Aftermath ~ home edition

The first few days (weeks) at home are a blur.  I didn't take good notes.  I set alarms on my phone for the medicines.  I was taking 3 iron per day, 600 mg of Ibuprofen and a stool softener.  Jason was home Saturday and Sunday.  Mom & Dad came Monday to look after me.  I used a cane to get in and out of the sofa for the first few days.  Mom organized my tupperwear cupboard!

I had my first hot flash exactly 1 week after surgery.  It was bad.  It was scary.  My blood pressure spiked to 155/95, my chest pounded.  It felt like a heart attack, or a panic attack.  Jason wasn't home so I called my parents.  Mom talked me down from the ledge.  This was normal!  I felt better instantly!  Shannon came over on her way home from work and kept me company to give my Dad some peace of mind.  Shannon spent the night on Friday, but I didn't have any more flashes.

Staples in the belly, plus left side incisions

Right side incisions

Allergy to the glue in the bandages

The is the right side that needed so much work!

Blister from adhesive allergy

My niece watching cartoons!

Shannon and Izy came for the day on Friday.  We watched cartoons and had lunch.  I also had a huge support network from work.  They brought many dinners!

Aftermath ~ hospital edition

October 10, 2013
I got my room at 7:30 p.m.  I had been in recovery for so long, I had ordered a meal there.  It arrived just before I was taken to my room so we took it along.  The beef broth and jello tasted so good.  And hospital ginger ale.  So good!  Family headed home now that I'm in a room. 

At 8:30, Dr. Miller visited.  He said that it was a lot worse in there than he had expected.  It was stuck together on the back side which he hadn't seen with the diagnostic lap.  There was endo on the bowel and a great deal of scar tissue on the right side.  He really worked hard to get it all.  I can tell.  My right side really hurts!

The doctor's original prognosis was to stay overnight and head home first thing in the morning.  I knew that wasn't going to work in my case, especially after he worked so hard on the endo and scar tissue excision.

October 11, 2013
I was out of bed and into a chair by 6:00 a.m.  I had taken a bird bath by myself and the nurse helped me into a new gown.  The doctor on the floor came and okayed solid foods.  I immediately ordered breakfast ~ omelet with onions, mushrooms and cheese, cinnamon roll, pears and lemonade.  I was hungry!  Family struggled through heavy downpours and flooding to get to Baltimore this morning!

There was one male nurse overnight.  At 7:00 a.m., he removed the catheter.  Quickly.  With very little warning and no chance to prepare myself, out it came.  Ouch!  Blood levels are a little low so new nurse Gina gave magnesium and electrolytes via IV, along with oxycodone.  Started peeing at 11:00 a.m. with Mom's help.  Have to put the bed the whole way up to get up.  Stomach muscles hurt when I try to sit up on my own.  Took a walk around the nurses desk at 11:00 and they removed the IV.  Vitals are good!

At 6:00 p.m. more oxycodone and benadryl for itching.  Guess I am officially allergic to magnesium!  I'm sleeping a lot.  Family heads home through the heavy rains and flooding!

October 12, 2013
Vitals look good.   Doctor on the floor stops in and says that Dr. Miller will be in to discharge!  We were on our way home before noon!

The Big Day ~ Hysterectomy by DaVinci robot

Before 10/10/13

We arrived at Sinai in Baltimore for pre-registration around 6:30 a.m.  My surgery via DaVinci robot was scheduled for 8:30 a.m.  When we arrived on the second floor to check in, they were surprised that I was there so early.  I didn't ask questions until 8:32 and they said that I wasn't on the schedule until 10:30 a.m.  Guess I got bumped!  I saw Dr. Miller get on the elevator, so I figured it would be a while.

I don't remember how long I was in the pre-op room.  Dr. Miller came to visit several times.  He said that there had been a trauma the night before that had pushed the schedule back.  I reviewed my list of issues/procedures with him:  Full hysterectomy (uterus and cervix), bilateral oopherectomy (both ovaries), salpingectomy (both fallopian tubes), and the endometrioma posterior to the cervix in the cul-de-sac.  He reviewed the alternatives once more and gave me the chance to change my mind and walk away.  Then I had to sign a "back-out" form.  Mom asked how long the surgery would be, he said 2 hours.  She clarified, so from the moment you take her it will be 2 hours?  Oh no, it takes an hour to prep her before we can cut.  So it will be three hours.  Glad she asked so they don't start to panic!

The surgical nurse mentioned that I'd be getting a shot of heparin in the belly to prevent blood clots.  The anesthesiologist started some happy medicine and we were off down the hall to the kissing hallway where I said goodbye to Mom and Jason.  They asked if I had any questions, the only question ~ can you wait till I'm asleep for that shot in the belly? A few seconds later I was asleep and I'm guessing I got that shot of heparin!

Recovery ~ 3:45 p.m.

At 1:38, Jason called to the front desk.  There was a call from the operating room for him.  They are half way done.  They should have been done by now.  My family had questions, but the call was brief.  Did they not start on time?  Are they having complications?

At 3:00, Dr. Miller came out to talk to my family.  He had found a lot of scar tissue around the pelvis that he didn't see during the laparoscopy in August.  He explained that he had filled the bowel, kidneys and liver with blue dye to make sure all would go as it should.  No leaks!  I'll be in recovery for 45 minutes.  They'll get to see me at 3:45!

Special note from Mom.  "And oh by the way, your anestesiologist is cute.  Yes!"

My family came back to see me at 3:45 on the nose.  I was very groggy and they were letting me have ice chips.  There's a catheter, and the pee is blue!  Pain level 3, blood pressure 120/67.  Family was only allowed to stay for 10 minutes.  Many families are waiting for their person to get into a room.  Each family is allowed 10 minutes every hour for several hours. 

Finally in room 661 at 7:30 p.m.  What a day!

After 10/10/13

Bowel Prep

My surgery was scheduled for Thursday, October 10, 2013.  I previously had several pre-op bowel preps plus a colonoscopy that failed.  There is so much stress in knowing that you are going into surgery less than prepared.  In 2006, the emergency colon resection brought my worst fears to light.  Infection!  I had multiple abscesses that had to be drained post-op via CT Scan with a really long needle.  I was going to do anything within my power to avoid that again.

Although my surgeon felt confident after the diagnostic lap in August, I was still not convinced that my endometriosis was as good at he thought it would be.  His office gave me the basic bowel prep.  I decided on my own to make very sure that it would work.

I began a low residue diet on Sunday.  This was very difficult as I spent the day at a picnic, but I made good choices.  Sunday and Monday I ate well-cooked veggies, thin spaghetti with very little sauce, jello and homemade chicken stock.  I planned to use Miralax twice on Sunday but I got a rare case of the squirts and no longer felt the need to be so drastic. 

I began my liquid diet on Monday evening and all day Tuesday.  The bowel prep consisted of the magnesium citrate at 8 a.m. ~ I added Tang and Ginger Ale to help with the taste.  My throat has an aversion to flavors or textures that don't belong, and that drink makes me retch.  I took the tiny laxative pill at noon.  I continued to drink fluids, jello and broth all day until an hour before we had to leave for Baltimore.  Mom gave me some diapers to help with the hour and a half drive to Baltimore.  Thankfully I didn't need them!

I packed a snack of jello for the evening and had some more before I did my nightcap, an enema!  I was running clear for the first time in my life!  It's sad that this is my proudest moment to date.