TVH - awake with a spinal - Hystersisters Hysterectomy Article

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TVH - awake with a spinal

TVH - awake with a spinal

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I arrived with hubby and 2 year old at the hospital Mon at 6:00 am. We got off the elevator and saw my pastor stand up to greet us. We had a moment of prayer and then he left. We then walked down the hall to the surgical waiting area to which they signed me in. I didn't even sit down before they said they were ready for me. Interesting since the waiting room was filled with people. Hubby stayed in the waiting area till they could call me back. I got to the prep area where the nurse gave me a gown and a pair of special socks to put on. Once I was in bed she came in and started the I.V. catheter and drew some blood from the same site before introducing lactated ringers since at the pre-op they forgot to do a pregnancy test. I told her I was bleeding but she said they still had to do the test anyways. I was also given an antibiotic for my heart to prevent infection of my leaky heart valves. My husband was then called back to sit with me. The dr came in about 1/2 hour later and said he was going to be having his co-worker assist him in the surgery. I was happy to hear that since I knew both dr's from the office. The anesthesiologist came in and talked with me about my anesthesia options. He read my chart and read out loud that my history of

for 72 hours after general which made him ask me if that was correct. I said yes and I would like to have an epidural because I've had three in the past and did really well with them. He agreed but said he would also do a spinal. Same puncture site just more drug so I wouldn't feel much. I also asked if I could leave the epidural in for post-op pain relief and he agreed that that was ok. I was more than happy by that point since I really was dead set against general. I also didn't want to risk post-op vomiting with a morophine pain pump and have to wake up everytime I needed pain relief to push the button. The epidural would help me be able to sleep the entire night. I started feeling dizzy and mentioned it and he said it was from the versed he just gave me and I said "Ok, it's ok for me to be awake." Then I was taken to the O. R. I moved over to the bed. I remember saying how cheerful and bright the O.R. looked since it wasn't that ugly green I was expecting. I think that made the anesthesiologist aware that I was really ok to be awake LOL. I then sat up at the edge of the table (like I remember when I had the epi's during the labor with the kids) with the O.R. nurse in front of me so the anesthesiologist could give me the spinal. It wasn't bad and he did numb me up. A lot less painful then the I.V. Then I laid back down and saw the two dr's come in to start the surgery. They put my legs in stirrups and they were raised up from the table to get me higher. A sheet was then put in front of my face so I couldn't see what was going on. The anesthesiologist asked how I was and I said I was ok. During the surgery my eyes were open and I remember hearing the dr's talking but couldn't really hear what they were saying. Another moment they said that the uterus was out and I asked to see it. The nurse brought it to me and pulled it out of a container and explained the parts. I said ok thanks. It looked like the size of a baseball or larger. I asked how many stitches I had and she counted up to 20, then a count of 18 and then a count of 8 I think after that I don't remember. I was then taken to recovery where I had a really nice nurse to talk with. The patient next to me had a nurse that kept asking him to kick Osama to test his leg strength. I was told I couldn't have a private room due to having to be on a special observation since I had the epidural. I was ok with that. My nurse had called my husband at home to tell him that I was ok with that. He wasn't allowed to see me till I got into my room anyway so he left after the dr. spoke with him. My husband met me in the room later that day.
While in that room I pressed the buttons for the nurses to turn me over when I felt I needed it. My body pillow came in very handy as it helped support my sore back. I was offered clear liquids for lunch and ate half of it. Jell-O and broth tasted sooo good. I wasn't able to get any sleep during the day due to my noisy demented elderly room-mate. I asked if there was another room available and they said no they were packed. I mentioned it to the dr and I got some ambien for that night and managed to get some sleep. They gave my room-mate sleeping pill and I had my ear plugs in another big plus

The next day at 8:30 the nurse took my epidural out and then once the feeling started coming back in my legs she said she would take the catheter out of my bladder. Well the pain started so instead of waiting till it got bad I pushed the button. There was another nurse in the room for my room-mate and she told me to just keep pushing it since the light kept getting turned off. By the fourth time I pushed the button the desk answered me and said Hello what do you need? I screamed that I was in pain. My nurse showed up very promptly and saw that I was crying and hyperventilating (it had been 1/2 hour by then since I pushed the button the first time) and she brought me back two percocets with crackers. I also asked for a stool softener another good tip. I then dozed off for a bit comfortably. Lunch time came around and they forgot my lunch so I rang for it. The nurse gave me her cell number so I could call if it still hadn't shown up. Oh and I got a number for guest relations since the episode of them not answering my call button. I figured out that since the other nurse was in the room apparently her sensor was making the desk think there was a nurse in there for me but I had to have a special nurse for the epidural. I finally got my lunch at 2:00 after calling both the nurse and guest relations. I think I was so hungry that I ate to fast and that's what made me feel sick once in the other room. After lunch I was told I would be moved to another room without the same room-mate

No private rooms were available but I was happy to be moving. Hubby showed up at that time and I felt so nauseated to which he promptly got the nurse to give me some zofran which helped greatly and I never got sick.

The new room-mate was cheerful and I really didn't get a chance to know her since her husband was visiting from the time I got in my room 3-4 till 7 that night. I thought he would never shut up. I was thinking I was so much better with the elderly lady screaming but I asked my room mate if she had a set of headphones for her tv and she said yes. When her husband did come back she told him to keep it down so I did manage to doze off till hubby came back with whole family

I had never been so happy to see him as I was really lonely. I took a walk later that evening and still hadn't passed gas so when dr met me in the hall he asked me if I wanted to stay and I said yes since I got nauseous before and still hadn't passed gas. I slept pretty well that night despite getting up to go to the bathroom about three times. I thank god I didn't have to worry about that the first 24 hours after surgery. I got to go home the next day and did manage a full night of sleep with only getting up twice to go to the bathroom. The epidural was wonderful and I would go the same route again. I got more zofran just prior to leaving the hospital with pain meds. I've been doing much better since being home in my nice comfortable bed.

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