www.loqu.comIn my case, it was voluntary... well to some degree. This past Thursday I had elective surgery to have my gallbladder out. I had battled with a severe cold the whole week leading up to the surgery. I'm convinced I had a sinus infection, but I never got it checked out. (I'm not normally an advocate for the "screw-it-I'll-get-better-on-my-own" mantra, but after several doctor visits and co-pays with my gallbladder issue, I figured I'd dose up on the Musinex and give the cold the proverbial finger.)
When I got to the hospital, I was sent up to the "surgical day care" center. I'm going to give that mental image a moment.... It was a place where you check-in, get nekked, and put on the Johnny. However, it was painted with clouds and vines and white-picket fences. Way to go Elliot. Way to go. There were three bays which were occupied with two other patients. As I got myself situated, I learned that my other two compadres were also having their gallbladders out. Apparently it was a day for the gastroeterological surgeon. (Then I wondered what happened to all of the discarded gallbladders... I still don't know.)
www.misc.thefullwiki.org
The nurse came and put the IV in (thankfully a whole lot more skillfully than the ER nurse at the CMC... I was done looking like a heroine addict thank you very much). I had brought a book with me because of the lag time between my arrival and my actual surgery. What I thought was going to be "light reading" ended up being a book on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Great way to get your mind off of death and destruction... yeah, not so much. Being so close to the other patients, I heard things like "no running for the next two months", "you'll get back to work after about 2 weeks", "no lifting over 15 lbs for at least 3 weeks"... ACK! That can't be true!
As the time neared I started getting more nervous. The nurse came one last time and hooked my IV up to this small bag with the "sleepy drug." I was getting a little teary as they started wheeling me out and as I was brought in to the OR, I was told it was going to be a little cold. I responded, "yeah it is kinda cold in here".... zonk!
Then I woke up an hour and a half later in the recovery room with 5 "stab wounds." I was unbelievably tired and incredibly sore. I was hoodwinked in that I didn't realize there would be a breathing tube down my throat. I mean they gotta do what they gotta do, but for the next two days I had the voice of a pack-an-hour smoker.
On that note, I will say... to be continued.
When I got to the hospital, I was sent up to the "surgical day care" center. I'm going to give that mental image a moment.... It was a place where you check-in, get nekked, and put on the Johnny. However, it was painted with clouds and vines and white-picket fences. Way to go Elliot. Way to go. There were three bays which were occupied with two other patients. As I got myself situated, I learned that my other two compadres were also having their gallbladders out. Apparently it was a day for the gastroeterological surgeon. (Then I wondered what happened to all of the discarded gallbladders... I still don't know.)
www.misc.thefullwiki.orgThe nurse came and put the IV in (thankfully a whole lot more skillfully than the ER nurse at the CMC... I was done looking like a heroine addict thank you very much). I had brought a book with me because of the lag time between my arrival and my actual surgery. What I thought was going to be "light reading" ended up being a book on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Great way to get your mind off of death and destruction... yeah, not so much. Being so close to the other patients, I heard things like "no running for the next two months", "you'll get back to work after about 2 weeks", "no lifting over 15 lbs for at least 3 weeks"... ACK! That can't be true!
As the time neared I started getting more nervous. The nurse came one last time and hooked my IV up to this small bag with the "sleepy drug." I was getting a little teary as they started wheeling me out and as I was brought in to the OR, I was told it was going to be a little cold. I responded, "yeah it is kinda cold in here".... zonk!
Then I woke up an hour and a half later in the recovery room with 5 "stab wounds." I was unbelievably tired and incredibly sore. I was hoodwinked in that I didn't realize there would be a breathing tube down my throat. I mean they gotta do what they gotta do, but for the next two days I had the voice of a pack-an-hour smoker.
On that note, I will say... to be continued.
