The Op

So, Monday was a big day.  We started by getting up at around 4:30 in the morning.  Tim showered, I wasn't allowed.  Then we both worked together to make sure the kids backpacks were completely packed and ready for school, made sure there was breakfast, made sure we had our ID's and paperwork in hand.  Walked the most awesome lady in the world, (Sarah Burke, who came over to get our kids on the bus) through the morning routine, and then left to make it to the hospital by 6 o'clock.

We got to the hospital, and went upstairs to the APU waiting room where a nurse who thought he was funnier than he was went over a few things before calling us back to get wristbands, and get changed. There were several people at the hospital for varying procedures, so there were a few of us hanging around waiting for instructions.  We were eventually led to an area full of beds, and assigned a bed.  I got to mine, changed, and then Tim came back to hang out with me until they would wheel me away and fix my ankle.  I assumed I'd be waiting there for a while, but it turns out they are extremely quick at Landstuhl, either that, or I was first on the docket.... not sure which.

To be completely honest, the part of the entire morning I was dreading the most was the IV stick.  People who know me, know that my veins are incredibly hard to find.  I usually get poked many many times, dug around in, and then eventually they find somewhere to stick the IV.  I've had them in my palm, my wrist, between knuckles, sides of my elbow, in my elbow.  I always leave in pain, with fairly intense bruising up and down my arm.  Tim was kind enough to ask the anesthetist if they could give me some gas or something before they stick me, because it's literally the worst part of any procedure for me.

He did not give me gas, he wanted to try it first. He put a tight tourniquet on, tapped my hand for a long time, and wouldn't you know it?  First try, got it in!  He seriously made my entire morning just by getting that IV in, in the first try.  If I could remember his name, he'd be getting a plate of cookies or something!

After some questions, signatures, quick visit from the surgeon who signed my ankle, so they'd get the correct one, some talking to, I was off to get a nerve block.

If you've never had a nerve block, and it's offered, get it!  For me, they took me to a prep room where they put sensors all over me, then shifted me to the side so they could ultrasound the back of my leg.They find a certain place on the sciatica, and then stick a needle in with something that completely blocks the nerve so you wake up from surgery with no pain.  In fact it's supposed to last for hours after.  This makes surgery easier, because with the nerve blocked, your body can't react to pain it may feel while you're under, and lessens the amount of anesthesia that they use to keep you under.  Now I don't remember anything after they started the ultrasound on  my leg.  They give you a sedative, because I assume the needle hurts.  So I remember the ultrasound, I remember them saying that they found it, and then it was lights out.  I remember waking up in recovery.


So I had something done called a Right Ankle Brostrom, or in other words, an ankle reconstruction. It sounds simple enough, they open the ankle, take the ligaments that are on the outside, and cut them in half.  Then they overlap the bottom half, on the top half and sew them back together.  What this does is shorten the ligament that's already incredibly stretched out.  Then they sew you up, and put a large splint on with your foot flexed and shifted up and to the right, so that the ligament will heal in the shortest position possible.... so extremely tight.  It takes weeks to heal.  WEEKS!

So I remember being wheeled away, then I remember being talked to and waking up.  It took a minute to fully wake up, but once I was able to prove that I was awake, could stomach juice, and use my crutches, I was released.  Not much more than 30 minutes after waking.  I kid you not.  Because of the nerve block, I was in no pain at all.  I came home and just hung out in bed all day, wondering why I was going to be stuck in bed for a week.  I means seriously, the nerve block was awesome..... until it wore off 24 hours later.  I was told there would be pain when it wore off.  There was... it was bad.... I feel for Tim.....

I thought that this first week would go slowly, and I had a notion that I'd be in pain, but I figured I'd had a c-section before, and if it was like that, I knew I'd be fine.  I had meds, and I was feeling pretty good.  Until I had a reaction to the meds that made me sick as a dog.  I will tell you something.  I'm a girl that doesn't throw up.  I mean NEVER.  I've thrown up once in the last 25 years.  So to be so sick, while in pain from the surgery, and not being able to position my body in a way to help both the pain and nausea, was horrible.  I stopped the pain meds right then and there, because I'll take the pain, over sickness any day.  To be honest it hasn't been to bad.  After one horrific day, I'm doing pretty good. It twinges, and throbs every now and then, but it's nothing I can't handle, and I have to say it feels so much better not to be so fuzzy all the time.  I've got a couple more days in bed, then I go in and have the incision site checked, and I'll get a permanent cast for the next 5 or so weeks.  It's not a lot of fun, but it will be so much better for everyone in the long run.

So that was my adventure this week!  Can't wait to see what happens next week!