Tuesday, June 7, 2011

surgery smurgery

well, it's been a month since i've posted and let's just say that the month of may pretty much went by in a blur.  in addition to the normal craziness, i had my sinus surgery on may 25th.  the surgery itself went rather well (or so the doc says). surgery done, and after being in recovery for a bit to ensure that i wasn't going to get nauseous/sick (as i tend to do with anesthesia), i was headed home.

i have no memory of the drive home and can only assume that i fell asleep.  i staggered into the house with gauze covering my nasal openings, which holden was not a fan of.  he shot me a few looks from the corner of his eye, but ultimately decided i was not mama with that on my nose and steered clear, which was just as well considering i couldn't have picked him up.  (side note: i did get some minor slack on permission to pick him up since he was over the recommended 20 lb limit for me to lift, but doc okayed it with caution).  i was also not a fan of said gauze over my nose, as that is my main source of oxygen.  i HATE breathing through my mouth and found that it made my throat so dry, i would bolt upright out of sleep because it was like i couldn't breathe at all.  in fact, that was how i woke from the anesthesia, desperately searching for a nurse call button because i thought i couldn't breathe.  i was quite happy that i only needed to wear it for about 24 hours.

the next day is a haze of vicodin-induced sleep and eating and not much else.  ryan's mom had taken carter back to lima with her to get him out of the way, after he missed his last day of preschool for the year, which was a pizza party and summer birthday party, which included him.  it broke my heart that he couldn't go, but he had a fever and complaining of a sore throat and headache, so it was a no-brainer for any good mom to not let him go.  i think we were all more sad about it than he was though, and he was happy to be going to mimi's.

that next night, with holden in bed and me heading there soon, ryan went to help some friends who are remodeling a house they just purchased before moving into it.  he said he was going to be gone a couple hours.  in true male fashion, he was gone more like 5 or 6.  sadly, during that time, i started to feel not so good.  they sent me home with a prescription for anti-nausea medicine in case i had issues with the anesthesia, but since i didn't (and since i'm cheap) we didn't get it filled.  man i wish i had.

early the next morning, the vomiting started.  ryan went to get the anti-nausea medicine filled but it didn't seem to help.  i will spare you the details, but let's just say that i was sick all.day.long. and there was *stuff* coming out where you wouldn't want it to come out after just having sinus surgery.  ryan finally called the doctor and they phoned in a stronger anti-nausea medicine.  determined that we were going to lima that night, regardless of the circumstances, he loaded the car with necessary tools in case i got sick and off we went.  luckily, the second medicine worked and there was no more sickness.

we stayed in lima so we had helpers for our kids (and for me). i came back so i could go to my follow-up appointment, expecting the doc to vacuum out my packing, and give a quick once over to make sure all looked good.  well, he did start the vacuum, but soon i started to feel kinda weird.  like "am i going to pass out?" weird.  after a short break, in which i was assured that "some patients just do that with the suction" and given some smelling salts, we started back up.  and it came back.  worse this time, i was literally on the edge of consciousness.  my ears sounded like they were in a tunnel and my vision was going.  more smelling salts and the doctor telling me "you really almost passed out there" (ya think?).  after a bit more of the vacuum, thoroughly embarrassed and shaken, i finally got to go home.

a few hours later, i noticed some pain start, which i assumed was from my "cleaning" since the numbing agent had worn off.  by the next day, i was in so much pain, i was in tears and debating the ER.  a call to ryan to come home early from work and another call to the emergency doc on call, and ryan was headed back to target for another prescription for a stronger antibiotic for what presented to the doc as a sinus infection.  i had my doubts, but apparently it was affecting different sinuses than when i normally have them because the pain was by my left eye and i was convinced they had somehow punctured my brain and it was leaking.  but i digress...

a few days later now, and i am finally starting to feel like my old self again.  it should be noted that it will have been two weeks tomorrow since my surgery and i would really like to be feeling BETTER than my old self.  but hopefully with these complications out of the way, i will continue healing and be a brand new girl :-)  i have another follow-up appointment on friday.  let's hope i stay conscious.