dVH/RALH: First thing you felt when you woke up from surgery? (1/17)

My dVH/RALH is on Friday, and I'm getting a bit freaked out! I'm just wondering, for those of you who've already had surgery, what is the first thing you noticed or felt when you woke up? I know it can be different for everybody, just wondering.

I remember waking up in my hospital room and seeing my husband and the nurse. The nurse then explained the "pain ball" that was over my shoulder. I wasn't in any pain but was drifting in and out. GOOD LUCK

I woke up pretty comfortable, in recovery. I felt around to see if it had been converted to abdominal. I asked how long I'd been there. I did feel woozy from the meds but mainly OK.

I was pretty groggy going in and out, but no real bad discomfort. They gave me meds first thing in Phase I recovery. I also had been given TLC protocol (Tylenol, Lyrica, Celebrex) prior to surgery which is supposed to help with post-op pain and it did.

Good luck and healing thoughts

Thanks guys

I woke up in a room. I remember nothing about the recovery room. Opened my eyes, saw a nurse and my husband sitting next to me and my breakfast was delivered. It was an overnight emergency surgery and took approx. 6 hours.

I was not on pain meds and had no pain. In fact, my stomach was flat and I realized the 14lb. fibroid we named Cybill was gone. I was hungry! I had coffee and a pretty good breakfast. The nurse said she was going to take my catheter out and with that it was gone. No pain with that either. After my second cup of coffee, I needed to pee. I asked the nurse I there was an easy way to get out of bed. Her reply was no. Ok, I can do this! Went to the bathroom and had an Austin Powers moment! LOL!! Nurse asked if I could pee ok and I said no problem there! My surgeon released me by 11:00am. with 2 Percocet for the 2 hour ride home since I forgot the ones I had filled at home.

I remember waking up calmer then I had in years! Wishing you my experience, because it was great!

I woke up briefly in the recovery room and felt total relief and joy that it was over, then asked if the incision had been a vertical or hip to hip (surgeon wanted to decide once i was under). I had a another brief conversation with a male member of staff - i was convinced he was a colleague from work......bizarre and then next woke up in my room with the pain all under control and high as a kite :-)

Lying on what I suppose was a gurney with my stomach killing me and being rolled around with my eyes closed while the nurses were talking VERY LOUD to me, telling me we were going over bumps, into the elevator, and then that they were moving me into the bed. (That was the worst part; being picked up and slid from gurney to bed.)

Beyond that, I'm not really sure when I opened my eyes; I may have seen one of my surgeons faces first (my cousin's fantastic, beautiful wife). It's a bit hazy.

If I said, saw, or did anything between the pre-op sedative and that moment in the gurney, I have no idea.

FWIW, I had a TAH, hence the stomach-killing-me part. I also suspect that I don't react that much to opiates for whatever reason. The morphine took the worst edge off the pain but did not make it go away by ANY means, nor did the percocet after I was discharged. I've known people who see things or get completely zonked on those drugs. Not me, though.

I was shivering from the cold. I knew that was a common reaction to anethesia, so wasn't concerned, but my Mom was there and I think it upset her a bit to see me so jittery. I was pretty out of it.

I don't really remember the recovery room. I was so groggy and didn't have my glasses on, but I remember someone (a nurse? my husband? who knows!) telling me that everything went well and before I knew it they were wheeling me to my room. By the time we got there, I was a little more awake. I don't remember feeling pain - but they gave me something in the recovery room. Then I cried for a while (relief, I think) and was feeling pretty happy for the rest of the overnight stay, just some minor cramping and gas pains. Can't complain!