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Saturday, November 28, 2020

State of the uterus: All is well :)

(So far, anyway.) Obviously we still have to get the pathology reports, but the dr called dh (while I was still doped up) & told him everything looked normal; he did a Pap, took some tissue samples & removed a few polyps. I have to call his office on Monday to arrange for a follow-up in 3-4 weeks. (Just before Christmas. Ho ho ho...) 

It was a LONG day. My appointment was for 10:30; I was supposed to be there for 8:30. It takes half an hour to get there but we wanted to be safe & so we got up around 5:30 and left an hour ahead at 7:30.  I was told to check in at emergency. They wouldn't let dh come in with me (even though he was my designated driver and post-op caregiver), so we said goodbye there. He stayed in the car in the parking lot the ENTIRE TIME, poor guy. He had his phone & e-reader to keep him company. He would NOT go home or even to get a coffee (because then he'd have to use a public washroom...!). 

They gave me a fresh mask & directed me to patient registration, and from there to the day surgery waiting area. (I think I must have answered the COVID screening questionnaire at least half a dozen times as I moved from checkpoint to checkpoint.)  It was all very efficient, and everywhere I went, the staff were just wonderfully nice. I kept thinking it must be so stressful working there right now with COVID hanging over them all, but everyone was just lovely. Bless them all! 

I was met at the door to the day surgery waiting area by a volunteer, who took me to the change area, gave me my gowns & shower cap for my hair & plastic bag slippers (I was allowed to keep my socks on, lol), gave me plastic bags for my shoes & my clothes, and a locker to store them in. She told me I could keep my phone until they came to get me, and then I'd have to lock that up too, along with my glasses. She took me over to a waiting area where they had comfy chairs in front of a TV screen (tuned to the local 24 hours news channel) and gave me a heated blanket to cover up with. I texted back & forth with dh, read my phone, browsed the Black Friday sales (lol). (I even bought a couple of books for my Kobo e-reader via my phone.) 

My surgery was scheduled for 10:30 but I didn't get called until 11:15 & wasn't in the surgery room until 11:30. Hopped up on the table myself. They put a blood pressure cuff on one arm & then tried to insert an IV on my left hand. The anesthesiologist tied a really tight tourniquet on my upper left arm, & then the nurse was squeezing my lower arm & hand to try to get a vein to pop out. OW OW OW. They finally got it in. 

Then they tried to put an oxygen mask on me. I couldn't breathe & started getting a bit teary/panicky, so they just held it right above my nose & mouth (but not ON it) so I could still breathe air from outside, until the IV drugs started kicking in & knocked me out (and then they intubated me for the procedure -- he said I might have a bit of a sore throat afterwards, but it's barely noticeable). The oxygen mask brought back memories of being a little girl in the hospital, having tests & stuff done for my childhood bladder/kidney condition. My mom was only allowed to be with me during regular visiting hours so I was all by myself with the nurses & drs  It was all pretty traumatic, and I had nightmares about hospitals for years & years afterwards. I'm generally much better these days about hospitals, but I guess something like that was a bit of a trigger. :(  

Next thing I knew I was in the recovery area and it was 1 o'clock. I was very groggy & whenever I tried to open my eyes & focus the room started going up & down. The nurse brought me some ice chips. Eventually, they moved me back into the day surgery waiting area (where I went when I first arrived). They gave me some ginger ale & a few packages of cookies. I didn't eat them then but they put them in the bag with my stuff & I ate them on the way home, lol. Eventually, they brought me the bag from the locker with my clothes & shoes and put my glasses & phone on the bedside tray. They changed my pad & helped me to get dressed, and gave me a list of dos & don'ts for the next few days -- but I was still feeling a bit groggy/woozy so they let me lay there for another 20-30 minutes & then finally called poor dh to come pick me up at the main door. Got me into a wheelchair & brought me out to the car. We got home around 3:30. 

I thought, "I'd better call my mom, she'll be worried." Would you believe she didn't remember??!  (eyeroll)  She hadn't written it down & forgot that this was the day. She said, "In fact, I was going to call & try to talk you into putting it off" (because of COVID). I said, "Too late!!"  I waited five weeks to get this done as it was, I was just glad to get it over with." SIL called later too to see how I was, and dh emailed my sister (I called her this afternoon). I went to bed around 7:30 (!).  Didn't sleep very well, especially at first, but at least I was resting. I was a little anxious at first because I was having some initial trouble peeing (sorry if TMI) but it got easier as the night went on. I'm feeling a lot better today -- hardly any bleeding and the cramping/discomfort hasn't been too bad at all.  

Thanks again for all your good wishes, and for listening to/reading my ramblings leading up to this!  I'm just so glad it's over! (Well, except for the results.)  I'm planning to take it easy for the rest of the weekend -- and then hopefully put up the Christmas tree early next week! :)

6 comments:

  1. I'm so glad that's over for you! Ugh, that would be so though to be there with no one nearby and knowing that DH was hostage in the car. I'm glad it went well, minus the panicky moment. I'm glad you're pandemic-time hospital visit went smoothly!

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  2. Dear Loribeth, I am glad it went well despite the circumstances.
    Wishing you a good recovery and a cozy first Advent Sunday!
    Much love from Switzerland

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  3. Yay!! It is done. I am so glad for you. I am so happy to read that everything went smoothly (except for the IV, dang it). I hope you're having a restful weekend.

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  4. I'm so glad it went well - even the IV (they really do hurt, don't they??) and the oxygen mask. I get a bit claustrophobic at times,and they've had to hold the mask above me as well. You still get knocked out within a few seconds, so I don't know why they don't do it for everyone, and prevent the distress.

    Lovely DH sitting in the car waiting for you. It was probably a good thing your mother forgot - it means she didn't stress out, or stress you out beforehand. I'm sure you had enough of that anyway!

    Take it easy - day surgery is one thing, but it's still a general anaesthetic, and that requires a few days recovery.

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  5. Hoooo...glad you're on the other side. I had my own visceral reaction to your IV and oxygen mask. Early medical trauma runs deep.

    Sounds like a long day. Will be waiting with you for results.

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  6. Hoo...glad you're on the other side. I had my own visceral reaction to your IV and oxygen mask. Early medical trauma runs deep.

    Sounds like a long day. Will be waiting with you for results.

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