Not going to lie, I was nervous as hell...you start to second guess your decisions. Surgery is not typically Option #1 when trying to treat any physical ailment. What if the surgery causes more issues than it solves? What if there are complications? So many unknowns and such a long road back...and no guarantees.
I had stayed up until midnight so that I could fill my belly as I could not have any food or drink, not even water, after that time. This is no easy task for anyone, and is especially difficult for me as I have a very high metabolism. My plan was to lay low as much as possible that morning so as to not waste any energy. Surgery was scheduled for 1:30PM and I did not have to be at the hospital until 11:30AM. Sara for the most part steered clear of me most of the morning, as she is a smart one and knows I get cranky without my food or coffee. Her and her mom, Jacque, would be taking me to the hospital.
We arrived at Del Webb Hospital and were quickly escorted back to the prep area. On the way back, the volunteer gave Sara a quick rundown on a video display that would update her on my progress via an assigned number and color-coded statuses. Pretty cool stuff.
Everybody I encountered were so very helpful, attentive and knowledgeable. I am so grateful to the people below for all the information and reassurance they provided:
Prep RN: Linda -about as mom-like as you can get without having your own mother there
CT: Pat -efficient in getting me all hooked up...no nonsense and funny
Surgical RN: Chris/Kris -direct and cool confidence
Anesthesiologist: Mike -hilarious Aussie and fellow runner...started talking about cocktails and happy drinks...yes, please!
Recovery nurse: Julie -caring and yet strong enough to counter my stubborness in wanting to get up and get out of there!
**Cool side note (well, at least to me) they had what basically amounted to a personal cooling and heating system for the gowns! As uncomfortable as it already is being in a hospital, then to throw in the gowns and the blankets and the general temperature...it i s difficult to find a happy medium. But they just hooked up this hose to my gown and I was able to adjust the dial cooler or warmer.
As usual there is a whole lot of hurry up and wait (hello Army days!), but after they get you all hooked up they invited Sara and Jacque back to sit with me until the surgery. Dr. Brown came in to see if I had any questions or concerns, to which I replied "This is on the right hip, right?" and he just laughed and initialed that hip. The procedure was scheduled to take 1.5 to 2 hours and with about 1.5 to 2 hours in recovery, I'd be home in time for a Jack and Coke and a steak, or at least that was my dream. Dr. Brown headed to the OR and Mike came back in and popped some Versed in the IV and away we went.
When I came to I was obviously disoriented and inquisitive as to how things went and where Sara and Jacque were. I slightly recall joking with Julie, my recovery nurse about bailing out fast as I hate waiting around in hospitals. She reassured me she would help me escape as soon as I could. She also informed me that the surgery took longer than expected, as I was in the OR for 3 hours. We did fight about my desire for some water...I told her I was thirsty and could handle it, she said I would just send it right back up if I had some...she finally relented and gave me some ice chips, which I devoured. By the way, she was right, as just as Sara came back to help get me ready to leave I got super nauseous and they had to give me some ice cold towels and some organic smelly stuff under my nose. Julie kinda laughed, I think, and told me she told me so...but things are a bit hazy regarding my recovery and leaving the hospital. I asked Sara for my hat and sunglasses, she asked why, and I said to keep the sun out of my eyes. The girls laughed at me and said the sun was gone and it was 8:00 at night.
I was actually surprised at my ability to manuever myself to get into and out of the car and to crutch myself into the house that night, considering how drugged up I was. Thankfully our good friend Steven was there to help out, just in case. I got positioned on the couch and to be honest, don't remember much of the rest of the night. At that point, I would call Surgery Day a success.
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