Total Abdominal Hysterectomy - Back from the Castle

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Total Abdominal Hysterectomy - Back from the Castle

Total Abdominal Hysterectomy - Back from the Castle

Date : 05-03-2008 - 02:51 AM - Readers : 374

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Tuesday, April 29th I went in for my blood transfusion.

That morning started off early with dropping the kids off at school and then making my way to the hospital for my blood transfusion. I was surprised to check in and be told that my room was ready and they walked me to a regular room and told my husband and I to make ourselves at home. Because I was wearing comfy clothes, they didn't even make me change into a gown! So I laid in bed with some nice warm blankets and hubby settled down into the recliner and they started the IV. It took awhile for them to bring me my blood because they hadn't done a cross check on my blood and that took an extra hour and then the blood came. I was a nervous wreck about the blood going in me and the nurses were being so sweet about everything. And then what made me even more nervous was that I could not only taste the saline from the IV, I could then taste the blood and actually feel it as it circulated in my body (including my eye veins). What was even more almost scary for all of us was that my blood was making odd noises...almost an electric/vibration type noise that had us all staring at oneanother. They said they never heard of anything. We all blamed it on the empath in me because a normal person should not be that in tune to the body and the circulatory system, but how I explained to them how I felt it move was exactly like they said the anatomy ran (and sorry...I never took that class!). Because I was on clear liquids, the nurses were nice about bringing me anything that went under that category...and even made me some iced tea. I finally fell asleep around 1:00 p.m. and had some bizarre dreams. The second pint took almost 4 hours and by that time the nurses were trying to convince me to just stay the night. But, I wanted to take a nice hot shower, sleep in my own bed and so I again opted to come home and just go back there at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.

They took my IV out and hubby went to get the car. I put my coat and shoes on and went to sit in the wheelchair and had this feeling that something wasn't right. I told the nurse to wait, stood up and took off my coat. And once again, like the time before, I stood in a puddle of blood leaking from my arm. They quickly took care of it and I was off to go home..where I am now!

I was truly shocked that I looked tan. Pink in my cheeks and my skin looked tan.

Surgery DATE (April 30th)

We had to be at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and I had my form tellng me exactly where to go. I told C (aka hubby) that I was supposed to go to main hospital, but the paperwork and the nurse who phoned told me Ambulatory. So, we parked at Ambulatory only to discover that nobody was there yet. So we waited. And waited. And I started to get emotional as we waited some more. Finally, at 6:35 a.m. the doors opened and the receptionist asked my name.

"We don't have your paperwork. You sure you have the right day?"

Panic. Panic. Umm. "Yes, April 30th at 6:30 with Dr. K and Dr. A," I said with a fake smile on my face.

"You are scheduled for the hospital, my dear."

And off we ran. C dropped me at the door as I was now almost 15 minutes late and the lady knew exactly who I was and called surgery immediately to let them know that I was found. The nice gentelman asked if I wanted to walk or if I wanted a wheelchair. Walking was my choice. So we went to the 3 floor of the hospital where he acted more like a tour director than someone taking me to surgery.

"On your left you will see the new tower that we are building. And here is the lobby where you can use your computer and anyother electronic equipment. and over here is our newborns." (Ouch...good thing I was done with having the babys). Before we knew it, we were being thrown directions from everywhere. A beeper, where the bathrooms were and how to change the tv channel. It wasn't 5 minutes after we sat down that I was whisked away into a private pre-op room and an IV started. First off they blew a vein and I began to bruise from my hand to my shoulder, so they had to go in the left hand. Ouch. I signed more paperwork, received hugs from my appendix surgeon and introductions from his staff and then a hug from the OB/GYN and introductions to her staff. I realized that they hadn't called C back like they promised and I asked if I could see him. Seconds later he was there giving me a kiss and I was given the sedative. I was trying to be funny because the doctor asked if I had metal implants and I told him only from what the aliens put in me, but our medical technology wouldn't find it. He laughed and said that in over 10 years he had only heard that once before. On the drive down the hallway to surgery we chatted about how rollercoasters scared us the more adult we were and then B L A M, all went black.

I woke up in the recovery room with a nurse over me asking what my pain level was. It was a 0. I didn't feel anything, which scared me. And then the pain came fast and furius. The first thing I did was reach down to feel my appendix scar only to find nothing there. The nurse laughed and said that the surgeon took it out of my c-section scar and so I would only have one to worry about. And it was a huge relief. Before I knew it, I was being taken to my room to rest and told that C and family would be there. But nobody was there and that is when the tears started to come. I actually had to find the phone and call C's cell phone and my dad's cell phone and tell them that I was in the room. And what a room it was....plasma tv, hardwood floors, comfy bed with big blankets, private bathroom with a walk in shower and two recliners for those visitors who wanted to nap. Niiiice. The nurse told me that I was only allowed ice chips until the morning and would get more of something once the cathetor was removed (again, which would happen in the morning). I asked her if I could sit up and do stretches and she asked me what I was talking about. I reached for some crystals and was about to mention crystal therapy and reiki when she stopped me and told me that she would even help...and so we did a healing on me that was vibrant. By this time, I have a pump of pain meds and they are also IVing Benedryl and Torodol and I have an Estrogen and a nausea med patch on. And I couldn't stop itching that I thought I was going to cry. I looked down at my chest and saw it. Hives. Hives everywhere there had been latex or medical bandage. As the night progressed, the hives got worse so by the morning they took the cathetor out (ya!) and took the pump off and told me to take a shower and they would switch my pain med in case that was it. The shower felt like a million bucks and I was eager to smell like a purty girl again. My incision was stitched, so I was able to wash it and not worry about darn staples. I put on my own nightgown and laid down and surfed the net, with heavy eyes. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easy because I kept itching and I couldn't sleep. So they deducted that I stop the Benedryl to see if that was wiring me and to give me Percocet. Not a good idea. The Percocet became an enemy of me and my eyes swolled up and the hives and rash progressed even worse. So...they put me back on Benedryl and gave me Motrin and Tylenol 3s. Visitors came and went, which helped keep my mind off of the itching. Flowers, cards, phone calls, texts....which I was very grateful (and sure I was the butt of many jokes because I made absolutely NO sense)! Nighttime finally came and I still wasn't sleeping so they told me that they would give me a sleeping pill and I was grateful.

That was until 1:00 a.m. when I woke up to my husband being on the other side of the hospital room with my kids, telling me to follow him. I was so irritated because why would he have the kids there at 1 am and where were we going. I slipped on my robe, put some slippers on and dragged my IV out the door. When I got to the hallway, I noticed that it was bare and nobody was there. So I went down the hall about 3 doors and whispered asking him where he was. He said to open the next door on the left. Fear rose in me and I stopped in my tracks. None of it made sense and I felt like I was caught in a Friday the 13th movie. I turned around to see a nurse coming down the corridor and I stopped her and told her that I thought I was sleepwalking. She helped me back to bed and told me to be careful. Easy for her to say. I curled back into the bed and looked at one of the recliners that was rocking ever gently, my tv came on by itself and lit the shadowy figure. My mom. I asked her what she was doing and she laughed and said watching soap operas because she hadn't seen her stories in forever. She got up, kissed me on the forehead and told me to go to sleep, that she would make sure that I didn't get up again. I slept. And I didn't get up, but I know I talked to her all night long because my voice was gone by the morning. And so was mom (who had crossed over over 2 years ago). Silly narcotics.

The third day, they said I was doing fantastic and could go home if I wanted, or could stay one or two more days. I decided to come home. Now that it is 4:00 a.m. and I am in pain, I wonder if I made the right decision.

SURGICAL STUFF

1. They removed an abnormal looking appendix. Not only was it in the wrong place, it was shaped all wrong. There was a band of something that was constricting it, thus my appencitis symptoms.

2. They removed adhesions off of my bladder. They said that it was the worst they had ever seen and that this took a long time.

3. My uterus and appendix were connected together (again, explaning the pain).

4. The removed my uterus, ovaries, tubes and cervix. They said that the uterus had this black sludge in it that they didn't have a clue what it was, but said it wasn't cancer. Pathology will give us a report in a week.

5. They removed more abdominal adhesions which were inflamed.

6. They knicked a nerve and I have limited feeling in my left thigh, but they are assuring me that I will get it back with time.

MY CONCERNS:

1. I have never been allergic to medical tape or latex and my adhesion is slightly pink and sore and they said it was because of this allergy. My belly hangs over slightly from my past C-Sections, so it is sore....

2. I have been having bad nose bleeds since the blood transfusion. I told the nurses from that day on, but nobody is listening. Even right now my nose is bleeding (not gushing, but bleeding). I think I will call the doctor in the morning. Wonder if it is because it is so dry.

3. My throat hurts. I think it is from the tube they put down, but man oh man it aches.

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