raising3monkeys

I had my surgery TODAY!  Yay me!  I was at the hospital at 6 am for a 7:30 am surgery.  Surgery started on time.  I told them I didn't need the "relaxation shot", because I wasn't' the least bit anxious.  I've denied them before and they said okay this time, too.  When I woke up in post surgical recovery, I was wanting to sleep, but I decided to fight it.  I felt really good!  Wasn't nauseated, and felt no pain.  I mean, I was "aware" that my mid-section felt different, but it didn't hurt, per se.  My mouth was super dry, but we were all scared to let me drink yet, so they let me swish water in my mouth and spit it back into a cup.  That worked - I did that every few minutes.  I have always done well after surgery (I swear head colds are harder on me!), and this time was no different.  They usually keep a patient between 45 minutes and two hours before moving them to a recovery room.  They moved me in about 25 minutes because I was doing well physically, and was asking the anesthesiologist about her job, since my high school freshman daughter is interested in that career.  So they told me I was more than good to go.  They were talking among each other about how I was "the one".  The one?  Yes - we get ONE patient like you a YEAR.  Like.... what??? One that wakes up like they practically hadn't had surgery.  And that's exactly how I felt, too.  As I was being wheeled out of post surgical recovery, one doctor said to me, "Did she not get the surgery?"  They said, that yes, I had.  He was like, "What the???"  I take no credit for how well I get through surgery - it's not anything I'm doing - it's something that happens to me.
When I got into day surgery recovery, I was feeling slightly nauseated in waves.  So we stopped the ice chips they'd let me graduate to, and gave me an icicle.  But eventually, they told me to take a nap and it may help.  And it did - I haven't felt nauseated since.  I have steri strips on, and one of them had some oozing.  They gave me an extra pad on that in the post surgical recovery room, and the day surgery recovery nurse gave me another one of top of that (I think just to hide the soaked pad), and then she put waterproof tape (clear) over all four of the wounds.  They are all small.  One is my port - the other three are surgical holes.
So I was home by 1 pm, after a half-hour drive home and after stopping for water.  I had some broth and water, then took my pain meds.  Then took a nap after a while.  I was a bit propped up as per the nurse's instructions on comfort.  But honestly, my bad back didn't like that one bit.  So I'll just do what works best for me for tonight.
I had some sugar-free applesauce after waking up, and then a bit later, some cream of chicken soup.  Then I took another round of meds after waking up and 4 hours had passed (liquid painkillers), and I was starting to feel just a bit more pain (only in the wounds) by then.  I'd say I was climbing up to a 3 from the 2 I was at earlier.  My sister and her two girls swung by to visit and give me flowers, and I answered the door myself since my husband had run out to get everyone else dinner, and my daughter was in the bathroom.  My sister was floored when she saw me - at how I looked, acted and moved like I'd had nothing done.  But my pain continued to grow throughout her visit - despite the fact that I'd taken pain meds just before her visit.  It's at a 3-4 now.  I think the local anestesia likely wore off my wounds.  But it's still totally tolerable.  As I've said in earlier posts, I've had a complete knee replacement, several other knee surgeries, a tummy tuck and breast reduction and lipo, and have had a 10-lb. baby naturally with no meds.  This is a freaking cakewalk, comparatively.
I'm not allowed to take my painkillers before night time sleep - because they're narcotics and the doctor doesn't like to combine them with heavy sleep.  So I just took 4, 200-mg Motrin as instructed.  They were quite large, really - liquid gel caplets.  I took them one at a time, and they were fine.
At this point, my biggest annoyance is my dry throat!  It makes clearing my throat constantly necessary.  I'm trying to help it with water, but it's just going to take some time is all.  Should be better by tomorrow.  The other annoying part is that since they filled my belly with air to make the surgery easier laproscopically, there's a bit of air up in my upper shoulders and in my upper back/neck.  It's making that area ache slightly.  It'll dissappear over the next several days, too.  Overall though, if this is as bad as it gets, this is.... quite frankly...... EASY.  I don't know if it'll stay this good, nor would I be able to promise that anyone else would have as easy of a time.  I am blessed this way, and grateful for it.  But if you have a high pain tolerance, this is really easy so far.
Tomorrow I'll be going out for a bit to walk around - to reduce the liklihood of blood clots.  Nothing too strenuous or time-consuming.  My pain level is really low enough that walking around (especially if doing some fun shopping at like, Home Goods) will likely distract me from the pain.