My Hospital Experience
I want to journal my great hospital experience while it is fresh in my mind.
Mon, Jan 7, I met with the surgeon to talk about removing the whole thyroid.
Fri, Jan 11, I went and did my pre-op stuff - paperwork, discuss all details with a nurse, and they drew some blood.
Thurs, Jan 17, I was to be at the hospital at 6am! That is so early. My poor mom didn't get to sleep through the surgery and later that afternoon, so I know she was tired.
It took a while to get my IV in a good vein, and the lady who did it was super chatty. Another nurse was in there telling us what the day would be like and where my mom could find me when I was out of surgery. (I believe we were doing all of this for like an hour and a half.) It's cool with me because it was a good distraction. I was feeling a teeny bit nervous, but that didn't last very long at all! As soon as the IV was in, they gave me a nausea patch for behind my ear, Zofran, and pepcid for the stomach acid. Let me tell you, this cocktail was amazing! I felt wonderful and didn't have a speck of nausea the rest of the day, even after anesthesia.
They wheeled me on my hospital bed to a "holding room" and asked just a few more questions. That only took about 20 mins. I was still in the comfy bed and I just prayed and sang (in my head), "God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you."
Once they brought me into the operating room (which was super cold and bright and had those big circular lights), they gave me some medicine. I remember getting down off my bed (and getting ready to climb onto the operating table) when I said, "oh, I'm starting to feel it." The next thing I knew, I was in my hospital room with my parents. (It was nice that my dad came too!)
I woke up right after the surgery to pain at like level 4 for my throat, and pain at a level 6 for where the drain was in. I told them it hurt and the levels, and they gave me more morphine through my IV. It was hard to stay awake after that! I was in and out most of the afternoon. My mom never left my side the whole time. Michael and Kara came by before dinner to visit, which meant a lot to me. Then right after they left, Christina and Tony came by, which meant a lot to me too! After they all left, my mom got me situated to stay the night alone.
Okay, I know most people don't like hospitals, but let me tell you why I actually like them. I got my own room, my own bathroom, I could watch tv whenever I wanted, and I could turn on whatever lights I wanted. All the while, I could press the button for nurses to bring me stuff like food and meds. Yeah, it was a great experience. They were so nice and I was so comfortable.
So, my mom left sometime around 7pm. I went ahead and took my night time meds so I could try to sleep a lot. I definitely didn't get a lot of sleep, but that's fine. They kept taking my vitals, which were good. For a while there, my blood pressure dipped a bit low, but the nurse wasn't too concerned. Other than that, no fevers, and they kept the oxygen thing on my nose the whole time I was there.
While I couldn't sleep, I found Friends on tv, The Office, and parts of movies here and there. I also listened to some podcasts on my phone. Since I basically went to bed at 8pm, sleeping until 5am had me feeling pretty awake. (I may have the times slightly off since I was floating on morphine, but it's close enough.)
My mom was with me all day Thursday (the day of the surgery), and my sister took over Friday. The doc came to my room as I was falling back asleep at 7am, and he said he could remove the drain, which I was so happy about. I just didn't want to have to wear it home and mess with cleaning around it and all of that. Especially since it hurt more than my throat did (I think it's because it was held in place with two stitches.
So, C came to pick me up pretty early. I was still feeling so good. She went to the pharmacy and picked up lunch and I asked if I could go with her because I felt so good. So, I did!
We came home and ate, I took some pain medicine, and I napped for about two hours. Kara was watching Dawson's Creek next to me in the guest room bed, and C worked over in the homeschool room desks.
She took good care of me - cooking, getting me what I need, etc. She is also good to say, rest more than you think you need to. She can pull rank as my sister and make me.
Now I have showered and put on comfy pjs, and I'm going to chill until 9, when I will take some more meds!
I can't believe how calm I feel and how little pain I'm in. (Of course, popsicles and ice cream are helping a lot too.) ;-)
So, I hope after reading this you don't fear hospitals anymore. And that you believe in the power of prayer.
Mon, Jan 7, I met with the surgeon to talk about removing the whole thyroid.
Fri, Jan 11, I went and did my pre-op stuff - paperwork, discuss all details with a nurse, and they drew some blood.
Thurs, Jan 17, I was to be at the hospital at 6am! That is so early. My poor mom didn't get to sleep through the surgery and later that afternoon, so I know she was tired.
It took a while to get my IV in a good vein, and the lady who did it was super chatty. Another nurse was in there telling us what the day would be like and where my mom could find me when I was out of surgery. (I believe we were doing all of this for like an hour and a half.) It's cool with me because it was a good distraction. I was feeling a teeny bit nervous, but that didn't last very long at all! As soon as the IV was in, they gave me a nausea patch for behind my ear, Zofran, and pepcid for the stomach acid. Let me tell you, this cocktail was amazing! I felt wonderful and didn't have a speck of nausea the rest of the day, even after anesthesia.
They wheeled me on my hospital bed to a "holding room" and asked just a few more questions. That only took about 20 mins. I was still in the comfy bed and I just prayed and sang (in my head), "God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you."
Once they brought me into the operating room (which was super cold and bright and had those big circular lights), they gave me some medicine. I remember getting down off my bed (and getting ready to climb onto the operating table) when I said, "oh, I'm starting to feel it." The next thing I knew, I was in my hospital room with my parents. (It was nice that my dad came too!)
I woke up right after the surgery to pain at like level 4 for my throat, and pain at a level 6 for where the drain was in. I told them it hurt and the levels, and they gave me more morphine through my IV. It was hard to stay awake after that! I was in and out most of the afternoon. My mom never left my side the whole time. Michael and Kara came by before dinner to visit, which meant a lot to me. Then right after they left, Christina and Tony came by, which meant a lot to me too! After they all left, my mom got me situated to stay the night alone.
Okay, I know most people don't like hospitals, but let me tell you why I actually like them. I got my own room, my own bathroom, I could watch tv whenever I wanted, and I could turn on whatever lights I wanted. All the while, I could press the button for nurses to bring me stuff like food and meds. Yeah, it was a great experience. They were so nice and I was so comfortable.
So, my mom left sometime around 7pm. I went ahead and took my night time meds so I could try to sleep a lot. I definitely didn't get a lot of sleep, but that's fine. They kept taking my vitals, which were good. For a while there, my blood pressure dipped a bit low, but the nurse wasn't too concerned. Other than that, no fevers, and they kept the oxygen thing on my nose the whole time I was there.
While I couldn't sleep, I found Friends on tv, The Office, and parts of movies here and there. I also listened to some podcasts on my phone. Since I basically went to bed at 8pm, sleeping until 5am had me feeling pretty awake. (I may have the times slightly off since I was floating on morphine, but it's close enough.)
My mom was with me all day Thursday (the day of the surgery), and my sister took over Friday. The doc came to my room as I was falling back asleep at 7am, and he said he could remove the drain, which I was so happy about. I just didn't want to have to wear it home and mess with cleaning around it and all of that. Especially since it hurt more than my throat did (I think it's because it was held in place with two stitches.
So, C came to pick me up pretty early. I was still feeling so good. She went to the pharmacy and picked up lunch and I asked if I could go with her because I felt so good. So, I did!
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| How gorgeous is my sister with darker hair?? |
We came home and ate, I took some pain medicine, and I napped for about two hours. Kara was watching Dawson's Creek next to me in the guest room bed, and C worked over in the homeschool room desks.
She took good care of me - cooking, getting me what I need, etc. She is also good to say, rest more than you think you need to. She can pull rank as my sister and make me.
Now I have showered and put on comfy pjs, and I'm going to chill until 9, when I will take some more meds!
I can't believe how calm I feel and how little pain I'm in. (Of course, popsicles and ice cream are helping a lot too.) ;-)
So, I hope after reading this you don't fear hospitals anymore. And that you believe in the power of prayer.
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