So I didn't get to write yesterday because, well, I wasn't home long enough to write. So here's how the day played out... started good, but ended up horrible. some of you may alredy know... but here goes...
I woke up at 3a to get ready for work. My plan was to stop by Burger King and get some breakfast... a nice high caloric breakfast that would keep me going until 5 when I would be home and eating dinner. The first BK I stopped at I couldn't order because their computer system was rebooting, so I went to the one closer to work. I got two sausage/egg/cheese croissanwiches (buy one get one free) and a side of hashbrowns. I wolfed down all of it with a chaser of 23oz of water. Thank goodness I did because it would be HOURS until my next drink and meal.
I made it through work all right. I even endured sitting in a meeting with my fellow coworkers eating philly cheese steaks. OMG, I was so hungry for one by the time the meeting was over... or I left for the day. So... at 12 I left for home. I met Brad and we headed up the hill to the hospital. We got there at 1:15 and checked in. Evelyn met us there. She got off of work early. Shortly after 130, Brad and I went to the outpatient waiting area. There I had to undress... everything and put on this beautiful Bair gown. The gown was HUGE... I could fit 3 of me in it. But it was kind of cool because they could hook me up to a blower. The blower would circulate hot air into the gown and keep me warm. Some dude came to take my blood pressure and temperature (he was creepy). Then another man came to put my IV in. I said, good luck as I felt dehydrated. He stuck a needle in me to numb the area and then gave me the IV. He was great. So we waited for awhile. Me on the bed, naked as a jaybird under the gown and Brad in the hard chair beside me. I fell asleep for awhile. An anesthesiologist came by and asked me a whole bunch of questions about myself and then a bunch of questions about my personal life. He told me that my surgery time was scheduled for 3:25. It was only 2:30. :-( At around 3.30, someone came to my bed and said that Dr. Pommier, the doctor doing my port surgery, was running behind. There was a rumor that it would be at 5p before he was complete with the other surgery. I was so mad. I was hungry and thirsty. To add insult to injury, the outpatient day surgery unit would be closing at 5p. Before I was transported, I was greeted by Dr. Pommier's resident and a 3rd year medical student. They went over how the surgery was going to be performed and it was at that time I could ask questions. I asked how they insert the port. First they do an ultrasound of my neck and look for the jugular vein. Then they make an incision in my neck. After that they insert a wire which follows the vein all the way down to the heart. After they follow that down, the doctor makes an incision in my chest about an inch or so wide, scoops out a pocket for the port (which is the size of a nickel or quarter... one person says one thing... literature on the smart port says another) and then places the unit in the pocket. Next they take sheathing and push that up along the wire, followed by the catheder. The catheder is "tunneled" under my skin. They take the wire out and then hook everything up, sew the port in place and then sew me up. The procedure takes about an hour.
So after they told me all this and I signed the papers, they had to wheel me to the surgery wing in a totally different building. That sucked. So I got to the new wing. The only upside to the new location was that I got TV. Brad and Evelyn both got to wait for me while I waited for Dr. P. Shortly before 5:30, Dr. P made his presence known. I talked with him briefly and said lets get going. I also talked with a new anesthesiologist. Thank goodness for the med student... he was the one who kept us aprised of the situation. He was nice. He just got off his obgyn rotation!
Then finally, they came to get me. The anesthesiologist gave me some medicine to make me feel good and less anxious. She asked me as she was wheeling me down to the OR if I was doing okay. I said, sure, as I wasn't anxious to begin with. From the surgery unit to the OR it's an eighth of a mile. Someone actually measured it. Interesting. It was OR 20, the very last one. I was rolled in at 5:50 (big clock over the door). I was told to move onto the other bed. Then the anesthesiologist said she was giving me the "twilight" medication. The only other thing that I remember is that someone said they were putting oxygen on my nose and to breathe. The next thing I remember is them saying wake up and how do I feel. I think I said I want apple juice! I was so happy it was all done. Then they wheeled me to the recovery area. I had a nice nurse... Michael, who assisted me and answered my questions over and over again. Then the portable xray man came and took a picture. Everything looked okay. I got my apple juice - yummy - and a choice of saltines or graham crackers. I chose saltines. But at that point I was too ill (headache) to eat very much. But I managed to eat a few without getting sick. My pain killer of choice vicodin. I took a vicodin... and then they called Brad who was waiting with his mom in the surgery waiting area. He came downstairs and met me. Then slowly I got up and ready to go. I was moving slow since I was still weak, not from the surgery, but from not eating. Michael told Brad to go get the car and he would wheel me down to the ER exit. We met up and it was time to go home! Discharged!By the time I got home it was after 9p!
What a long day. Brad dropped me off so I could get changed and eat while he went to pick up the girls at Becky's. Thank you so much Becky for watching the girls all day long! While he was gone I managed to eat half a bowl of ravioli. We didn't eat the enchiladas because it was way too late. After eating half of the can of Chef Boyardee, I started to feel better. I only ate half a can because I didn't know if I would throw it all up, but after I managed to eat that much, I felt I could eat the rest. It was so yummy. I was getting my strength back. I felt like dancing after eating... that's how much better I felt. It was awesome. :) Brad ended up eating some left overs after he got the girls to bed. Then it was time for me to sleep.
So that's how my day started out good and ended up bad. But the port is now in place and Dr. P left a needle in the port for my chemo the next day (as I am typing this... I've got cytoxan dripping into my body).
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