Surgery Day

Febraury 8

We headed to the hospital to start processing at 5:30. By 6:30, I was in the preop area and ready to go. Because the surgery was on my jaws, my anesthesia was a little different. I had to have the breathing tube down my nose instead of my throat. I remember getting my IV meds and wheeling into the OR. I don't remember much more than that. It took me almost 2 hours to wake up after the procedure. I remember just being tired. I wanted my eyes to stay closed. I wish I had just stayed a sleep. When I did finally wake up, I felt HORRIBLE! My throat hurt like strep, I still had a suction tube in my nose, and I was dripping blood everywhere. When my husband was able to come back, the doctor came in to check and update him on how everything went. I was pretty out of it for that conversation. The oral surgery interns and first year interns came to get me to take some x-rays at about 6:30pm. That was SO hard. I had to stand still for 3 xrays. They let me sit down between 2 and 3. They told me that I would be happy that I did them in the evening so I didn't have to do them at 5am.

I spent most of the evening in the ICU Step Down unit with a wonderful LTJG nurse. He was patient and gentle and kind. If I needed something, he went to get it immediately. After the Xrays, the team decided that I could be moved to a regular room for the night. My husband moved up there with me and my parents came up to visit. They all left at 9 or so.

First impressions -
1. Feeding myself was harder than I thought it would be. The jaw are wired shut all the way around. I thought I would slide the feeding syringe through my front teeth. WRONG! I have to slide it down my gumline and through my back molars to get it into my mouth.
2. The jaws are wired tightly. It hurts.
3. I always forget how hard it is to pee after a catheter. The nurse told me at 5:3opm that I had to pee by 6 or I would get another catheter. I spent that entire half hour trying to pee. Thank goodness it was a success!!
4. I feel like I have been hit by a truck. Then the truck backed up and ran me over a few more times.
5. I am having a love affair with the jaw bra and the ice packs!!

Pain overall today: 6
Swelling: 6