(are you totally confused and need the whole story from the beginning?! just click here and flip a few pages back to the start)
PRE-OP
i woke up at 4 this morning and laid in bed till we jumped in the car at 5am. mom, dad, and i got to presbyterian hospital and headed up to the short stay unit. and i was actually in the room that my mom was in when she had her foot surgery! i had a fabulous nurse named olga who took great care of me before and after my surgery. olga took my vitals and i knew i was anxious when i saw them. my BP is usually 100/60 with a heart rate in the 50s, however my BP was 120/74 with a heart rate in the 60s. not too abnormal, but a tiny up.
next came paperwork. the admissions lady made me sign some documents saying that she’d give me some pamphlets to read… once she handed them to me i said “oh, i’ll totally read these!”… she laughed.
finally ralph arrived, my driver. he had me hop on another bed, wrapped me up in warm blankets and he wheeled me down to the OR waiting room. mom and dad followed me down stairs and into the family member waiting room. we gave our hugs and goodbyes and ralph drove me on down the hall. he parked me in a corner right next to another pt.
then it hit.
i curled up on the bed and started crying. i kept thinking to myself “why am i here, i’m in the best health i’ve ever been”….. and “i hope they find something, but i also hope they don’t find something”. finally dr. sanchez came in, with his OR scrubs on, and shook my hand and asked how i was feeling. “i’m really nervous, but ready”… “at a girl, i’ll see you in there”. then dr. neilson showed up!! i was surprised! he talked to me while they were wheeling me into my OR. “how are you feeling, nervous?” and i told him “i want you guys to find something, but i also don’t want you to find something”. “that’s the same way i’m feeling” he told me. then i scooted onto the OR table and started shaking from the nerves and the cold room. a nurse said that she was sorry it was so cold in there, but they usually get really hot. without hesitation i told her “oh, don’t worry about me, i want you guys to be as comfortable as possible, ya’ll are what really matters here!!” they all laughed. then i’m pretty sure that dr. sanchez could see my nerves and so held my hand until i fell asleep.
me and my amazing support crew... just waiting for me to head to the OR
POST-OP
“i’m gunna puke!” were the first words out of my mouth. “ok dear, i’ll get you some zofran” my nurse politely told me. “no… i’m really gunna puke!” but luckily she got that stuff in quick. and another dose 2 minutes later. i felt her put the blood pressure cuff on and once it finished i used all my strength to look at my vitals. 135/80 with a heart rate of 101. damn… i guess i was really freaking out about me puking all over the place! haha. once my vitals were stable at 104/60 with a heart rate of 50, about 15 min later, ralph came to drive me back up stairs. as he was unhooking me from everything he noticed my tattoo and asked for a better look at it. he was pretty impressed! i could see his tattoos showing past his long sleeves and so we both talked about it on the way to my room.
we got to my room and when i saw my parents i asked them right away if dr. sanchez found anything… “no, everything was clear”. my initial reaction was anger and frustration. then i realized it’s just a 100% bittersweet situation. if they found something today, it wasn’t gunna be good. it would have been cancer or a serious problem that i’d have to deal with my whole life. but… at the same time, i yet again don’t have an answer to my pain. another good thing is that i guess everything looked top-notch in there! oh, and my poor BFF called right when i got to my room… while i was still doped up and just found out the information and i wasn’t quite sure what to think. i totally threw here for a loop, but hearing her voice sure helped me.
my parents asked dr. sanchez and dr. neilson what else it could be. and they’re thinking GI, possibly a GI bacterial thing. unfortunately i never got to talk to them at the hospital, so i’ll call dr. neilson tomorrow and pick his brain. the more i thought about it today the more it makes sense. cuz we never really finished with dr. lah, the GI doc. he was more worried that it could be endomitriosis, so he stopped his treatments to send me to an OB/GYN.
looks like i don't have a bellybutton!!
THANKS
once i got home i watched a bunch of TV, napped, and hung out with my mom, dad, and sister playing card games and watching project runway. i also got 4 beautiful flower arrangements today, each with my favorite flower, daisies!!! so thanks mom & dad, aunt julie & uncle rick, sarah, and donald! ya’ll know me so well! i love fresh flowers, especially daisies! my friend bryan also made me a mixed tape! how cool is that?! and soon enough i’ll start watching the first season of jersey shore that my partner at work let me borrow ha ha! i know i have some friends going out of their way to try and see me this next week too, and i’m very greatful for that. and i’m so thankful for all the prayers, happy thoughts, concerns, and encouragements from numerous friends and family via facebook, texting, phone calls, and letters. i must say, i have wonderful friends and family! thank you all.
i heart daisies!
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