This was my experience with surgery yesterday, the entire thing, most of which is copied and pasted from notes I've sent to people, cause I'm lazy!

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The best thing is that the pain I've had for the last month? Gone when I woke up, and if I've had enough pain medication so that the incisions and the air don't hurt, I feel like a million dollars.  
Right now though, I'm on the pains meds every four hours. 

Yesterday, when we got to the hospital, they had me give a urine sample, and then they came to me ten minutes later, and said that I had to have blood taken again, because the urine sample read that I was pregnant! I was like I AM NOT! I was thinking, 'Heck, I don't even have any guys as FRIENDS! Much less any who I like like.. THAT. 

It wasn't funny when it happened. Though I thanked the nurse for not announcing the reasons for needing more tests (make sure i'm not preggo) in front of my youth pastor and his wife. They were in the room when the nurse was asking a couple questions, and the nurse asked "No smoking or alcohol?" I'm like "No." and my pastor's wife goes "Yeah, you'd better not be! "

I had the ugliest hospital gown on the planet, these terrible ugly grey socks, an ugly blue hairnet, and these things that were like super tight tights that went up to my thighs. Those were so that when I laid still and unconscious for a few hours, the blood in my legs didn't clot and cause problems. I got poked with a needle a total of ONE TIME yesterday. they took the blood when they were putting in the IV.  

So, anyway. We got there, got checked in, and got a room. I gave the urine sample, then they had me change into my 'glamorous' clothes, and then they took my vitals, took blood, got me set up with a blood pressure cuff around my arm and an oxygen monitor on my finger, and then they got the IV in. After I was all set up, the youth pastors, Tom and Sarah, with their little two year old daughter Audrey, came to visit me. I haven't seen them in a few months, cause I wasn't able to go to church, all the problems I've had. It was so good to see them again . Audrey has the most gorgeous blond ringlets for hair. and she was smiling the entire time. 
Tom and Sarah and I chatted for awhile about how I was doing, and how Sarah was doing (she's in her third trimester of pregnancy, and she's having a little boy sometime in January). Then, mom and Sarah started talking about labor and delivery. Dad and Tom were just standing there, pretending to busy themselves looking at the ceiling, and trying not to pay attention to all the gory details of moms and Sarah's labors. Lol. 
A few nurses came in and asked questions. After all of that, one came in to take me to the operating room. Before she did, we all prayed together that the surgery would go well and with no problems. I teared up a little. 

So, they rolled me back to the OR (operating room), and they had me move to the operating table. There were a whole bunch of people bustling around and setting up everything. The nurses had me lay my arms out on horizontal tablets beside me, then covered me with these warm blankets. they felt like they were straight out of the dryer.  
Then the anesthesiologist started anesthesia in my IV. It BURNED and HURT! Two seconds later, I blinked, then it was dark for three seconds,  then I was waking up in recovery. The first thing I could tell was the pain. It hurt really bad! I looked up to see two nurses standing over me, one at my feet and one in front of me. I looked up at her and being groggy, asked "Is it over?" she smiled and said "Yep! It's all done." 
Me- "Were there any problems?" 
Her- "Nope. It went perfectly according to plan. Do how are you feeling, Meredith?" 
Me- "I hurt." 
Her- "Where?" 
Me- "The incisions, and my back hurts. How many incisions?" 
Her- "You have four, and on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate that pain?" 
Me- "Nine." (yeah, it hurt REALLY BAD. I was trying not to cry, cause that only ever tightens my airways.) 
The other nurse was so so sweet. When I said my back hurt and everything hurt, she started rubbing my back and shoulder after helping me onto my left side, where I have no incisions. They got me a sip of water and got me talking and responding, and by that point, I was even smiling a little.  

They rolled me back into my room, where dad, mom, and the youth pastors still were. They asked how I was feeling, and I told them, then Tom, Sarah, and Audrey gave me gentle hugs, told me goodbye, then left so I could rest. Dad left to go pick up the pain prescriptions so we could leave soon. A nurse came in and checked how I was doing, removed the ugly tights things, and then checked my incisions. My entire stomach down to my thighs and up to my chest was orange, due to the dye in the antibacterial cleanser they spread over you before surgery. So, still in pain, hoping that the medicine kicked in soon, I laid very still in the comfiest position I could. Mom had them
Bring some ice chips for my very sore throat, due to the tube that when you have surgery they thread through your nose and down your throat so it 'Breathes for you' and so you can't somehow kill yourself by throwing up during surgery while you're unconscious. 
They also had me sip some Seven-Up soda the carbonation would help me, yes embarrassing, belch, to get the bubbles of air moving out of there from where they pumped my stomach with CO2. 

So, I stayed in the hospital room for about... Two hours. My nose was itching from the anesthesia (common side-affect) and my hands and feet kept getting hot from the anti-nausea Meds. I was very sleepy and dizzy. 
Finally, after two hours, the nurse came in and unhooked the IV and blood pressure cuffs, then she left and mom helped get dressed. Dad got back, and the nurse came in with a wheelchair, then took me out to the car. 
We drove home, a bumpy forty-five minute drive. I went inside, changed into pjs, and then laid on the sofa and rested. 
Every four hours, I've been taking more pain medication. 

I've been a lot lot lot of pain, but I'm trying to rest up so I'll heal faster. Today my BFF is coming over to visit, and more likely than not, the church pastor, John, and his wife, Mary. Maybe the assistant youth pastors. Some other friends.  

So, I am alive, I survived my first surgery, and MY NOSE STILL ITCHES!!! 

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