1/14: Day of surgery

The morning of surgery, Paul and I woke up fairly early. We were supposed to report to the hospital at 10:30 for surgery at 12:30. Around 8:20, we got a phone call from Beth Israel, asking if I could come in earlier since my surgeon was available earlier. 

I jumped in the shower and, like the night before, washed with a special anti-bacterial soap the hospital had given me. I wrote and posted instructions for feeding the dogs (our neighbors helped out by caring for the dogs), and then I grabbed ear plugs, lip balm and my Kindle, and off we went. Traffic was pretty heavy, but we finally arrived — only to discover we were in the wrong building. Oops. 

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which I always incorrectly abbreviate as Beth Israel or BI, is split into two campuses: East and West. I'm sure they told me which building to report to, but it didn't click. So back in the car for a little drive, then a little walk, and finally we were in the right place. 

We reported to the 5th floor surgery waiting room, and after a few minutes, a nurse came to get me. She took me back to the pre-op area, asked me some questions, and left me so I could change into a johnnie. And I felt scared. 

I was alone, separated from my husband, in a completely foreign environment. Rapidly, I reviewed my decision: Did I really want to go through with this? It's irreversible. Was I sure? I took a deep breath. Yes, I was sure. 

A variety of doctors and nurses started streaming in, and at one point, they got my husband. I was so happy to see him, my eyes teared up. One of the anesthesiologists put an IV in my hand; I expected it to hurt, but it didn't. The doctor said that would be the roughest part of my day. (Boy, was that patently untrue.) I got a Heparin shot (blood thinner) and a pneumonia vaccination. My surgeon, Dr. Schneider, stopped in. He asked me how much weight I'd lost so far, and I was proud to say 16 pounds. 

Almost immediately, they wheeled me away towards the operating room. It was a strange feeling, being wheeled on a bed. I met more nurses and doctors in the OR, scooted myself from the bed to a gurney, and then they placed a mask over my mouth and nose. 

The next thing I knew, it was over. I vaguely remember seeing my husband in the middle of the afternoon, and then again in my room on the nursing unit, hours later. I felt horribly nauseated and in pain, and was mostly out cold. Paul finally left after 11 pm. I slept.