1 Goal Down

First off, a recap of surgery day:  I went into the operating room a little before 8 a.m., and Rod said the doctor came out to see him around 11:30.  Lots longer than we thought, but, as the doctor put it when Rod said he was getting a little worried, "we had a lot to get done."

It's kind of strange to get wheeled in your pre-op chair to the operating room, then you get out of the chair and you put yourself on the table.  They ask you to adjust your body so everything is where they need it to be :) and hook you up to all the monitors and stuff.  This time, one of the OR nurses had put a warm blanket over the table just before I got there, so it was nice and cozy and they immediately covered the rest of me with warm blankets. And the IV didn't burn, and everybody in the room introduced themselves to me, and it was all very jolly - if you don't count the fact that I'm quietly freaking out about potentially not waking up.  That, as I told anyone who would stand still long enough to ask, was goal #1.  My list of goals for the day (improved appearance, etc.) was narrowed down to one.  Wake up.

As a matter of fact, the first thing I remember after the surgery is in the hallway being wheeled back into recovery and saying to whoever was doing the steering (and I'm pretty sure I was crying) "Hey, I'm awake. Don't worry, these are tears of happiness.  Thank you!"  Then I asked what time it was (11:40, I think.)

Don't remember much after that for a while.  Rod came in to see me fairly quickly, and we didn't leave the hospital until about 2:45.  The doctor said I was very dehydrated and I had to stay until I finished another IV bag of fluids.  We had lovely nurses every step of the way.  The hospital is in the throes of installing a new computer system, and all the pre-admissions people, nurses, and technicians were dealing with us patients and the new system.  Everything took longer, but they apologized a lot, and in the end all was accurate (correct surgery, correct part(s) of body, correct date, etc.) so that's the important thing, right?

Took a look under the blankets and saw I had acquired a new gross velcro surgical bra and was securely ensconced in my "restrictive" high-waisted garment.  (Think girdle.)  So, of course with all those fluids, eventually I needed to go to the bathroom after I could get up without wobbling.  As Rod and the nurse guided me and the IV pole to the bathroom, and Rod helped me start to peel down my new 24/7 undergarment friend, it was excruciating - O.M.G.  He said I looked like someone had beaten me up with a baseball bat from the upper waist on downward to the small incision where I guess the liposuction was done from.  The bruising was quite incredible; for the first time, I think the doctor led me astray when he said that compared to the pain from the back surgery, this would be "nothing."

Yeah, well, maybe in a few days it will be nothing.  Now I'm just grateful the other garment thingies I bought (next day delivery, Amazon!) have hooks that let you go to the bathroom without rolling them down!  I'm only allowed to sleep on my back because the new implants needs time to get settled and we don't want to upset the fat grafts.  It's actually kind of hard to sleep flat on your back for too many hours in a row.  So a couple of times a night I get up, check out my pain-control pharmaceutical options, take a lap around the living room, drink some fluids, and play KenKen on my iPad until I get sleepy again.  As of tomorrow, I can start Advil again instead of Tylenol. Amazing what kind of thing becomes great news.

Went for a follow up with the nurse on Thursday (she took off all the bandages, gave the okay for a shower, and trashed the velcro bra) and was told that the 2 week timing I thought I was told on the 24/7 girdle thing is actually closer to 4-6 weeks with potential hours off, eventually, for "good behavior."  As it turns out, I purchased something called Ultra Firm instead of regular ole' firm, so based on past experience with this doctor, even though it is pretty darned uncomfortable, I think I'll stick with it for a while and hope to be rewarded with a hearty "looking good!" from the doctor when we go for the next follow up on Wednesday.  I also have to wear a bra 24/7 for an undetermined amount of time, but it doesn't have to be the long-lined variety.  Yay! 

Amazing what you can be grateful for.  And now Thanksgiving's coming.  Next goal: order turkey.