My surgery was Saturday, 9 January, at 11:00 a.m.
I arrived at the hospital at 9:00 a.m. via taxi, made the balance of my payment (I am self-pay) and was brought to the room where I would stay. Nurses brought in a scale and took my height and weight and vitals, and advised me to change into my gown. I changed and put away some personal things I'd brought with me and sat on the bed and tried my best to watch TV and not be worried! Two nurses came in with compression hose and put them on me.
Then the surgical staff came in one by one to meet me and explain their roles in the surgery, all asking general questions about my health. A nurse came back and started my IV (no problems) and put an injection into my stomach to prevent blood clots (no problems with this either, didn't even feel it.)
I was wheeled up to surgery and remember the anesthesiologist telling me that she wanted to see my "big beautiful smile" in recovery right after the surgery. I told her I would do my best and remember taking some deep breaths... and then I woke up in recovery. My doctor told me everything went well and there were no problems, although my liver was a little larger than he would have liked it to be.
I slept off and on throughout the day and night, getting up to sip water and walk to the bathroom to pee frequently and walk around my room. For the most part the pain was tolerable, although they don't exactly prescribe the same medications here as they do in the U.S. (They are definitely not as strong here - no morphine after surgery, but something similar to a high dose of ibuprofin.) I was released yesterday late afternoon after having a drainage tube removed from my abdomen and my friend picked me up to stay with her for a couple of days.
I am experiencing gas pain in my shoulder for the first time this morning. I have pain at the port site as well, but it's not too bad. I am going in Wednesday for a follow-up and can't wait to take a shower after he looks at the incision sites.
I'm on my way!