Content warning up front: there is a photo of my IV at the end. Don't know that it would gross out a lot of people normally, but the location might make some of you squirm. I will push it down in the order of appearance so it doesn't end up as the thumbnail on Facebook. I'll put my goofy face or something first.
Today was surgery day. It went really well, even factoring in the fact I had to arrive in Louisville at 6 am, and that getting released turned into a whole thing (more in a sec). The nurses were amazing, the doctors inspired trust, and I couldn't be happier at this point. Granted, I am not allowed to open up the bandages for a week, but the breast reduction this same surgeon did in August turned out really well, so I believe this one will be just as good. I also had some optional work done to make it easier to wearing compression sleeves for my low-grade lymphoedema, and I truly have no idea what to expect from that. Fingers crossed, I guess.
Now the creepy part: because I was having work done on both arms, I had to have the IV done somewhere else--which ended up being in the top of my left foot. Yes, I was as grossed out as you probably are. I made them numb it first, but even still, I could feel that catheter going in. Any time they pushed meds, I felt it in the high ankle. I hope I never have to do that again.
Back to better stuff. I had a gorgeous view of a snowy Long's Peak from my pre-op room. My post-op room had no window, just facing a central desk. I had a dedicated nurse most of the day, until just before 1, when a patient arrived in the bay next to mine. After that, the nurse was still kind and as attentive as she could be, but the new person needed a lot more than I did at that point. Without knowing exactly what the source was, and not being willing to say more even if I did, let's just say tachycardia gets the attention of medical staff. I was already up and in a recliner by this point, so I was happy to just read my phone and be low maintenance.
Eventually I was able to get my clothes on and my friend back to get release instructions. Dressing was fun. I was in the bathroom, and power went out. Lights came back on in the main ward, but the bathroom was pitch black. The nurse came in with a flashlight and helped me get my shirt on. This hospital was right next to the burn zone of the Marshall Fire, and the power problem was much larger than just this building.
I have to be on my CPAP nearly all the time for the first day home. I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my oxygen saturation in the acceptable range. The monitor was beeping almost non-stop until they reset the alarm to 87 and below. I took it off to eat dinner and visit with the family (son-in-law got to babysit me for a switch). But now that I have blogged and taken my evening pain pill, it's time to mask back up and close my eyes a little.
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