Sunday Reflections

The pleasure of a shower should never be underestimated. Today the energy and coordination for a shower (not one that included getting my head wet, though) was present, so I took advantage of it. Now I'm exhausted. Clean, but exhausted nonetheless.

This post will be kind of like one of my favorite kids' books, There's a Monster at the End of This Book, where Grover warns us right from the start about the harrowing end of the book. He tries all different creative ways to prevent the readers from getting to the conclusion, but the comparison really ends there. I'm only going to issue a warning---there is an incision at the end the end of this post!!

This warning is here to keep some of you from looking at something that could gross you out and to titillate my medical friends.

Here on Patton Drive we have had some nice visits, some cards in the mail, a flower delivery, and great food. I am getting everything I need, and my mom and family are being well cared for too. This is my third full day at home. It is so much more comfortable than at the hospital.

Okay--here's the lowdown on the surgery.

The day before, we left toward Milwaukee in a snowstorm ("winter storm warning") and that made for a long, long trip. We saw so many cars in the ditch, lots of rescue vehicles and tow trucks. It was fine for us, just really plodding. When we got to Kim's house that night, we just settle in, talked a while, chatted with the pooches and Milo the cat, and then watched a disgusting but funny movie which took my mind off everything. Slept well for about 5 hours and got up at 4 am to get ready...

Remember there is an incision at the end of this post!!

At the start of the day it was all about prep---paperwork, health info review, orientation to how it's all going to work, etc. Then I went off the the "holding area" and met a very nice nurse who talked with me a lot until the anesthesiologist and a resident came to get my IV going. This nurse would also be my recovery nurse and she stayed with me until I went to ICU. I was feeling really calm during this period. My friend Scott had suggested a simple breathing prayer to say/do if I was dealing with anxiety at all (breath slowly in with "Lord Have Mercy" and slowly out with "Christ Have Mercy" and repeat). Each time I did it I was really calmed--before and after the surgery.

I remember nothing else at all about being taken to surgery. Cannot remember being in the OR at all.

Surgery started at 7:30 am and at 10:15 Dr. Kopell came to talk to Jeff and Mom & Buster. He found a vein pressing on the trigeminal nerve and an artery very nearby, which explains my TN pain! He put in the Teflon cushion pieces and all went well. I woke up around 2pm and saw my family and the doctor but I don't recall much about that now. I woke up again around 6pm and was taken to ICU at that point. THAT was a rough night. I was really sick and had several sessions with the emesis basin, which hurt so much and was upsetting to me because Dr. Kopell gave the nurse really strict instructions while he was standing next to me -- "I don't want her retching. No retching!" They did give me good medication for it but usually after it had already happened...I am so glad that part is over. The next morning I was in a regular room on the neuro unit by 10am. It was quieter there. The catheter was gone, so it became my responsibility to get up from bed and walk...hard to do and painful but it did get better each time. During the time in the regular room, I could not stand to look at food. I drank milk and water and ate some ice cream a couple of times. Anyone who knows me will understand how truly unusual it is for me to turn away food---even hospital food. My pain medicine may have been adding to that problem, and it was also giving me some funny side effects and not really managing my pain that well anyway, so after it was changed, things were better in all areas. I woke up, found an appetite, kept things down, walked in the hallway, cleaned up and out on some clothes I'd brought from home, and slowly felt more human. I was discharged on Thursday, March 12, late in the day, and we had our 4 hour ride home, with me fully loaded on meds and hugging my pillow tight to my head so I didn't feel the bumps.

Remember there is an incision at the end of this post!!

Now I'm dealing with some pain issues, some med side effect issues, an outbreak of cold sores, but nothing overwhelming. And I still take ALL of my previous medications for a while, and expect to be weaned in April.

The best part is, aside from a couple of incidents of some very light shocks, my TN pain is gone!

And that was the point of all of this anyway.

Okay---be warned! Here's a nice shot of the incision: