Thursday March 19, 2009 Surgery

I decided to wait a couple of weeks to update the blog for two reasons. One, my leg was sore and finding a comfortable position was difficult and two, I wanted to get a clearer picture in my mind of the events of the day.
My time sequence during the day is a little foggy but I am quite clear on my thoughts before surgery. The day started a little scattered. The alarm went off in the morning and I fell back to sleep but I was prepared for this scenario and had already asked Jim and Judy to call me on their way into the city. They were going in extra early to avoid traffic and to get breakfast beforehand. When they called however I thought it was the alarm again and didn't answer. I checked the time on my phone but misread it and thought it was 6:00 a.m. giving me exactly 30 minutes to shower and get ready for the hospital. I panicked and took a quick shower, didn't wash my hair because I didn't believe there was time and dressed as quickly as possible while throwing in the last minute personal items into my bags. I had two bags ready to go, one for Peg's for after I went home and one for surgery. I checked the clock to see how I was doing on time and realized that it was only 5:27 and not 6:27. It was then I decided I maybe getting a little nervous. I called Judy and Jim to let them know I was awake and let them know I was an idiot. I watched QVC and HSN for the next hour.
Mike and Beth picked me up at 6:45 and we made it to the hospital right on time. We needed to arrive by 8:30 and got there about 8:20. I registered and in only a few minutes we were called back. The outpatient surgery only allows 2 visitors at a time in pre op but they let everyone in and even got 2 extra chairs leaving only one person to stand.
Whenever I am highly nervous or anxious in the hospital I start to shake. And gradually my shaking was beginning to start. If you looked at me you would have thought I was very cold. My mind was struggling to focus on everything being said to me, the anaesthesiologist explained what my pain management regimen was going to be - nerve blocks to my femoral and sciatic nerves and a heavy sedative in addition to the regional anaesthesia. Dr. Kelikian came in and showed us where the cut would be and where the flap would come from the back of the leg forward. The nerve block took an one hour and thirty minutes to put in, longer then expected. I do remember before they gave me the sedative that it was painful as they tried to place it in my leg but they quickly gave me drugs because I think my leg kept moving despite my efforts to stay still. I am not sure if I saw the family again before surgery or not but I do remember after surgery everyone walking with me as they wheeled me from the outpatient center to my room in the hospital. Surgery took about one hour 45 minutes. My leg had a cast on it up to my mid thigh so my immediate reaction was that he put on cast instead of a rigid dressing. The size of the cast masked the true size of my leg, and the white of the cast on the white of the sheets also hid how much was taken in the surgery. I do not know what became of my poor foot but I imagine it was incinerated. Since I want to be cremated I truly do have one foot in the grave.
I also remember giving Mike instructions to text and call my boss, and 3 friends that would want to know as soon as possible that I was okay. He used my phone and I had to laugh at his text messages to 2 of my friends.
I remember not feeling much of anything. anywhere. I know that I was having conversations, I remember asking if I had a roommate and finding out it was a single. And I remember that I ate some dinner when it was brought, but I can't tell you what I ate. I do remember one thing clearly, I had a fantastic view. Mike and Beth went home first, and Judy and Jim stayed on after I had dinner but I don't remember much more of Thursday, March 19. 2009 It is sad to know that the day that changed my life so completely is such a muddled memory.