wasnt too excited about this. it sounded as if i would be in a jail cell all by myself cold and nervous, but ended up in a room just like the pre op room with other patients on either side of me.  before i walked over of course i gave eric a hug and kiss goodbye and told him to hug his mommy bc he squeezed me soo hard i knew he needed another one but i had an important meeting to attend to. lol anyway in the Holding Room i met with the anesthesiologist who was extremly nice and went over the whole procedure. i shared with him my concerns about being natious when i wake up and he eased my fears by explaining that the enhaled anesthetics is what usually makes people sick so he would use more in the IV.  next the surgeon came in and i joked with him abit and we were off.

as we walked around the hall winding around and around to the far end of this big cold building i thought again my nerves were going to burst out of control but i just grew more and more excited to see what was waiting on theother side of the door. we walked in and there was a funny little operating table, not like what you see on tv, it reminded me (dont laugh) of the shape of the rock little mermaid sings a whole new world on. its shaped sort of like a T but isnt very big so half your body hangs off it. they had a bunch of warm blankets and heating pads on it to keep me warm and when i hopped up there they pluged me into the “good stuff” my male nurse bonked his head on one of the monitors in the room and i laughed asking if he broke it he said no but wondered why i didnt ask if he was ok and i joked with him saying he was replaceable lol. so im asuming at this point my nerves were still not an issue. i felt the cold sleeping juice go through my IV and although i was tired before i was even more tired now, and all the heating blankets made sure of it. i told the doc that i c ould totally go to sleep already he said ok close ure eyes and i did. I was out before they even put the mask on.

Next thing i know im waking up in post-op, which happens to be the same room the call the Holding Room lol but this time they dont close you behind the curtain they leave it open to monitor you, and i was glad for this, and even annoucned very loudly that i was. i remember putting my hands up and saying how i was glad they opened the curtains because i didnt like being closed in and watching a few of the nurses behind the desk stare at me like i was an idiot then i proceded to announce that “its ok, talking a lot runs in my family”. at this point the nurse interupted me and asked if i wanted to see my husband now or after i get moved up to my room because i was about to be moved upstairs, and as happily as could be i said no no its ok that he could just see me upstairs.  i guess i fell asleep because before i knew it i was opening my eyes, i was upstairs and EVERYONE was walking through the door to see me.

when i say everyone i mean everyone: Eric, Kaelob, Haylee, Linda  her sister Leanne her husband and her two kids.  Eric placed Haylee on the bed and i gave her a kiss and she was ready to get down (i did still have oxygen on my nose  and an IV in my arm ) so when i went to give kaelob a hug and kiss he jumped back and didnt want anything to do with it. i said “can i have a kiss?” he said NO and backed up to the wall and i let him know that was ok and he seemed to be sorry because then he says “ill kiss your finger” so i reached out my hand and he kissed the tip of my finger. then he was ready to leave so everyone left but eric he stuck around a bit and i even got up and walked around the nurses station before i sent him home to be with stefen and the kids.  actually i beleive they left me for a few hours so i could sleep until scott came out of surgery then they came up and updated me and at that time i got up and walked, then i sent eric and the kids home.

the first night i was on the morphine but it made my head spin like crazy,i didnt like it at all so around 7pm i stopped using it and by the morning they were ready to DC my catheter and my morphine PCA. i was so excited! i was getting Tordal (sp?) and later on was getting Darviset for pain which was managing it rather well. i refused vicodine also. well you know me and throwing up lol. anyway, by thursday i regained the function of my bowels wich you might think was ablessing but when your bowls begin to rumble and your body hasnt figured out how to fart yet, your are in misery!! it took me alll day long to get to fart, and boy when i did it was a relief. every time the gas would shoot around my belly my muscles would spasm and they arleady were killing me from the surgery. by 8pm i was miserable, had been up and walking 3/4times and no longer had morpine.  Scott was doing really good though so that was definately a positive note about thursday.

The doctores made a point of telling me i had a BIG healthy kidney and it pinked up right away. i found that funny because amungst all my talk with PKD BIG and kidney in the same sentance was not a good thing, but in Scotts case my BIG healthy kidney has allowed his creatnine levels to drop dramatically from 6.8 o 2.1 and his BP to reduce to exactly what mine is usually which is an awesome 115/55 AND that means that as of right now he is no longer needing to take his BP meds that he was on prior to surgery. ALSO as of today the tests they are constantly doing on him are not showing ANY rejection markers wich means he may not need more than just the PROGRAFF to keep him from rejecting my kidney.  basically my kidney is functioning wonderfully in his body and he is responding amazingly to it. YAY YAY YAY!!

anyway, today i woke up and my diaphram hurt and  my shoudlers KILL. they say this is from them having to pump my stomach with co2 for the surgery but thats how i know i need a pain pill is when my shoulders start killing me. the docs came in first thing this morning and cleared me to go home, i was SO excited. wasnt too thrilled for the 2hr car ridehome but i survived it and the kids were SOOOO happy to see me.

Kaelob gave me a real kiss and has been sooo sweet, when i was laying in the room napping right after arriving home(well home to the in laws house) he came in and said he would turn the music on for me and proceded to turn the volume up on their bedtime music so i could sleep better. he then gave me a kiss goodnight and closed the door lol.   haylee just wanted to lay down and sleep with me. so they both have been amazing. granted i have only been home for like 4hrs, but still.  ANYWAY this is long enough, but wanted you all to be informed, wanted to get this all out of my head before i forgot and watned to put up a post so you all know im alive and well. 🙂