Ok, I am in bed, but I don't feel like falling asleep, probably out of fear of pain.If I keep my leg completely still,I feel ok, once I start to move it......I am not so happy!
Usually, when I want information on a topic, I want to know EVERYTHING, so I will tell my tale of surgery day the way I would want to know it!! With some of my own antics stuck in, of course! So here is the story of hip arthroscopy!
I had to be at the hospital at 6am, for an 8am surgery, I requested first case of the day! So 4:30, my alarm went off, I was in a deep sleep! Yay!!! I got sleep the night before surgery! By 5:15, I was blow dried and had applied my makeup (yes, I am still a control freak).
We got to the hospital and the questions began in admissions, I must have answered this 100 times today: "What body part? Which side, right or left?" They are very careful!!! I was speaking to the man at the desk, going over all the info, he asked "who is the doctor?", I answered "Dr.Kelly", "Good Choice" he replied! I know he must say that to everyone, but it made me feel good!
Then I was called back, I had my own room, with a TV!!! I had to take a pregnancy test, the thought of having to find out you are pregnant the morning of surgery is scary! I knew I was not, but my heart beat a little faster until it was confirmed negative!!!!
Next, I changed into a cool blue hospital gown, and they gave me "disposable underwear", which are not underwear, rather shorts, I don't know at what point they came off, but they were not on me when I woke up!!! The nice thing about HSS is that the hospital gowns really are cool, I was not being sarcastic! They attach to a unit on the wall through a hose which blows hot air. I am always cold, this is a huge plus for me!!! During my first surgery, a PA came into my room to plug me in when he walked by and saw that I was turning blue!!! I had him again today, and he remembered, so he plugged me in right away!
Next came the pre-op physical. Lots of questions about my medical history, medications, and hip pain! I passed! So I got my IV. Luckily, my IV nurse the first time was awesome, and I had her again!!! I have had awful experiences with IV's, this was a cinch!!!
Next, a nurses aide came to "wash my hip", I kid you not. She had me roll onto my side and gave my hip and butt a sponge bath!!
I assume you now understand why I had to be there 2 hours in advance!!!
Next Dr. Kelly came to "sign"my hip, yet another safeguard that they are doing the correct side! Oh, they also put your hospital bracelet on the opposite side, as well as your IV (I wonder what they do for people getting both sides done!).
I needed to find out what his "plan" was, since I had not seen him since we took X-rays. He said he planned on doing the same hing as he had done on the first side, he was very reassuring, he also mentioned that he had been noticing that people were still making progress past 12 months, which is nice to know, but I told him I was not yet done making progress on the right side!
He walked out to write some notes, then I remembered something important, NO RESIDENTS! so I called him back to remind him! Its not that I have a problem with people learning, hey, I was a student once too, and I never had anyone tell me they didn't want me because I was a student, but it is July 2nd, they all started yesterday!!!
Finally, my anesthesiologist came.I requested her because I had really liked her last time. I have 2 children, L was a c-section, I still have vivid memories of receiving the spinal, and I never want to experience that again. Jk was a VBAC, it was different than the c-section, I requested an epidural bc I was in pain, it still hurt like hell though! In fact, it is the only part of childbirth I clearly remember! During my first hip scope, she sedated me then inserted the spinal, I woke up and didn't have a drop of pain from it!! I loved her! So clearly I wanted her again! I did have some issues though last time, the spinal took a very long time to wear off, as did the sedation. She decided to do a combined spinal epidural, to avoid potential problems, as well as use lighter sedation. I just wanted to make sure I would not feel her putting it in, she said I would not!!!
My final "visitor" was the OR nurse, she came and whisked me off to the OR, I gave J a hug and kiss and off I went!
1 comment:
Dear Suzie. Your experience with your surgery is exactly the same as I. If I would add it will be that I had a tremendous headache and had super nausea. And the night of the surgery, I had to rush myself to the emergency room to have them get me to urinate. That was worse than labor pains....
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