First, let me just say, or ask, how on earth am I typing this out?!?! I have one eye barely open to the see the world and another eye covered by a shield that’s taped to my face! If there are any mistakes in this blog posting, I apologize and I’ll fix it later when I’m not so brain fogged from the anesthesia. With all of that said, shall we get into it?
I received a text from my beautiful mother-in-love around 4:39AM saying that her ETA was about 5:35AM. Who wakes up before the sun?! My check in at the hospital was at 7:30AM. Driving with truckers on 81 can get pretty hectic. Especially going over the mountain! As we were driving along my mother’s friend, who came with us, gave me a bag to open. When I opened it, it was a cute little cow she crocheted!!!
We get to UVA with no crazy traffic issues and we parked on the first letter level - A! We had access to walk straight across to the surgery check in and it felt like a breeze! I checked in and then went over to the insurance desk and signed a little form and then off to sit in the waiting room!
A sweet volunteer by the name of, Jim, called me back and off we went to my first room. My mom and her friend, Kathleen, made themselves as comfortable as they could and began conversating. I got dressed and my RN came in and walked me down the hall and around the corner to the bathroom to pee in a cup. Then we headed back to my room!
She took my vitals, weighed me, and checked to see if I was pregnant. Great news! I’m not! I told her that would be something as I’m post menopausal. She had me lay down in bed and she put a bait hugger on me. I told her I had one when I was first admitted for my accident because I was suffering hypothermia. She had me in it now to keep me warm before surgery! It’s pretty chilly back in those rooms.
We chatted away and my RM asked if I had a safe ride home. I said that I had a ride home and pointed to my mother. Now whether or not that’s safe…I said jokingly!! We talked some more and she said we were such a delight to talk to.
I then told her about my meeting with Jesus. How He met me in a valley by a stream. I still feel the water as my fingers ran through it. He told me in the end, “have faith, daughter.” Then I woke up. When I woke up I was absolutely mortified! I couldn’t walk, talk, eat, or breathe! PLUS…I WAS BALD!!! But Jesus knew what He was sending me back to. He said ‘have faith.’ And that is something I cling to.
The nurse paused and rubbed her arms. She said she got the chills and then asked if I wanted to hear about her experience in a dream. Of course I do!
She said she had a dream (not MLK Jr folks) and in her dream she saw a valley and a marbled building and there were people all around and she met her guardian ang, who was sassy - which fits her personality! Her angel asked her what she was doing there and that it is not her time yet. She is going to have a great future!! That gave me such a good feeling inside. If I could smile, I would.
My surgeon came in shortly after to go over everything again with surgery. I had to sign a consent form and I let him know that I met the facial reconstructive surgeon he recommended me to. He said, “oh yea! The day after, I ran into him and he mentioned he met you and said there were options to help you.” A nurse in the room said, “oh yes, Dr Ouer is amazing! I’ve seen a couple of his facial reanimations and his work is wonderful.”
My surgeon also went on to say that this surgery was going to be longer than my first. He explained that he will have to measure my sewn eyelid and make the sutures as even as he can.
I then met my operating RN and anesthesia team - 15 minutes to go!!!
Time passed and I was wheeled back. It was getting colder and colder the closer we got to the operating room. Once we got back, I was checked and then asked to move over to the operating table. They hooked me up to monitors and put little leg cuffs on me; which were massaging my legs and felt amazing! They then had me breathe into a mask to give me a good flow of oxygen. The anesthesia doctor came in and inserted a syringe into my IV. Before. He squeezed in the liquid, he let me know that I would feel a burning sensation, but that it was completely normal and then I would be asleep. As he started injecting the liquid, he looked at me and said, “good night.”
I was finally starting to wake up but couldn’t open my eyes. The paralyzing agent was also wearing off. Just not fast enough! I could hear the nurse calling for me and I kept yelling at myself in my mind to open my eyes!! But they wouldn’t open. Paralyzing agent… I was told my heart rate dropped again. It went as low as the high 40s and then they tried to get it up higher. They could only get it as high as 53 bpm’s and just maintained it around there. I guess that’s one of the anesthesia affects after my injury. Because my heart rate has dropped with my past couple of surgeries!
I was in the triage and listening to the patients around me. There was a guy next to me and the nurses asked him, “where are you?” Without hesitation he answered, “Kansas.” So they asked him, “why do you think you’re in Kansas?” He I hesitantly said again, “because I died.”
Listen…I hope to goodness we don’t end up in Kansas when we die!
They then went on to ask him what year it was. He said very confidently, “1979.”
I wouldn’t even have been born then!! The nurses told him that he would be 10 right now. Listening to them really made the time go by a little and the paralyzing agent was starting to wear off. My surgeon came to me with an eye shield and placed it over my eye and taped it to my face.
My nurse was happy with me and gave me some water. My throat was killing me!! She said they put a breathing tube down my throat, so that was likely why and I would have a sore throat for a few days.
She then called the post-op nurse and told her I was ready to be taken to my room. She also said, “she doesn’t speak fast like you and I are right now. She definitely speaks sloooow, but you can understand her. I understand her just fine!” I’m glad I can be understood!
I was wheeled down into my room where we did all the discharge stuff. My mom and Kathleen met me there. I was given instructions and a reminder about my post-op appointment.
I could go home!!’ And home I went ❤️
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