Surgery and the Post Op Experience (9/24 - 9/26)

The surgery was planned for 6-7 hours. It lasted 11. I slept for 14. Never saw that coming...

Apparently, the surgeons discovered at least a dozen bone fragments that had to be retrieved and pieced back together like a puzzle...in addition to re-building my nose with a piece of my skull. In the end, I received a titanium plate to close a dime-sized hole in my right orbital, two "new" skull bone pieces in my nose and 39 - 1 mm titanium screws to hold it all together. All of that would stay in. They also installed tubes in my nose, a temporary drain in my head and 50+ staples to close my ear-to-ear-over-the-top-of-my-head incision. Now I was a real metal head.

The first things I recall after are seeing Kate, my parents and Jaime; Hearing that it was 11:30 PM and realizing I'd made it through; Sipping Sierra Mist and tasting the sugar!

The surgeon told me I'd be going home on Wednesday morning...about 40 hours after surgery ended. I fell asleep restlessly with a smile on my face knowing that I could TASTE again.

The medical staff asked if I was in any pain. Of course, right? But it wasn't anywhere near my face! My calves and my low back hurt like hell. With anesthesia, I couldn't lift my 50 lb. head, so I asked the nurses to get me to a seated position...so I could stretch! I guess laying flat for 14 hours is not good for my back. I later learned that my calves were being exercised constantly during surgery by machines to prevent clots. No wonder I was sore...14 hours of calf exercises.

The next challenge was "filling the bottle" within 6-8 hours after surgery ended. Not easy to do when one's bladder is larger than normal, two nurses are present to keep me company and the pressure is on. I think it took 20 minutes with no nurses and me propped up, standing against a wall with a bottle in my hand. They had tried privacy and running water. In the end, what worked? The sound of helicopter blades, some relaxed breathing and the threat of a catheter.

Another memorable event - my 6'2" body was crammed into a bed seemingly made for a toddler. None of the nurses remedied the situation, but a cleaning woman who I had met the week before became my hero. After laying in the toddler's bed for 12 hours, I learned from the cleaning lady that this $15,000 bed could be extended with the touch of a button! Why couldn't a nurse have done that???

Another small world event - turns out my post op nurse and I were connected. Her husband's college friend and I shared the same name...and as it turned out, the nurse's sister-in-law and I were friends who worked together for the same company on the same floor of a building in Florida. In fact, I had pictures of the sister-in-law at home! We had lost touch 10 years ago...and through the most bizarre of curcumstances, we are reconnecting now. Who says this was a tragedy? Good things ALWAYS come from "bad" things if you just pay attention and see them...
The surgeon asked if I'd had any questions. What I wanted to know was what they played on the IPOD for the 11 hour surgery. The anesthesiologist asked the same question. I just wanted to know how far I'd made it in the pre-op, post anethesia countdown. He started me at 20. He said I made it to 10. I only remember getting to 13. Always competing...

I forced myself up and walking about 10 - 12 hours after the surgery. Of course, my cute physical therapist "date" helped with motivation. Also, it didn't hurt that my vision has been effected, and I saw TWO of her! We walked for so long that the nurses had to page me to return to my room.

The next day - 9/26 - I was up and out "jogging" the halls with my IV pole at 6 AM. I met the surgeons at the elevator at 7 AM. They released me at 1:30 PM. Although they gave me an antibiotic and Vicadin perscription, I didn't fill the Vicadin. I have never really felt any pain in my face - just swelling and discomfort...just as they said I would.

Everyone there was very nice, but I was ready to go home...