Pre-Admission and Surgery

It takes a lot to sit up and type for any period of time, so I think I'll break up my surgery experience into a couple of posts...

Pre-Admission was on Monday at 8 am.  The usual - blood work; an hour long interview process about previous surgeries and reactions etc; an ECG (because of past reactions); meet the pharmacist; meet the anesthesiologist... it was a 4.5 hour appointment.  I was tired afterwards, but I still had an MRI scheduled for 6 am on Tuesday. 

Surgery day!!  I was awake by 2... we had to be up at 4:45, but still, 2?  Really?  And it wasn't nerves - I was freezing because our hotel room was an ice box!! (No A/C control in the rooms - wth!)  Anyway...  hubby had a shower and we walked over to the hospital.  The nurses in POCU (Pre-operative care unit) sent me straight to MRI.  Well, MRI didn't have any record of me so back to POCU we went.... Up and down the giant maze of a hospital.  Hubby wasn't allowed in POCU... so he had to wait in the hall.  I waited to have the nurse figure out what was going on with my MRI.  The changed me into a gown, pj pants and a robe all size XL!!  Ummm.... three of me would fit.  It was comical.  My admitting nurse was an absolute hoot.  She has a great sense of humour for dealing with anxious people at 6 in the morning!  She asked everyone if we were naked as the day we were born... she kept the mood light. And finally hubby got to come in.  Turns out there was a problem with the MRI that morning so I was going for an angio CT instead at 7:30.  No worries there.  Equipped with a warm blanket off we went to the waiting area.... for a long day of waiting.  I had my CT, nothing too exciting, but came away with 7 markers on my skull to guide Dr. Gentili during surgery. Then we waited.  My surgery was supposed to be at 11 am.  When no one came out by 11:30 I went back to POCU to see what was going on.  The nurse was really nice and thanked me for being so patient.  (I could tell a lot of the people in there were not being so patient on Tuesday... poor staff) Back to wait.... At least we had a tv in our little area and met a lady from Sault Ste. Marie also have brain surgery.  So time passed, not quickly, but it passed.  Dr. Gentili came out before 1:00.  He didn't know if I was going to be able to have my surgery!  It wasn't staff or OR space, there were no beds in the ICU step down unit!  He knew how far we travelled, how long it took to get my surgery date and he was doing everything he could to get me in.  Then, about half hour later, my name was called :)  I didn't even hear the nurse! Hubby did.  And in we went to the POCU again.  The anesthetist came to see me, a couple of nurses, Dr. Gentili's staff - Dr. Kim, Dr. Andre and at least one more doctor.  Then they had to find another nurse for my surgery - thank you to whoever the lady who said yes she would stay!  My whole surgery could not have gone for that 1 reason!  I got my first of 3 IVs put in, and then it was time to kiss my husband good-bye!! A quick trip across the hall.  The anesthetist started the second IV, and I had an oxygen mask put over my face.  The warm sleepy drug made it's way up my arm and that's the end of my memories for surgery.

Post-op.... later