My Gallbladder Surgery - Part Two

So that anesthesiologist knocked my ass out without even so much as a warning.  And thank whatever god you please for that because I DID NOT want to see the operating room.

When I woke up, the first thing I remember was noticing the clock across the room from me.  I didn't have my glasses on so I was virtually blind.  That's when I started to talk.  It went down something like this.

I looked at the nurse and said... nothing because I couldn't get any words to form.  Stupid breathing tube done jacked up my throat.

Nurse:  "Would you like some water?"

Me: nods furiously, nurse hands me a styrofoam cup of ice water

It was freakin' amazing.  I remember telling myself to sip slowly.  I did not want to hurl.

Me:  "I don't have on my glasses, but does that clock say it's 6 o'clock?"

Nurse:  "It sure does!"

Me:  "Can I have water when I get home?"

Nurse:  "Uh huh, you sure can.  Are you in pain?"

M:  "A little, but you know this isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I love those things on my legs. *lifts legs*  They're like little massages for your legs.  They are awesome."

N: "Yes, they're compression so you don't get blood clots."

This is where things get a bit foggy.  I think I asked something else about going home or if I could pee when I got home...  I'm not sure, but the next thing I remember is being back in the secondary recovery area with my new nurse, Sandra. 

Sandra is a blessing.  She talked to me in a soft, pleasant voice.  She came into the room and, as she was noticing my cup of water, asked if I'd had something to drink yet.  I told her that I had and she said...

Sandra:  "That's great!  Let's get you up so you can go to the bathroom."

M:  "Okay!"

Sandra:  "Oh, I guess you already peed.  Did you know you had gone hun?  Just feel down there."  *points*

M:  *feels the bed behind my butt*  "Uh... yeah, nope.  Had no idea.  Sorry."

Yep, I peed in the bed.  I think now that must have been what I was asking the first recovery nurses about.

So sweet Sandra helps me to the bathroom (I do not remember the trip there) and helps me get out of my hospital granny panties.  Let me just add right here that those suckers are fabulous.  She got a warm, soapy wash cloth, cleaned me off, then handed me another warm wash cloth to rinse with.  While I was rinsing off, I asked Sandra if this counted as eliminating.  It's one of the requirements for getting to go home.  And she said, "Absolutely honey!"

I love Sandra.  She helped me get dressed then went to get Chris.  The husband, not the anesthesiologist.  She asked if I needed anything for pain, but then checked my chart and realized I'd already been given a healthy dose of demerol.  I asked her how long I needed to wait before taking any of my pain meds that the doctor had prescribed and she told me to take them as soon as I wanted.  She let me know they'd ended up giving me three bags of fluids, which is probably part of the reason I'd peed on myself.  

She told me not to take off my bandage for a week.  "Just the one bandage!," she said, "because they used the daVinci machine."  She helped me into a wheel chair, helped me into my car, blessed my heart, and sent me on my way.