Two Weeks...

What a difference 2 weeks can make!!! I had surgery as planned 2 weeks ago. Then many events transpired that were not so planned. I'm so grateful to be feeling so much better now.

The first surgery went well and was over more quickly than expected. I woke up in an empty recovery room (well except for the nurse who was helping me). I asked for and was given ice chips and felt like I always do when I wake up from surgery. Groggy and thirsty. I remember being moved from recovery to a room on the surgical floor since I was going to stay overnight. I don't remember actually getting to the room and the rest of the afternoon was a hazy, foggy blur. I guess about 20 mins. after arriving in my room, my blood pressure plummeted. They raced me to ICU to try to figure out what was going on. I guess they looked for internal bleeding at first but didn't find any so they figured that the pain meds and anti-nausea meds had caused my blood pressure to drop. They drew all the medicine off my body. I remember being in a lot of pain but lost in the fog with nothing to do but mumble that it hurt.

The doctors decided they needed to force fluids to try to get my blood pressure up. At one point, Robert said my blood pressure dropped to where the top number was only in the 40's. They put in a second IV and a femural line. I remember the central line! I have a huge puncture mark to remind me of that not so fun procedure. They put that in so they could give me a medicine called dopamine (sp?). It's a medicine that was supposed to help with my blood pressure and apparently, you can't give that through a regular IV because if it leaks it can kill the tissues around it. I was being given fluids through 2 IV's and blood through the central line. The nurses added up the amount of fluid and blood they gave me and it added up to 47 lbs of fluid. Most of that was given in a couple of hours. (I was so swollen with all of that fluid for a good week!)

My blood pressure still wasn't coming up and I found somewhere in my fog to tell them my stomach was REALLY hurting now and it felt like it was blowing up like a huge balloon. They did another ultrasound and found I was bleeding internally. I remember the lightning fast trip down the halls to the operating room. Every bump hurt. I remember them moving me to an operating bed and then nothing. Until I was being wheeled back into ICU, where I heard Robert. During the day, I remember feeling him stroke my hair at different times. It was such a comfort to know that he was there. The nurses kept telling me how he kept such a strong face on during the whole day, but they could see how scared he was.

My mom and Heather arrived shortly after I came out of the second surgery. Isn't it funny how at 30 you can revert back to the feelings you had as a little girl and feel comfort that your mom is there? Robert stayed until he was sure I was settled in and doing well. My mom stayed with me so Robert could get some rest. I know it was a long day for him. I had a rough night. My heart rate stayed up all night and my blood pressure was lower that mine usually is. Every once in a while, the monitors would start beeping. I kept checking my blood pressure and heart rate. I couldn't sleep. My mom tried to reassure me that the nurses were watching and I was fine but my mind would not let my body relax. Finally, around 5am my blood pressure was in an area where my mind decided I was fine and I was able to relax and get some sleep.

My blood levels remained low and so on Wednesday, the doctor decided to give me more blood. 3 more pints and my energy levels were better. They finally let me come home on Thursday. It was soooo good to come home and get to see my kids. I had told them I would be home on Tuesday so when I didn't come home until Thursday they struggled a bit. I can't begin to tell you how an experience like that changes your perspective. I'm truely blessed!