Surgery Details

I made it through surgery! Hurah! Praise the Lord and thank you all so much for praying. Now just to get this incision healed up without any infection and have the baby arrive safe and healthy.

(If you'd like details, read on...)
So I haven't posted updates about surgery on here, but most of you know from emails or facebook the reasons why I went ahead and decided to have surgery to remove the ovarian cyst. Basically, it could have twisted or burst or been malignant. If it had done one of the first two things later in the pregnancy they would have had to operate and it wouldn't have been as safe for the baby as it was now.

Surgery prep - trying to be positive and not freaking out.

So surgery day arrived and I was pretty nervous, but having faith that this is what needed to happen and God would carry me through it. And if not, well, I'd be home in heaven sooner than expected. Scott was more nervous than I realized. He was ready to call it off just before the surgery when the doctor went over things again and made it sound like the type of cyst he expected it to be was not one that was often super problematic. Obviously potentially problematic, which is the reason we decided to do the surgery. But Scott was almost ready to take the chance rather than send me into surgery. His mom reassured him it was ok and the best thing to do at this point.

The nurse had to take one more vial of blood and was going to put the IV in the same spot but couldn't get it in the vein well enough so decided to let the anesthesiologist do it. When he got there he though he was going to have to try twice as well, but thankfully the first one worked. I afirmed my previous assumption that I do not like IVs. Thankfully once they're in they're not as bad, but after surgery the site was still tender and I was left to anticipate how much it would hurt coming out (thankfully it doesn't really). I'm really a big baby when it comes to needles. And my mom had called just before surgery while the nurse was trying to find a vein and said doctors often have trouble finding good veins on her too. Thanks for handing that down mom. :)

There were two wonderful suprises that helped to put me at ease just before surgery. Thanks to those of you who prayed, God did answer - and for the 'little things' as well. The attending nurse for the surgery walked in to introduce herself and I recognized her as someone from our church. It was a lady I'm not super well acquainted with and so didn't even realize that she worked in that part of the hospital. But still, it was nice to know that I was being cared for by someone who knew me previously and would see that I was well taken care of. Plus I knew she could pray for specific things through the surgery if anything came up. They gave Scott and his mom who were back in the prep room with me, a list of contact information and who my anesthesiologist was going to be. Prior to going into surgery I had gotten some names of 'prefered' anesthesiologists from a friend who I play Bunco with who works in surgery at the hospital. She told me that everyone was good, but the list of names she gave me were who she would want working on her if she was in my place. I had called the doctor's office a few days prior to surgery to let them know of my preferences and I knew it wasn't a sure thing that I'd get who I wanted, so knew not to rely on that too much. Anyway, the name on the paper we were given was not a name that I recognized from my list and it made me a little extra nervous but I knew it would be fine whoever took care of me. Then all of the sudden before the guy came in they started talking about another doctor who would be in my surgery. Turns out they were able to get one of they guys on my list! I was so excited and he was a super nice guy. Thanks Lauren!

I can't exactly remember why but they wheeled me back into the surgery room before putting me under. I think it was to do everything possible to decrease the time that they needed to have me under for the safety of the baby. So it was kind of cool but somewhat scary to see a real live surgery room where I was going to be the one on the operating table. In addition to putting me out, they decided to also give me a mini epidural type thing at the end of the surgery to help me not to have to be on too many drugs during recovery. So then I went to sleep soon after and woke up in a temporary recovery room before they moved me on to the Labor and Delivery unit so they could monitor the baby while I recovered. Waking up was also kind of like in the movies where you're blinking and see people moving around and can hear what they're saying but can't do anything to respond for a few minutes while you drift back and forth in and out of sleep before being able to talk and be alert. I remember starting to wake up feeling like it was any other morning before realizing that, oh yeah, I just had surgery. My feet were also tingly and my legs were sort of heavy from the spinal/epidural. So I groggily asked how it went and if the baby was ok and if they kept the ovary and if they had talked to my family yet. All were answered in the afirmitive. Then I had a nice long ride to the other end of the hospital to the baby unit. I was in a labor and delivery room so they could have me on a contraction monitor for a few hours and I even moved myself inch by inch from one bed onto the other. They encouraged me to do so since the sooner you start moving, the quicker your recovery. Then in the early evening they moved me on to a postpartum room for the rest of my time there. The nurses were SO wonderful. It was sort of nice to have a little preview of where I'll be in a little over 5 more months and know that it's a pretty nice place for being a hospital. It was a little sad that as far as I knew, I was the only one without my baby in my arms yet in the unit I was in, but soon, Lord willing.

Hitting the button for drugs and my IV/PIC line

By Wednesday afternoon I was able to get most of my 'attachments' removed: the catheter, the heart/oxygen monitor, the leg massagers (to prevent clots), and then finally the IV. It felt great to be free. :) The leg massagers were pretty nice at first but by the end of 24 hours, they were starting to get itchy and sticking to my legs and were not so great anyomre. But thankfully once I started getting out of bed they were able to take them off. I ended up staying in the hospital until Friday afternoon and have since been home resting and getting back online. :) Scott says I'm up too much, so I guess it's about time to get back to bed for a nap before dinner.

I'm feeling pretty good. The incision hurts less and less every day. My back is a bit sore from all the resting and there's a spot on my leg from the tape that held the catheter in place. Sort of riped some of my skin off with the tape so that's no fun either, but manageable. I also have some pretty colorful bruises from all the times they stuck me with needles. But I made it and am on the mend! Now I just hope not to have to have a c-section when I have this baby. I won't be required to because of the surgery, just if other complications make it necessary. It would be tough recovering AND having to take care of a baby. But whatever will be, will be.

Some flowers to pretty up my room - thanks family!

(I COULD put up a tiny picture of my incision that those of you interested in could click on and see larger, but I think I'll spare you. :) They used a clear saran wrap type tape over the initial tape and sutures rather than the normal dressing so that they could more easily monitor the baby. If you're really curious I can email it to you.) :)