The first thing I remember after surgery is trying to open my eyes, and having the realization that something was on my face. I immediately felt claustrophobic. Then I was suddenly aware that my back ached something fierce. Turns out that thing on my face was the mask from a C-PAP machine, you know, those used for sleep apnea. Great, but I don't have sleep apnea. I just wanted it off. Finally someone came over and took it off.
The day is mostly blurry, but I remember bits and pieces. They didn't have a room for me, so they kept me in recovery until they did, which was sometime between 1 and 1:30 pm. My poor husband waited alone for me that whole time. The staff did keep him up to date on what was going on, but still. That had to have been the longest day ever. I got moved up to my room, and was immediately disappointed that I had a roommate (Neither she nor her husband even looked in my direction, much less said hello as they passed by my bed at any point during my stay. Rude much?)
My mom and my sister Crystal came--or maybe they were already there? I don't know. I remember seeing them, anyway. I remember Mom stroking my head and Crystal fluffing my pillows. I remember my husband and sister trying to get my laptop set up with the hospital's wi-fi. I remember Mom and Crystal leaving for lunch or something, then returning with the trash tabloids from the supermarket, and having Crystal reading me the headlines. My back was still killing me. At some point everyone left, and I slept. I slept until the nurse came in, either for me or my oh-so-pleasant roomie. I slept until said roomie called for the nurse to help her get on the "commode" on her side of the curtain, at which point she passed gas and exploded all over the pot. Yeah, nice. And of course every single time I was awakened, I had to pee. So I had to drag myself into the bathroom with my IV stand while trying to be quiet, because hey, I'm a courteous person and didn't want to disturb the roomie, who's name turned out to be Brenda (not everyone is as courteous as I; she and her visitors spoke as though they were alone in the room). This went on all night. My back continued to hurt.
Bright and early at 6 am, my lovely new friend Brenda turned on her tv and had the nurse open the shades. I wanted to kill that bitch. Sorry, but I did. Her husband showed up shortly thereafter. All I wanted was a little sleep.
I had a few visitors. My friend Kim, another friend's mom, and Crystal. Kim stayed with me all day. She is a Godsend. She really made the day bearable. Then Dr. Graber came in the afternoon, and told me I could go home. Halleluja baby, I was outta there! I called my mom, and an hour and half later I was on my way to home sweet home. Kim stayed with me til Mom got there, and even carried my stuff out for me. She's a sweetie!
On the way home I had a decision to make: go to my parents' house for the night, away from the kids, in the quiet, being taken care of...or go to my house. I decided to go to my own house, as going to my parents' meant another 20 minutes in the car. I didn't think I could stand it. I called my husband and we planned that the kids could stay the night at his parents' house and spend the next day with them, with my husband picking them up on his way home from work. This worked out extremely well....but my daughter was furious. The day I was released was her birthday, and she was counting on her dad bringing her to see me in the hospital. Now for her to not see me at all? That was unacceptable. We told her she could come home and see me, but she had to stay the night at Grandma's. She told her father in no uncertain terms she would not leave once she got home, and if he dared leave her at Grandma's she would cry and never stop. Well, he did leave and she did stop, and she survived.
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