Pre-Op: Part 3

After my "wire loc," I was deposited in the pre-op area and a friendly nurse immediately said hello and admired my "fancy" pink gown.  Then another nurse said, ok, so now that you are here if you would like to and are capable of walking, you can.  I took him up on this.  He weighed me and asked some standard health questions and then took me to my "room" where I would wait until surgery.  

He had me changed into a new gown (and nothing else) and then put those things on my legs that help make sure you don't get a blood clot during surgery.  I think the worst part about waiting for the surgery was sitting there and feeling kind of sticky/sweaty because you are naked and then have these things on your legs.

A little later another nurse came over who was in charge of the rest of my pre-op stuff.  It was the one who had commented on my fancy pink gown.  Her name was Lucy and she was really nice and interesting, too.  She moved to Boise from Uganda 30 years ago to get away from the dictatorship.  I really enjoyed talking with her.  She asked me more questions and got my IV started.  Next came the anesthesiologist who asked even more questions and walked me through her process and what to expect when I woke up.

The Dr. Livingston stopped in to say hello and tell me they were almost ready for me.  I have liked her from the start, but I could tell, there in her OR scrubs she was really in her element.  She and Lucy knew each other well which I kind of liked.  She complimented the films from the breast care center, asked if I had any questions which I really didn't at this point .  Then she put her initials on my shoulder and said she'd see me in the operating room.  I love all the advanced medical technology we have and yet at the same time they still do things like this, I assume to make sure it's the right patient before they cut you open.  I have to say, I'm glad they seem to have lots of things in place to make sure, regardless of how advanced or basic the process is!

Then Juan and my parents got to come back to wish me well.  Lucy started setting up all the injections of drugs I was going to get and got some "relaxing" medication started.  It made me feel a little loopy/floaty My family bid me farewell and then they wheeled me into the operating room.  I was with it enough to scoot myself onto the operating table.  Then they put a mask over my mouth/nose and told me to take deep breaths.

Then I woke up and said, "Did I already have my surgery?" because of course it felt like I'd closed my eyes about 2 seconds ago.  A nurse said, yes, it was all done.  That is such a weird feeling!  Next thing I knew Juan and my folks were back with me.  I felt a little nauseous but it seemed to pass away so I declined the nausea medication the nurse offered so she removed my IV.  Of course a couple minutes later I totally thought I might puke and asked if I could get that medication after all... well since my IV was out they had to give me some pill that just dissolved in your mouth.  It did the trick.  

I must have been just sitting there spacing out because a nurse asked, "So... what do you want to do?"  I answered, "I want to go home."  So Juan helped me get my clothes on and then a guy with a wheelchair showed up.  My parents had the car ready and waiting and we went home.

Interesting side note... during the surgery they injected me with blue dye to help locate the sentinel lymph nodes and so that evening the skin around my bandage was bright blue.  It looked like someone had put blue marker all over me and I actually thought it was on the outside.  Then I totally peed blue (which I had been warned would happen so I wouldn't freak out).  But when it happens it's hard not to feel a little freaked out because it was REALLY BRIGHT BLUE LIKE THIS.  By the next morning my skin was not blue and everything else got back to normal, too by the end of the day.

We even got back in time for Claire to go to gymnastics class.  Thank you so much to Dawn for watching Bryce all day and then Claire after school that day.  And thank you again to everyone for all the positive thoughts and prayers that day (and too many other days to count!).  Thank you for the flowers and gifts, too!

And last but not least thank you so much to my amazing parents who have spent the last week with us doing pretty much everything there is to do here.  Feeding us, helping with baths and school and child entertainment... I think you deserve a vacation after all the hard work you've done here.  Oh wait, you do get a vacation very soon... mahalo!!