Post-Surgery

 Never having gone through it before, I can now report that surgery is a most interesting experience.  I was first on the docket (rotation?), and therefore required to arrive at 6am.  Neither S nor I are at our best at that hour, this is for sure.  Crabbity crabbity.  We did get there on time, however, then spent the next half hour sitting in the first waiting room.  "First waiting room"?  Why yes, because then they call you into the second waiting room, where you proceed to wait some more.

Things got a lot more interesting, though, once I went into pre-op (sans S).  I and two other gentlemen first received a short lesson in how to remove and store our clothing and put on the lovely blue gown provided for us.  Key in the lesson was how to tie the two ties appropriately.  Hint: the second one should NOT be put through the holes in the gown and should be fastened on the side.  Then, we each were taken to our own separate waiting area and sat in beds/chairs (cool beds that converted into chairs), replete with computer check-in equipment and a sliding, circular curtain for privacy.

On a serious note, huge kudos must be given to every person I dealt with - the receptionist, O.R. nurses, anesthesiologist, doc/intern, and my own doc - for their exceptionally kind, positive, and efficient demeanor.  Seriously, I was WELL treated and cared for.

I was initially asked a bunch of questions, then my vitals were taken and IV was installed (inserted?).  After which, the surgery process was thoroughly explained to me.  The only concern came up when I signed a consent which included "laparoscopic surgery."  For those who have not heard of this, it means an abdominal incision, which is not what I signed up for!  My expectations were clearly set for a simple hysteroscopy and polyp removal by vaginal means.  This confusion was cleared up, though, by the explanation that extremely rarely the uterine wall may be perforated, and they would need to assess and repair this through laparoscopic means.  Okay, I guess I would want you to go forward in that particular situation!

S was able to hang out with me once I was prepped and awaiting the surgery time, which was comforting.  When the stout gentleman nurse finally brought me back, I was ready to get the show on the road.  As we entered the surgery area, I understood the term "operating theater," as it is a very large room with several people intent on performing their "roles," accompanied by many props.  I felt calm and secure from the moment I entered.  Not long after being situated on the table and cleared for "take off" (they actually called it this), I felt the anesthesia go in through the IV on the back of my hand.  My legs were fastened in rather comfortable stirrups and... I was OUT.

The next thing I remember, I woke up in the spacious recovery area, again cared for by attentive and kind nurses.  I felt gooood.  Yeah, I definitely was pretty high at that point.  I remember asking how things went and if they got it all, and the nurse answering in the affirmative.  Also, I remember raving how everyone was so great, and how I wanted to tell them how great they were.  I recall thinking of S and how awesome he was; how much I loved him and how much I wanted to have a baby with him.  And then I passed out for a bit again.  Then drifted in and out for a bit longer, and then was pretty much alert.  The nurse gave me some juice, after which she called S to pull the car around.  I got dressed, sat in a wheelchair (another first that felt pretty strange) and wheeled like a baby or an elderly person out to curbside.

For some reason I was starving and made S go through the McDonald's drive-through to get one of their big breakfasts with pancakes and a coffee.  I did eat it slow, but they said they gave me some anti-nausea med before I left surgery, which must have really worked!  S continued his run of super sweetness by taking Zoey on a walk and out for some playtime before he headed back to work (he just landed a long-term contract!).  He's coming back tonight with some yummy Chinese food.

So I guess I can declare this surgery a big success!  Thank you for your kind wishes.  I'm not sure what will come of it but mission definitely accomplished.  Oh, and when I was in recovery, the doc gave S a series of color pics of the inside of my ute.  You can clearly see the polyps in some of them; it's pretty cool.