1. Check-in. $500.00 was due before they would admit me.
2. Pre-surgery blood work and chest radiographs were taken.
3. The nurses placed an IV catheter and stated fluids
4. A nurse took a medical history.
5. Dr. Annest and Dr. Sanders came to talk to me and my family. Dr. Annest went over the risks of surgery again, scaring my mother.
6. Dr. Schaffer, the anesthesiologist talked to me and my mother for a long time--she was great. She offered me a Scopalomine patch for nausea--it works great!
7. I had to put on a gown and hospital-issued socks, and take off everything else.
8. A nurse gave me an IV injection of Versed, and I was wheeled into the surgery suite.
9. Surgery took about 3 hours--faster than they expected.
10. I woke up very, very itchy and grouchy!
I had a continuous drip of Fentynal after surgery, and Dr. Annest places a catheter at the surgery site that delivers Lidocaine, so the pain was not that bad. The itching from the pain medication was the worst part.
During surgery they also placed a chest tube that drained blood and fluid out of my chest cavity to prevent a lung collapsing. It is a little unnerving to have that attached, but not painful or anything. They place air pumps on your calves to keep blood from clotting, which is also irritating when your itchy and grouchy. They started with ice packs right away too; one on my chest, and one in my axilla (armpit).
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| 12/9/10 First night after surgery in the ICU. |
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| 12/9/10 First night after surgery in the ICU. |
