We arrived at the hospital around 10am yesterday morning. I was very impressed with how quickly we were moved through the check in process. By 11am I was in the pre-op room where you get the lovely hospital attire and go over the schedule for the surgery. They also start an IV at that point to keep some fluids going, while also giving some preventative antibiotics. It was a very small room, but Nick and I were able to relax for about 45 mins before the real fun began. Around 12pm Nick had to go back to the waiting room while I was taken for the anesthesia prep. I had a nerve block put in which wasn't as scary as expected. The nerve block was put in near the hip area and blocked the series of nerves going to my knee. They numbed me before the actual block, so it wasn't bad at all. It was quite odd though b/c I had to be shocked a few times to make sure the right nerves were being blocked... they got it right on the first go. Within minutes my leg felt HUGE and I couldn't move it at all- quick work!! I really appreciated how the doctors explained everything step by step to me, as they could tell I was a little nervous. I also got oxygen around that time too, just b/c the anesthesia can slow down your breathing. At 1pm I was on the operating table being greeted by my doc and his team. No memories after that! I was put under light anesthesia since my block would take care of most of the pain.
It was kind of amusing to wake up to a hospital bracelet in bright yellow that red FALL RISK. They wouldn't let me lift a toe without assistance. I got taken to Recovery which is where my memory picks up. I woke up but was soooo tired and couldn't seem to keep my eyes open- b/c of this my blood pressure wasn't going back up as quickly as they would have liked which is what kept me back there so long. The doctors made sure to keep Nick updated, as it had been like 3-4 hours since he had seen me. I also had some pretty bad nausea too. They gave me two different nausea medication, but neither worked. Goody. After trying very hard to stay awake, they allowed me to the next recovery room, where Nick was. That was when the real fun began. I had a nurse that had just started her shift- I was her first patient- but I greeted her with "I'm going to puke." ) And puke I did :) After that they decided to give me yet another nausea medication- this time it was via a shot in the rear- oh joy! I couldn't be released until I ate & drank and you can imagine how slow that took since I was feeling queasy. So, we didn't end up getting released until almost 8pm. What a long day!
It was a huge blessing that Mom was with us, b/c last night b/w my pain & having to be carried everywhere, and Camille's continued teething and waking up screaming... Mom & Nick had their hands full.
I am doing fine today, just very sore... and thinking that this recovery was nothing like I expected- a lot harder than I had assumed.... but i'll get there :)
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