As surgeries go, cholecystectomies have the reputation of being among the "easiest" (as if there's such a thing as an easy surgery!). Now I understand why...
I checked in at the hospital at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. Up to the short-stay unit to change into the oh-so-flattering open-backed hospital gown (how many folks d'you think I inadvertently mooned while admitted? I'm taking guesstimates). Then I got a wheelchair ride down to pre-op holding where the poor unfortunate anesthesiologist attempted to find a cooperative vein. I pity the fool who must locate a vessel in these arms. And those IV needles are freakin' HUGE! Mommy was there to hold my hand through it all, and my surgical nurse successfully distracted me with her own gallstone horror story of being diagnosed while pregnant and unable to undergo surgery until after her baby was born. And I thought my situation was awful.
The IV successfully started after 15 minutes of poking and prodding, I was pumped full of Versed and wheeled into the OR by 4 pm. All I remember is greeting the nurses with a huge if somewhat goofy grin and scooting from the gurney to the operating table.
30 seconds later (or so it seemed) I was stirring and being told that I was in recovery and all had gone well. Already?
By 6:30 I was back in the short-stay unit emerging from my haze and fearful of the impending nausea. My last experience with general anesthesia...not so pleasant. But either the drugs or my tolerance have improved - no upchucking for me! Soon afterward they proclaimed me ready for discharge when I successfully got up and used the little girl's room, and I was home by 8 that evening.
Since then I've medicated myself through the worst of the post-op pain (thank you Vicodin!) and although I'm still nowhere near 100%, I'm feelin' pretty groovy.
And so relieved that this is over!
I checked in at the hospital at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. Up to the short-stay unit to change into the oh-so-flattering open-backed hospital gown (how many folks d'you think I inadvertently mooned while admitted? I'm taking guesstimates). Then I got a wheelchair ride down to pre-op holding where the poor unfortunate anesthesiologist attempted to find a cooperative vein. I pity the fool who must locate a vessel in these arms. And those IV needles are freakin' HUGE! Mommy was there to hold my hand through it all, and my surgical nurse successfully distracted me with her own gallstone horror story of being diagnosed while pregnant and unable to undergo surgery until after her baby was born. And I thought my situation was awful.
The IV successfully started after 15 minutes of poking and prodding, I was pumped full of Versed and wheeled into the OR by 4 pm. All I remember is greeting the nurses with a huge if somewhat goofy grin and scooting from the gurney to the operating table.
30 seconds later (or so it seemed) I was stirring and being told that I was in recovery and all had gone well. Already?
By 6:30 I was back in the short-stay unit emerging from my haze and fearful of the impending nausea. My last experience with general anesthesia...not so pleasant. But either the drugs or my tolerance have improved - no upchucking for me! Soon afterward they proclaimed me ready for discharge when I successfully got up and used the little girl's room, and I was home by 8 that evening.
Since then I've medicated myself through the worst of the post-op pain (thank you Vicodin!) and although I'm still nowhere near 100%, I'm feelin' pretty groovy.
And so relieved that this is over!
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