This evening, while I lolled about web surfing, my wife looked through the paperwork from the hospital. I had already gone through it, although with a certain amount of denial as I did so. She didn't find any surprises, but there were a couple of things that we didn't really expect, or that I had not understood, or that I was nervous about.
For example, just general anxiety about the process of getting put on the gurney, getting to wait around as people bustled back and forth and all of that fun. I think the waiting is going to be tedious and possibly not very much fun. I'm going to worry, I know. One person who comments on this blog had suggested getting knocked out early. I'm not sure that's going to be possible, but she reminded me that the last time I had any kind of operation, I wasn't even aware when they had given me the sedative. That's a good thing -- it means, that I won't really care what's going on. For another, the literature had said that there would be a nurse assigned to me upon arriving from the operating area. I was a little spooked by that -- were they expecting something bad to happen, that I would need specific attention? My wife informed me that although a nurse might be assigned to me , it didn't mean I would be the only person she would be watching. I'm a little shaky about the whole post- operative procedure, actually -- being in a hospital room overnight, which I haven't done since I was 21, not being able to get out of bed by myself, things like that. And though I want to get started with therapy, it scares me a little too. It's the unknown. I don't like it.
But this is how I psych myself up for it.
2 comments:
Maybe my pre/post op process story can help...
My husband and I were to be at the hospital two hours prior to surgery. We checked-in, they copied my license and insurance cards, and they gave us a vibrating pager like at the sit-down restaurants... We waited for a while and then were paged to the paperwork area, where we filled out the paperwork and were wrist-banded.
We were given back our pager and told it would buzz again for me to get lab drawn. (You may not even have to do that since they drew your lab last week.)
The next time it buzzed we met with the anesthesia RN who went over a questionaire with us. She gave us a very general run-down about what to expect.
It buzzed again for us to go to the pre-operative area. More questions, more paperwork, warm blankets and a sexy gown... IV, nausea medicine, and the first sedative. Versed is so nice.
(At this point my husband was given the buzzer, and it buzzed one last time when I was out of surgery and the doctor was waiting to talk to him.)
I remember being rolled to the OR, being transferred to the operating room table. It's really cold in there. And then I remember waking up in the post-op area.
The nurses in the post-op area, the PACU, are usually on a one-to-one or one RN to two patient basis. This is so that you can be closely monitored immediately after surgery. You'll still have on the EKG leads so they can see your heart beat. You'll wake up with a mask on with oxygen. The anesthesia made my face itch, which goes away soon enough.
The nurse will swap your mask over to oxygen through nasal prongs or no oxygen at all. That's just standard practice after surgery -- as you wake up, you'll breathe deeper and have better oxygenation.
That nurse will also be in charge of giving you pain medicine or nausea medicine -- or whatever might come up that you'll need. They'll wrap you in warm blankets and assure you that you're doing great, which you'll do. If you have questions, ask them. If you hurt, ask for pain medicine.
After you're in PACU for a while (usually about 20-30 minutes), they'll transfer you to your regular room. My husband was waiting for me there after surgery. The surgeon had already talked with him while I was waking up.
I think we get worried about the process because we can't control what happens in the operating room. Just remember that it's okay to be nervous -- and it's okay to tell people you're nervous, too.
Go ahead and tell your pre-op nurse that you're nervous and you'd really like to be knocked-out before you go to the OR. It certainly won't hurt anything to ask.
A side note on pain medicine: If you hurt, ask for it. Don't sit and be miserable. Don't wait and ask for it after it's escalated to a point that it's out of control for you. Now is not the time to worry about "getting addicted" to pain meds... they're designed for people who hurt. SO ask for it if you need it.
Another side note: Do your best to get up in the chair the night of surgery. Get up to eat supper. If you feel like it, walk a lap or two out in the hall. The next morning try to get up and walk a coupe of more laps. ... Getting up and walking will help you feel better, give you a little control, and help your bowels deal with the narcotics.
I'm certainly pleased to hear all of that. It's very comforting. Thank you.
I've been doing a fair amount of whistling past the graveyard humor lately -- things like saying "well starting tomorrow and for a while, I'll be doing the Mr. Roboto method of eating" -- moving my left arm jerkily. From what I read , as long as I adhere to the rehabilitation method -- doing it religiously, no less and no more than prescribed -- I have a pretty good chance of getting most of my arm motion back. And that's important -- otherwise, my wife and daughter will have to do all the heavy lifting.
Hmmmm......
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