Day of Surgery

As you can imagine, I didn’t sleep that much during the night. I solved a myriad of problems and created a few. Somehow 6:15 a.m. rolled around and I managed to stagger into the shower, shaved, dressed and headed to the computer to check e-mail, etc. I was instructed that no food or drink after 9:00 p.m. and if I was to take my one pill it would be with just a sip of water.

So after some last minute adjustments we head for JFK Hospital in Indio. Upon entering we were told to sit and wait to be admitted. Shortly Ann and I were in a small office and I was signing and initialing all kinds of documents. Then it was down to the lab to draw a little blood to check its type in the event I need a transfusion during the surgery. Then Ann was led to Surgery Waiting while I was taken to Pre op. There I was asked my name and date of birth at least ten times by ten different people. I undressed and was placed on a gurney, wrapped in a warm blanket. During the two hours I was in that area I was hooked to a blood pressure machine and an IV was started. At that time Ann was called in from the waiting room and spent time with me until I was wheeled to OR. However, before that happened, the surgeon or as Ann refers to him, the handsome Dr. Boghosian came in and explained the operation again, put some marks on my hip and announced the procedure would begin shortly, but first, I would meet the anesthesiologist. Shortly after he left a lovely lady called Dr. Ball, appeared and introduced herself and asked me a few questions and then explained about the anesthesia.

Now I’m going to mention a little bit about this part of the operation as my dear friend, Cara may be having the same surgery and I want to tell her what my options were.

Dr. Ball uses two types of anesthesia. First, through the IV she feeds a potion that doesn’t knock you out, but puts you in a state where you don’t remember anything when you awake. I remember when I had my Lasik surgery I was given a weaker version of this because I could remember the doctors talking and could hear them working on the eye. The nurse here in Pre Op had told me earlier that most candidates prefer a stronger version for this anesthesia, as they don’t like to hear the sounds of pounding and the saw cutting bone. The second anesthesia is a “Spinal.”  This deadens your legs from the waist to the toes. She said she would start with the first version and then do the Spinal and that I wouldn’t feel the needle nor know when she did it. I went into OR and was told to sit on the edge of the operating table, hold a pillow to my chest and lean slightly forward. This would be the position for her to introduce the Spinal. Little did I know that while I was being driven in and asked to sit on the edge of the OR table, that she was introducing version one of the anesthesia. I know that because the next thing I remember I was waking up in the recovery room.

I was told I spent about an hour and a half in the recovery room before being taken up to my room. Soon after I was in the room Ann was ushered in and informed me that I was looking exceedingly well for someone who just had a hip replaced. What she was looking at was a very happy junkie, full of drugs and feeling no pain. We had a nice visit but I’m not sure of what I said to her. I’m sure she will tell me some day.

I’m sure all of you have been in a hospital from one time to another. For me to now chronicle that experience would be a huge bore. If it were on television you’d change the channel. I will mention one thing though I know that all hospitals are not the same. A physical therapist comes in and they get you up the same day as your surgery and make you walk around.

I’ve been in this hospital almost three days and I’ll be leaving here shortly. The remaining blogs will deal with ‘life at home after a hip surgery’ or ‘a medical road to divorce’! I say that because my reputation as a ‘patient’ precedes me.

I’ve a couple of photos I’m attaching. The first one is me in Pre-Op. The second is a wonderful Pre-Op nurse who kept a smile on my face. The third is me back in the room after the procedure. And the fourth is my “bionic hip”. What lurks behind that horrible scar. I guess that is the end of my Speedo bathing suit days.

I’m back home so the next installment will be “adjusting at the house”.

Cia