Just a little day surgery

My stomach from the flap surgery hasn’t wanted to heal. On Monday, I had “just a little day surgery” as the doctors said. They are going to go back in and tighten up the scar and add a vacuum (I had to wear one in the hospital last time) for a week to wear. For those of you who have had surgery, there is never “just a little day surgery.” It’s not like running to the store for milk.

A “little” day surgery means:

• ·         Scheduling surgery – in this case, I was scheduled at Baylor Uptown (smaller location that fortunately didn’t require Covid testing beforehand) – guess that hospitals are super booked for appointments these days
• ·         Picking up prescriptions – more pain meds, more antibiotics
• ·         Rescheduling work meetings – this “little” day surgery means getting to Baylor Uptown at 11:30, surgery at 1:30 pm (about an hour), recovery from anesthesia (one to two hours), home. Pretty much an all day ordeal
• ·         Taking the Miralax and Juven back out (more anesthesia and pain meds = constipation; more surgery = more protein needed)
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• ·         Scheduling vacuum removal (and rescheduling work meetings around this removal)
• ·         Not eating/drinking after midnight the day before (you never realize you’re hungry or thirsty until you can’t eat/drink!)

Monday comes and Tony drops me off at Baylor Uptown in my PJs (I have issues with being in public in PJs, but getting over it when you have to head home in comfy stuff after surgery) – I haven’t had him come in for any of these surgeries. Why should he sit around and wait there when he can get updates at home from his phone?

While I’m in Baylor’s system, I’m not in Baylor Uptown’s system so I have to do MORE paperwork. Read the Wall Street Journal (did you know that Harlan Crowe’s house has an underground garage that holds 77 cars????). Then head to pre-op. I was proud that I actually peed in a cup (they were not proud because it wasn’t enough). Baylor Uptown also has the Bair hugger – and their socks are purple! (and my belongs bag is purple). 

And cable TV – nothing better than watching the classic Con Air during preop! Need a good thriller/prison break movie before surgery. – “You’ve got the whole world, in your hands… you’ve got the whole world…”

Get hooked up for IV by Katelyn (Kate). Visit with Dr. Beale (he gets to make a mark on my stomach where the surgery is). Visit with anesthesiologist (he’s a back up and he asked if I wanted anxiety meds before getting put out? – never asked that, so I declined – he’s a bit weird, but at least he didn’t ask me if I was ready for my “margarita” like everyone else does). Visit with OR nurse – her comment when she saw my stomach was “oh gosh.” Not the kind of comment I wanted to hear. Timing was good when they wheeled me into operating room: Con Air was over. First time I remember the OR – they even needed my help getting on the operating table this time. It’s cold in there and the room looks like a supply closet – not as fancy as I would have thought.

Next thing I know I’m done, awake and Blake is checking on me. I think I told her how much I hate my boobs. I don’t have to wear the compression garment for a week, and then she says I’ll be wearing “shorts” afterwards. Good because the compression thing is itchy. Maybe I can start wearing the expensive Spanx I ordered for this that I haven’t worn yet because of the scar. Walking, but no real exercise – she said she’d see on Monday when I get the vacuum off about any weights and more exercise.

They send me home with Tony – with a Baylor bag and cup! I declined the “Baylor chicken soup” they were going to send home with me. Nope, nope and more nope to Baylor soup. Tony gets me home – we think Abby understood that I have an “ouchy” and instead of jumping on me, she rolled onto her back for a belly rub.

The vacuum makes weird Teradactyl (sp) noises every once in a while. Pretty random. Guess I should really be curious about what it’s doing. And I brought my “breathy thing” back out – not failing this time!

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b5005265120/ (the Provena 125 is also made by 3M, like the Bair hugger – 3M makes a lot of stuff!)

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/medical-us/healthcare-professionals/surgical-solutions/prevena-therapy/ -- there’s a video – I got bored during it and stopped watching. Figures!

Tuesday, I spend the day working from bed. Tony has to take Abby for her one year check up/shots – plus, she has an ear infection and she’s so “sad.” Her ears don’t want to stay up with an ear infection.

Wednesday, actually drive to the office for a meeting. Can’t lift anything over 15 pounds so we loaded me up in my Smoky Mountain Moonshine rolling cooler bag. It’s a look!

Thursday, have work and an eyebrow appointment – I’ve never had my eyebrows done so much since cancer! The rest of my hair is coming back and I can’t wait for my December appointment to do something with this Kramer mess. I’m at a loss and the headbands don’t contain what I have going on.

Monday can’t come soon enough for this “little day surgery” to hopefully be over and this vacuum off (it’s a pain to wear – it comes with a little holder/strap, but with the hose it just is cumbersome and I keep getting tangled up). Definitely don’t want to deal with it and Thanksgiving.

Disclosures: I am not a doctor. I am not a nurse. I am not a medical professional whatsoever. If you are concerned about your health, I encourage you to talk to your doctor. This post contains a few affiliate links. If you click them and buy something, I might earn a small commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own. I am also NOT a photographer. I work at a creative firm and we hire photographers. My photography is quite, well, awful.