Surgery Recap - Drugs Are Our Friends!

Hi guys, it's Heidi. I'm up and feeling reasonably well. I don't think the anesthesia has totally worn off yet and so I'm expecting pain to get worse before better.  Thought I'd update the blog before that happens.

Well, here's the whole story for those who are interested.

We arrived promptly at 8:30 and I barely had time to take my valium before being whisked off to a private preparation room. I must say Sloan Kettering has gorgeous facilities. You never really see another patient. I had the IV inserted, put my clothes into a garment bag and then David and Mom were allowed to come in.

THEN, the part I had been dreading: inserting the wire. We walked to the mammogram facilities and they told me they'd be using an ultrasound to insert the wire directly into the tumor. HUH?  That's not what I was told. The surgeon told me she wanted a wire pointing to the titanium chip they left in me where the benign tumor was. I told them that. "Well, we always insert a wire into the tumor so that must be what she meant." Hm. Well, here's the lesson folks:  Always be your own health care advocate and pay attention to who tells you what.  But what am I going to do, argue and not let them do it?

So I have the ultrasound and they use my buddy litocane as the anesthetic. I told them I had a bad reaction the last 3 times it was used on me and they said based on the symptoms (sharp stabbing needles being jabbed into me for 20 or more minutes) it does not sound like an allergy. Just "sensitive" nerves (aren't nerves supposed to be sensitive??). Besides, they have nothing else to use. So it looks like what I was dreading the most was happening. But, maybe the valium made my nerves less sensitive. In any event it was not unbearably painful. Next I need a mammogram showing the wire from several angles to guide the surgeon directly to the tumor.

The procedure is done and they bring me back to Mom and David. Next thing I know, they call me in again. They had spoken to my surgeon AND I WAS RIGHT! She did want a wire to the titanium chip. HA! I knew what I was saying after all. I'm feeling quite self-righteous until they tell me that the 2nd wire must be inserted via a mammogram b/c the chip is too small to be seen via ultrasound.

MAN ALERT: Don't read unless you want to read about smashed boobs.  So they smash me in the mammogram machine (with the other wire blowing around in the breeze), give me more litocane, and start sticking the needle/wire in. This one was more painful and I could feel the whole thing being inserted. So gross! Naturally they have to take pictures from all angles, so there is more smashing and now two wires blowing in the breeze.  Finally I get all wrapped up and am released. I'm hoping it's all downhill from here.

MAN ALERT OVER. We get to go back to  nice private room with 1.5 hours to go til surgery. I forgot how much fun "Price is Right" is to watch!  Drew Carey does a good job although he's not Bob Barker and he probably hasn't donated a used ship to a bunch of incompetent whale protectors trying to prevent whaling in the Artic Ocean (see Whale Wars on Animal Planet). Just FYI, I'm anti-whaling but the Sea Shepherds have done almost nothing to stop it. They look good in all of their matching gear, though. But I digress.

I finally get rolled to surgery where they tuck me into a nice, heated operating bed. They put a "boot" on my left leg that gently massages it to keep blood flowing during surgery. This is all quite cozy! All the people in the OR are friendly women. Next they put a "boot" on the other leg except this one is to take my blood pressure. It becomes VERY tight and I ask if anyone has every had their leg explode because of it. They say, "Not that we're aware of". I guess they don't know my sense of humor.

I never even noticed the anesthesiologist come in. No one said, "Ok, let's get started." The next thing I know, someone asks me my level of pain. What? I haven't even been awake so I just say 5. She pops a pill in my mouth and I go back to sleep. Later she asks me again what my level of pain is. I say 4 (making it up). Then she asks if my family can come in. I ask what time it is, how long the surgery was, how long I've been asleep. It's been 5 hours!  Poor Mom and David have been waiting this whole time instead of the 1.5 hours we were initially promised.

So, they arrive and we get the instructions for cleaning drains, doing arm exercises, none of which I pay attention to until they get to the drugs. I get to take percocet every 4 hours as long as I need it or until the 30 pills run out! And then we get the hell out of there!

So that was my surgery experience. Moral of the story, know what procedures you're supposed to have and by all means, TAKE WHATEVER DRUGS YOU CAN GET!