June/July 2015 Surgery Buddies

[jaime]

That's what I was thinking! After my last post, I went googling to find out if general anesthesia gives the same benefits as sleep, but sadly, it does not.

I don't know why they want me there 2 hours prior to surgery. I am pretty sure I won't be wheeled into the OR until just before 8. If it's like last time, it'll be "hurry up and get ready!" and then I will lie on a bed outside the OR for an hour with zero entertainment (the horror).

[snapdresser]

Well, at least you'll have the hubby with you, right? Maybe he could do a stand-up act or do some juggle or something? Otherwise, yeah, that's gonna be a rough hour just sitting there stewing lol

So I have a cold. My physician said on Friday that it's not a bacterial infection so I should just let it run its course. Slight nasal drip (clear) but plenty of congestion. Still, it's got me worried...... I really don't like having ANY difficulty breathing going into this. Of course, I'll be intubated, but still!

[jaime]

The area where I had to wait last time was only for hospital staff and patients; no family. Hence the hour of zero entertainment. I mostly stared at an older man who was sleeping in a post-op room I could see into. The mind will go to desperate measures when provided with no stimulation.

That sucks about your cold! I can understand your apprehension since the jaw surgery leaves one with lots of congestion afterwards. I've found that when I've gotten sick before some big event, it tends to go away quickly because it doesn't have a chance to really wear me down. Hopefully you will have good luck with that. At the very worst, at least after Wednesday, you won't notice being sick?

[snapdresser]

Lolol oh noooo! That's gonna suck real bad if we just have to sit there. Maybe there will be other people waiting to get cut that we can small-talk with? I remember that was the deal when I got my eyes lasered. But that was a pretty short wait. An hour might be a different animal

Haha yeah, come Wednesday afternoon I'll have other things to focus on, I'm sure. In the meantime, I WAS using Afrin but you're only supposed to take it for 2 days and stop, so I did. Now I'm just getting by on tissues and Tylenol Cold medicine. Trying not to make it any worse while it gets better on its own. Still, yet another thing to worry about that I'd rather not. Yet I still have "TWO DAYS" running through my head every 10 mins or so lol. This weekend passed by real quick, eh?

[Nozzelnut]

I'm going to my final pre-op appointment tomorrow. He's going to finalize plans with me and that sort of thing. I'm going to ask for the Rx for the post surg meds so I can fill them before going to the hospital.

Trying to think of any questions for him and writing them down as they pop into my head.

Double checking my stuff; meal replacement powders for shakes, protein powders, sippy cups, syringes...

Here, we get a phone call the night before surgery and they give you specific time for it and when you'll show up... I know the day; just not the when.

The presurgery routine has varied a little at different hospitals; usually take your clothes off and send them away, put on those anti blood clot air squeeze legging things if needed (1 out of 3 times,) start an IV, and wait. It was very "factory" style the few times I've been. Regimented? might be a better word. Everyone would ask what I was there for; not because they weren't sure, they were just wanted to be 100% correct they had the right person. It's usually only 15-20 minutes in each station before being wheeled in to the OR

3 more nights of work for me.

[deathorglory]

My surgery was scheduled for 7.30am and I had to be at the hospital by 5am. There was the checking in part (maybe 30min wait to go back?), then the strip out of your clothes and put on the robe part (30min) where the intake nurse verifies what meds you're on/when you last ate or drank/etc, then the going back and getting the IV put in part (1.5hrs). They just kind of let you sit there and they've already taken your clothes and stuff, so literally you're just sitting there. ...I tried to nap. Some people had family members with them, but I sent my boyfriend home to sleep so I just stared off into space. Then my surgeon came out to say hi for a bit, then the anesthesiologist came to get me to walk to the operating room. That was my 2.5hr wait.

No worries about walking by the mirror...all you see is some swollen head that vaguely looks like you No blood or gore to be seen.

I totally didn't sleep before my surgery. I think my eyes closed, but restful sleep? Nah. And the anesthesiology...basically it felt like those 2 hours (or however long it was) just didn't exist. I was awake, then I wasn't, then I was again. ...And then a lot of naps happened.

[ugh]

I dont need jaw surgery but I just wanted to wish everyone good luck!

[snapdresser]

1 DAY!!!!!! Last day of work, but I'm pretty much done with everything already. I have to put two things in a file cabinet Swinging by my surgeon's office at lunch to try on my surgical splints, then finishing up cleaning the apartment. Gotta kill my 3 remaining Snickers ice cream bars before 11PM Then nausea pill and lay there awake for 5 hours. Should be a blast! I can't believe it's already 1 day away... Seems like just yesterday I got my insurance approval notification (and therefore knew it was a "Go"). That was 4 months ago now.

Ugh - Thanks!

deathorglory - That sounds like a pretty slow start... I'll have company, which I guess is a good thing so I don't have to stare off into space as much. Or maybe I will. I mean, I'll still be dwelling on the impending surgery as I lay there, obv lol

Nozzelnut - You work nights? What do you do? Good thinking about getting your prescriptions early. My surgeon offered them to me when I went in last week, but if I had waited to see her until today, I woulda been behind the 8-ball on the prescriptions already... Good luck on your pre-op today!!!! Let us know if they got any neat info on your treatment or something!

[jaime]

Good luck on your pre-op, Nozzlenut. Let us know how it goes!

Hey, did you and Snap realize you're both in NY? Opposite ends of the state I think, though.

My experience before SARPE was pretty much the same as deathorglory's, only I didn't have the choice to wait with anyone, I was literally lying outside the OR.

Enjoy your last day of eating anything you want, Snapdresser. Make it count!

I have a busy night tonight. Gotta do a few loads of laundry, pack my hospital and post-hospital bag (since I won't be recovering in my own home), and then I have hockey at 9pm. I'd really rather spend the time reading jaw surgery blogs and YouTube vlogs!

[snapdresser]

Nozzelnut - Where in NY are you? I'm in Brooklyn.

Jaime - I will! I wonder where they sell good shakes... The ones at BK are decent and I'll be in the area. There's also a Tropical Smoothie out that way but I think a smoothie would be healthier than a shake... You gonna have time for the vlog? You're almost there!!!!

When I was a kid I got my tonsils and adenoids out. I was in the 3rd grade. I brought my stuffed dog, Murphy, with me. The hospital staff was awesome while I was waiting to go into surgery. They gave me and Murphy matching surgical hats and wheeled us around the halls of the hospital at a high rate of speed. Somehow I don't think this stay will live up to last time But I can always hope!!! Lol

[Nozzelnut]

Snap, I'm in Rochester. Good luck!! I think you're the first.

Heading to my appointment in a few minutes. I'm curious as to what their final plan will be; I'll post again later.

[snapdresser]

Yup, I get to be first! Whatevs, I can be brave enough for all four of us! I'm sure I'll hop on to post a message tomorrow morning riiiiight before I go under. I'll be around the rest of today too. I don't want to be left alone with my thoughts with tomorrow impending lol. Good luck Nozzelnut! Make sure you ask your surgeon what they mean by "use discretion" WRT "relations"

KaylaChristine's now in the Single Digit Club!!! I'd congratulate her but she's been AWOL since Friday. Obv cuz she partied too much celebrating her new status as Club Neophyte/Pledge lol

[jaime]

Hahaha...hopefully KaylaChristine is alright, I'm sure she is.

Snap, I may not get another chance to hop on here before tomorrow so if not, I wish you the best of luck, not that you need it! I'll be sending you minimal-pain, minimal-swelling, extra-large-airway warm and fuzzy thoughts!

[deathorglory]

Good luck, Snap! Eat an ice cream snickers for meeee!

[snapdresser]

Just met with my surgeon one last time to try on my surgical splints . They fit like a glove so that's good There were about 4 different ones. Not sure the difference exactly. She said she's gonna give me a fairly prominent chin, which she says will look good on me I have somewhat sharp features so I think she's right. She said my results as a whole are going to "look really nice". So that's good! I didn't ask to see the cutting guides, but I understand they were part of the VSP package. They're custom-made stickers that they stick to your jaws after they pull back the flesh and tell the surgeon exactly where to cut. The VSP even models where your mandibular nerves are located so presumably the cutting guides also take that into account, but I don't know.

Jaime - Thanks! Yeah, HOPEFULLY KaylaChristine is alright! She should be getting that same nervousness here, what with being in the Single Digits Club! I may not have a chance to log on tomorrow (tho I'ma try to from the recovery room) so if I don't get another chance, Good Luck!!! See ya on the other side!

deathorglory - Thanks! Oh god... the Snickers ice cream bars... I just had a large Oreo shake from BK after lunch and the thought of those ice cream bars makes me wanna... well, nevermind that!