Here I am at out-patient admittance dressed in my prescribed loose fitting sweatpants, baggy button up shirt and jacket. My wife is dropping me off and helping make sure the payment agreement all makes sense. Basically, the hospital made me a deal that if I pay my deductible the day of surgery, they will only charge me that much no matter what.
So, they tell me right away that the surgeon is running late because of some emergency that morning. I ask about coming back in a couple hours and they don't want to let me go. Vee Dont Vant To Let You Go. OK - I'll stay.
Most important takeaways:
- If the nurse getting the IV into your arm misses twice you can ask for a different nurse. I should have done this before she missed five times and I told her she was making me feel sick, didn't want to look like a heroin addict, and could not take her missing again. She cheerfully got another nurse who got it on #2.
- Take care of things that require clear thinking before they get the IV in you because there are drugs to "help you relax".
- It's not that hard to get up and go to the bathroom carrying your IV bag. Plus the bathroom has a place to hang it. If you have to go, then do it before surgery.
- Falling asleep in pre-op is good. It makes you forget the surgeon is running two hours late and you are laying around waiting to be cut.
- The surgery room was not like a technology manufacturing cleanroom. If you have worked in cleanrooms like in a fab operation then a hospital cleanroom does not seem that clean. Operating cleanrooms would probably be class10K in my old tech world though would probably test out around 1-2K with a particle counter is my guess based on many years in that world. Other people will probably just think it is a very clean room. I was a bit taken aback myself.
- A local anesthetic and drugs to put you in lala land really means you are out cold but not so far that the anesthetist has to shove a breathing tube down your nose or throat. My recommendation is go with the local and lala land drugs. A friend had a tooth chipped by the breathing apparatus down his throat. His dentist said it "happens all the time" because operating personnel don't care so much about your teeth.
- You will say and do stupid stuff when you come out of anesthesia. Don't worry about it. As we said in Part I about KYST and GYST, add NGF at this point. Really, in your delirium if you start high fiving the nurses and the surgeon, telling the operating room nurse she has a cute outfit on really meaning it, and begging for chocolate cake it is OK. They have probably seen and heard worse than that.
- The loose fitting clothing is super important NOW. It is hard to move and having clothing that is easy to get into now is less painful. Slip-on shoes are a nice touch as well.
- Even though stuff hurts at this point, it is nothing like its going to hurt in a few hours or tomorrow morning.
Try to sleep after you eat something. You will probably be hungry from the overnight fast. I did not get a headache from no caffeine because there was most likely two gallons of ibuprofen in me at that point. I ate and then fell asleep on the couch.
Next installment is about waking and getting up the first time and you can read it now by clicking HERE!
Please comment below and I will answer all questions. This blog will only become useful if people comment and add their experience and ask the questions which other people share but are afraid to ask. Plus, everyone's experience is different. How did you find out you needed surgery? Were you scared? How did you deal with it? Was it relief to know? Or, was the info a complete surprise?
Gutpatch Hernia Repair Series
1. This Sucks! Step 1
2. You Have A - I Have A - Hernia?! Step 2
3. Oh Man! Getting Surgery Scheduled - Step 3
4. Let's Have a Hernia Repair Operation - Step 4 Part 1
5. Hernia Surgery Part II
6. Post Hernia Surgery
Next installment is about waking and getting up the first time and you can read it now by clicking HERE!
Please comment below and I will answer all questions. This blog will only become useful if people comment and add their experience and ask the questions which other people share but are afraid to ask. Plus, everyone's experience is different. How did you find out you needed surgery? Were you scared? How did you deal with it? Was it relief to know? Or, was the info a complete surprise?
Gutpatch Hernia Repair Series
1. This Sucks! Step 1
2. You Have A - I Have A - Hernia?! Step 2
3. Oh Man! Getting Surgery Scheduled - Step 3
4. Let's Have a Hernia Repair Operation - Step 4 Part 1
5. Hernia Surgery Part II
6. Post Hernia Surgery
