Here’s a new post from our guest blogger, Jen.
“I took the subway to the surgery facility for 9 am. It was nice to walk and clear my head. In hindsight, it would also have been nice to have someone to sit with for support.
A welcome nurse had me undress and put on a hospital gown along with a big terry robe. A surgical nurse gave me 2 Tylenol and a Celebrex and asked some questions. Dr. Brown then came in to chat and drew all over my mid-section with permanent marker. He said I was the skinniest tummy tuck he had done. Not sure I liked being an outlier. Don’t you want to be part of the average crowd when you are talking surgery? The anesthetist was the last one to chat.
Time of surgery – 10:30 am. It was very freaky to walk in and lay down on the operating table. (My other 2 surgeries were emergency c-sections. No walking in for those). The anesthetist couldn’t find a vein. That’s what happens when I am cold and haven’t downed my usual liter of water. Her efforts made for a big bruise on my hand and blood dripping down. They started the IV. My heartbeat and breathing felt strange for a few seconds. Then on went the oxygen mask and I was out.
I awoke in a recovery room at 12:30 pm, thrashing my head back and forth and crying. Reassuringly, the surgical nurse, the recovery room nurse and Dr. Brown were all standing there watching me. I think Dr. Brown said everything went fine and then said I was making him sad so he was going to leave. The nurse placed a warm blanket over me to stop the shivering. Each leg was encased in some sort of contraption that contracted and released to lower the chance of blood clots.
At 1:30 pm the nurse gave me an oxycodone tablet. My sister arrived and came in to say hello. Dr. Brown checked back in and said my hernia had been bigger than expected, my stomach was going to be really flat and all was fine. The nurse moved me to sitting, showed me how to empty the 2 drains, mentioned that the binder was way too big for me and at 3:30 pm my sister and I departed. The nurse pushed me down in a wheelchair and my sister hailed a cab. I felt surprisingly chatty on the way home.
My dear children ran to the taxi with eager expressions on their faces as we pulled in the drive. Love ‘em.
I spent the rest of the day dozing in bed and munched on a few saltines and a banana along with more oxycodone. I’m feeling not too bad.”
PhysioExecellence 