Made it to post op! It hasn't been too bad.
Recap of the day of (updating)- Got there around 5 a.m. and the whole check-in process went SO quickly. I only sat for about 10-15 min in the first waiting room with all of the other surgery patients. Then they took me back and did a pregnancy test (just in case, haha). I'm not preggo- obviously. ;) And then did the IV. My crazy anxiety hives starting popping up on my hand and making it very difficult to find a vein. I felt pretty bad for the nurse haha. But she eventually got one. It wasn't too painful and I'm not bruised at all from the first poke. Glad I don't bruise easily.
Then Jonny and his dad were able to come back with me. It was just a waiting area with every surgery patient on a bed. It was odd. But after all the questions they rolled me down to the anesthesia peeps. Jon's dad said a prayer for me in the hallway and then LUCKILY Jonny was able to come back to that room with me!! And do you know the reason? It was because I had GLASSES and he had to take them for me. Weird reason, but I'm SO GLAD he was able to be in there with me. All the nurses were nice. The anesthesia doc was a little brass and shot this gross stuff up in my nose, but it was all okay since I had Jonny there. But then it was like 6:45 and Jonny had to leave!!!!!!
The nurse anesthetist was supppperrr nice. A lot nicer than the doc and made me feel very at ease. Then she said it was time to go into the operating room around 7ish. She said she was going to give me some happy juice for the ride over. I remember thinking I was probably going to say something stupid or ask about her pregnancy... but I felt very happy as we were wheeling into the hallway and then all of a sudden I'm waking up in the recovery room!!! What a way to go.
The recovery room was a blur. I was in and out of it. The nurse was really nice who took care of me. Kept saying just a little while longer. She gave me some ginger ale (which is the first thing I asked for) and it was AMAZING. I don't remember much but she told me that they got a room for me and my hubby would be there.
This part is so blurry. I remember getting to the room and the nurse that was on duty had no idea what I needed, haha. Poor girl. But thankfully there was another nurse there that was SOO helpful. They got me syringes and this little suction thingy that I could use in my mouth to suck out drool, saliva, food, blood, etc. lol
I told them that I was feeling nauseous. They gave me something for the nauseous and were pumping me with fluids and antibiotics. But it didn't work fast enough. Luckily, the nurse had already thought to get me a bucket. I threw up some blood. It wasn't a lot but I felt SOOO much better afterwards. I feel like if I would have thrown up all over myself the whole situation would have been a lot worst than it was. That saved me from cleaning it up off of myself. And I could suction out all the gross leftover stuff in my mouth with the suction thing so I was even less nauseous then. That thing was great... until one of my docs said not to rely on it because it could pull stitches out, lol. Then I stopped using it.
I HAD to pump. I waited like 12 hours. Going from pumping/nursing every 4 hours to not doing it for 12 hours was not ideal. I was leaking everywhere. Luckily you couldn't really tell from my gown so I didn't care. I couldn't get a bra on because I couldn't get the gown off because of all of the ivs that were attached. I really didn't feel like asking the nurse to detach me. It was all just too complicated. So I managed. It sucked. Jonny was sooo helpful. In retrospect I probably should have showed him how to put the pump together, but OH WELL, haha. He figured it out.
I could talk, but I chose not to for the first few hours. Only yes and no. I had a writing pad that I wrote on, although Jonny could not figure out what it said half the time, lol. Also people kept coming in and talking to me (like one of the docs) and I kept apologizing because I kept falling asleep!!! haha. The codeine was just knocking me right out. Essentially the doc said everything went great and they would be in to see me in the morning.
At that point I could feel most of the bottom half of my face. From below my eyes to my upper lip was pretty numb and swollen.
Funny story: They said Jon would be allowed to stay if I had a private room. I didn't technically have a private room, but I had the whole room to myself- so he was allowed to stay. But then around 11 p.m. one of the nurses came in and was like "Visiting hours ended like 3 hours ago... you have to leave." LOL I couldn't say much so Jonny was like "umm they said I was allowed to stay," and she was like who said that? And then someone, not sure who, just passed by the room and was like "yeah he's allowed." And that was that? It was pretty amusing. Unfortunately though- all he had was an uncomfortable chair to sleep in. Around 3 a.m. I think one of the nurses offered him a pillow, but I don't think he accepted. He's a trooper. He felt like it wasn't their job to take care of him, just me. :)
Slept really well the first night. Only woke up for the nurses to take my blood pressure and give me medecine. I had cream of wheat and delicious broth for breakfast through a syringe. Of course the minute I go to pump (at 6 a.m.) the doctors come in- so I made them wait. :P lol The docs came in and were SOOO surprised how I was sitting up and talking (and pumping) lol. They said I was doing so much better than their other jaw surgery patient, haha. I convinced them I was totally ready to go home that day. They said they would put the paper work in! Yay!
So we waited. And waited. The food I got was pretty good for hospital food. Not that I could eat much, but they sent up SO MUCH food. I would always have a warm liquid food like cream of wheat or soup of some sort. Then hot tea, water, juice, ginger ale and an ensure. After a while I figured out that I could get SO MUCH more liquid out of a cup. So I started doing that. I didn't spill too much since I could feel my bottom lip. That was helpful.
My orthodontist sent me flowers, too! Isn't that sweet?
Anyway at like noon I'm like- alright- what the heck. Why can't I leave? I was going to the bathroom fine and walking okay. Drinking TONS of fluids. I hadn't seen my nurse for like 4 hours. Apparently she was in some meeting. Other nurses helped out but she was the only one who could get me to go home! Once she came back she called the doc asap and they were like- yeah you can go home. NO idea what the hold-up was but I think someone forgot, haha. The paperwork went through and the nurse went over all of the discharge papers- so many meds! haha
Then a wheelchair came and picked me up! The car ride was... okay. Not great but okay. I had a handy neck pillow that was helpful.
And then I was home (at my mom's). It was quite a long day but couldn't have done it without Jonny.
This photo is after getting to the room post op.
Recap of the day of (updating)- Got there around 5 a.m. and the whole check-in process went SO quickly. I only sat for about 10-15 min in the first waiting room with all of the other surgery patients. Then they took me back and did a pregnancy test (just in case, haha). I'm not preggo- obviously. ;) And then did the IV. My crazy anxiety hives starting popping up on my hand and making it very difficult to find a vein. I felt pretty bad for the nurse haha. But she eventually got one. It wasn't too painful and I'm not bruised at all from the first poke. Glad I don't bruise easily.
Then Jonny and his dad were able to come back with me. It was just a waiting area with every surgery patient on a bed. It was odd. But after all the questions they rolled me down to the anesthesia peeps. Jon's dad said a prayer for me in the hallway and then LUCKILY Jonny was able to come back to that room with me!! And do you know the reason? It was because I had GLASSES and he had to take them for me. Weird reason, but I'm SO GLAD he was able to be in there with me. All the nurses were nice. The anesthesia doc was a little brass and shot this gross stuff up in my nose, but it was all okay since I had Jonny there. But then it was like 6:45 and Jonny had to leave!!!!!!
The nurse anesthetist was supppperrr nice. A lot nicer than the doc and made me feel very at ease. Then she said it was time to go into the operating room around 7ish. She said she was going to give me some happy juice for the ride over. I remember thinking I was probably going to say something stupid or ask about her pregnancy... but I felt very happy as we were wheeling into the hallway and then all of a sudden I'm waking up in the recovery room!!! What a way to go.
The recovery room was a blur. I was in and out of it. The nurse was really nice who took care of me. Kept saying just a little while longer. She gave me some ginger ale (which is the first thing I asked for) and it was AMAZING. I don't remember much but she told me that they got a room for me and my hubby would be there.
This part is so blurry. I remember getting to the room and the nurse that was on duty had no idea what I needed, haha. Poor girl. But thankfully there was another nurse there that was SOO helpful. They got me syringes and this little suction thingy that I could use in my mouth to suck out drool, saliva, food, blood, etc. lol
I told them that I was feeling nauseous. They gave me something for the nauseous and were pumping me with fluids and antibiotics. But it didn't work fast enough. Luckily, the nurse had already thought to get me a bucket. I threw up some blood. It wasn't a lot but I felt SOOO much better afterwards. I feel like if I would have thrown up all over myself the whole situation would have been a lot worst than it was. That saved me from cleaning it up off of myself. And I could suction out all the gross leftover stuff in my mouth with the suction thing so I was even less nauseous then. That thing was great... until one of my docs said not to rely on it because it could pull stitches out, lol. Then I stopped using it.
I HAD to pump. I waited like 12 hours. Going from pumping/nursing every 4 hours to not doing it for 12 hours was not ideal. I was leaking everywhere. Luckily you couldn't really tell from my gown so I didn't care. I couldn't get a bra on because I couldn't get the gown off because of all of the ivs that were attached. I really didn't feel like asking the nurse to detach me. It was all just too complicated. So I managed. It sucked. Jonny was sooo helpful. In retrospect I probably should have showed him how to put the pump together, but OH WELL, haha. He figured it out.
I could talk, but I chose not to for the first few hours. Only yes and no. I had a writing pad that I wrote on, although Jonny could not figure out what it said half the time, lol. Also people kept coming in and talking to me (like one of the docs) and I kept apologizing because I kept falling asleep!!! haha. The codeine was just knocking me right out. Essentially the doc said everything went great and they would be in to see me in the morning.
At that point I could feel most of the bottom half of my face. From below my eyes to my upper lip was pretty numb and swollen.
Funny story: They said Jon would be allowed to stay if I had a private room. I didn't technically have a private room, but I had the whole room to myself- so he was allowed to stay. But then around 11 p.m. one of the nurses came in and was like "Visiting hours ended like 3 hours ago... you have to leave." LOL I couldn't say much so Jonny was like "umm they said I was allowed to stay," and she was like who said that? And then someone, not sure who, just passed by the room and was like "yeah he's allowed." And that was that? It was pretty amusing. Unfortunately though- all he had was an uncomfortable chair to sleep in. Around 3 a.m. I think one of the nurses offered him a pillow, but I don't think he accepted. He's a trooper. He felt like it wasn't their job to take care of him, just me. :)
Slept really well the first night. Only woke up for the nurses to take my blood pressure and give me medecine. I had cream of wheat and delicious broth for breakfast through a syringe. Of course the minute I go to pump (at 6 a.m.) the doctors come in- so I made them wait. :P lol The docs came in and were SOOO surprised how I was sitting up and talking (and pumping) lol. They said I was doing so much better than their other jaw surgery patient, haha. I convinced them I was totally ready to go home that day. They said they would put the paper work in! Yay!
So we waited. And waited. The food I got was pretty good for hospital food. Not that I could eat much, but they sent up SO MUCH food. I would always have a warm liquid food like cream of wheat or soup of some sort. Then hot tea, water, juice, ginger ale and an ensure. After a while I figured out that I could get SO MUCH more liquid out of a cup. So I started doing that. I didn't spill too much since I could feel my bottom lip. That was helpful.
My orthodontist sent me flowers, too! Isn't that sweet?
Anyway at like noon I'm like- alright- what the heck. Why can't I leave? I was going to the bathroom fine and walking okay. Drinking TONS of fluids. I hadn't seen my nurse for like 4 hours. Apparently she was in some meeting. Other nurses helped out but she was the only one who could get me to go home! Once she came back she called the doc asap and they were like- yeah you can go home. NO idea what the hold-up was but I think someone forgot, haha. The paperwork went through and the nurse went over all of the discharge papers- so many meds! haha
Then a wheelchair came and picked me up! The car ride was... okay. Not great but okay. I had a handy neck pillow that was helpful.
And then I was home (at my mom's). It was quite a long day but couldn't have done it without Jonny.
This photo is after getting to the room post op.
Sounds like things are going okay so far! I'm glad to hear that you were able to sleep. I'm definitely worried about a lack a sleep!
ReplyDeleteYeah I think my nose being clear helped the most with sleep. That's what I was most worried about.
DeleteYou made it!! I feel horrible that I've missed these updates! My blog tracker wasn't updating properly!! Couldn't agree with you more about feeling much better post vomit haha ;)
ReplyDelete