I kind of wanted to curl up into a ball and cry my eyes out when they told me at the hospital I needed to have my gall bladder taken out. First, surgery is just, well...it's pretty lame. Second, seriously? Right after I just had my baby? Third, seriously? When we have so little money? Fourth, seriously? My baby needs me!
The procedure is actually done laprascopically, which means that rather than open you up with a huge incision like they used to, they make a few small incisions and use cameras to guide smaller tools. It's supposed to be less invasive, except that they put all of this gas in your abdomen to make space between all of the organs, and once they sew you up, that gas doesn't have anywhere to go. It fills up your chest and joints and shoulders and it hurts. I already had a laprascopic surgery once, and it was my third most painful surgery. (First was tonsils, second was the emergency reconstruction of my face when I was kicked by a horse.) I was miserable for a good many days. I couldn't stand by myself, I could hardly walk, I had to sleep sitting up, I could hardly eat. All I could think was, "They are crazy if they think this is less invasive or less painful." So, obviously, I was expecting this surgery to be just like that, or worse.
Well...it wasn't!
We got to the hospital after dropping the baby off with my mom. Once in the waiting room, I resisted the urge to call my mom and check on her, because really, self? You think she might need to be checked on after an hour with her Nana? Honestly, she's probably in better hands with Nana than with us! Instead, I read Reader's Digest funny stories to my husband.
The outpatient surgery center at the hospital made me feel a little like a cow being processed through a vet check with the herd. There were a lot of people in there, and it was loud. It was kind of awkward hearing the medical details of people on my right and left. I've had surgery at this hospital before, and I don't remember it being like that. I guess it was a busy day. (FYI: Surgery centers are typically way more comfortable for outpatient procedures than hospitals. I should know.) We had to wait kind of a long time because my surgeon was a little behind. We stayed entertained by the fact that they had to pull blood and wait for the results of- wait for it- a pregnancy test. Apparently it's standard procedure, and they can't do surgery of any kind until they get a negative pregnancy test. Still, hilarious! The nurse told me though that they had a woman the week before who was 50, laughed at them when they pulled her blood for her test, then about keeled over when it came back positive-twice. She didn't have her surgery that day!
After it was over and I was waking up, the first thing I said to the nurse through my violent shakes was, "I want to hold my baby!" She told me as sweetly as she could that the baby wasn't here right now, so which I dazedly responded, "Oh...I forgot...she's with my mom..." but I wanted to cry because I just wanted to hold her.
Once I woke up all the way, I was miserable, in more pain than I remembered with my similar surgery. However, once we got home and I got some medicine in me, I felt shockingly better. And I've been doing really well ever since! I don't know what this surgeon did, or if it's the pain killers, or what, but I've been up and about on my own. Maybe there's special medicine in being able to cuddle your sweet and perfect pretty baby after surgery. I've been able to take less-strong medicine and could even start feeding the baby myself again as of about 7 this evening. I'm sore and it's still hard to get around on my own, but I'm doing so much better than I thought I would. I am so, so grateful. My wonderful mom came and stayed with us all day and last night. She is best nurse ever, and I don't know what I would do without her. I also don't know what I would do without my sweet and caring husband. I am so blessed.
 |
| I just wanted to prove how sweet and perfect and pretty she is. See? |
Posts
Glad to hear surgery went well and you're recovering better than before! Praying that you'll be able to take it slowly and not rush the healing process - which is hard to do with a little one (I know your procedure is different than a c-sec - but surgery is surgery. When you want to be able to get up and move around like "normal" with your baby or 2 year old and you can't its hard).
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying all of W's pictures - she's adorable and you have such a creative eye with all those fun poses! (if we weren't finished having kids I'd want you to be our official baby photographer!).