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When we got there they didn't have a room available in the day surgery area,
so we went into the surgery waiting room and...well...waited. *chuckle*
After a short time they called me in and I began my Day In A Hospital Gown.
Actually, the hospital bed was pretty darned comfy. Probably a good thing
since I spent so LONG in it!

They got a saline IV started and did the paperwork part of it, got my
vitals, and went over the basics with me. The surgeon came in and asked a
few questions, asked if I had questions, then headed out. The
anesthesiologist came in and went over some stuff. (During all of this,
Shado headed back to work to get things done while he could.) Then finally,
around 2:00 p.m. they wheeled me down to the operating room. I didn't get
put under for this one, they only gave me some sedatives, but the
combination of sedatives and not sleeping well last night did their work for
them and I crashed happily into a nice little slumber. The next thing I knew
it was 3:00 and the anesthesiologist was saying, "Melyssa, we're done...".

They threw me back over onto the cool wheeled bed (not a gurney, a bed) and
wheeled me to Recovery. Now, they require that you stay in Recovery for 2
hours. Then, after 2 hours, if you're meeting all of the parameters, you're
sent to a room in the regular hospital area, and after that they discharge
you.

I had a lovely lady named Elizabeth who took care of me in Recovery. There
were a number of adventures, including a nice talk about Elizabeth I and
Mary, Queen of Scots...and there was The Great "I've Gotta Pee" Adventure
*LOL*. Hey...you see how YOU feel after not eating or drinking since 8 p.m.
the night before, then suddenly getting a litre of saline dumped into your
body! Luckily Elizabeth is a kind soul and understood my detestation of
bedpans, and she walked me over to the staff restroom just a few feet away
from my bed. It was only five minutes before the doc said I could be up and
moving around anyway.

It wasn't Elizabeth's fault that I stayed in Recovery for nearly SIX hours.
*sigh* I was there legitimately for 3 hours, as my blood pressure was being
a bit stubborn about coming back up to normal. The OTHER three hours,
though, were greatly annoying. I couldn't be moved to my room yet because
they hadn't cleaned it. Yup. That's right. They knew which room I was being
assigned to, but the freakin' MAIDS hadn't cleaned it yet!!!! *thud*

So finally around 8:30-ish, the good news came and I got wheeled to my room.
We got there, we were excited, we'd be out by about 9:15 or so, they said.
Except...well...they didn't have written orders as to what to do with me
next. They didn't know if I could eat anything, they didn't know if I had to
stay overnight. Nothing. Now, by this time I haven't eaten or had anything
more than a couple of ice chips for over 26 hours. I was about ready to gnaw
the intern's arm off. Luckily he saw the gleam in my eye and heard the edge
behind the bantering tone, and quickly found out that he could give me food.
So he appeared with a turkey sandwich, some cut up melon, and a bit of pasta
salad, along with a Diet Sprite. The boy was a hero, he saved lives by doing
that. *LOL*

Just as we thought we were free and clear, the nurse almost put the kibosh
on the whole thing. When she checked the incision, she felt that the
dressing was too bloody. So now I was told that I might have to stay
overnight! That would have been a problem. Luckily the surgeon that they
called looked at it, realized that no one had changed the dressing since the
surgery, and proclaimed that the wound looked fine and would probably still
leak just a little but a new dressing and some time for things to finish
closing would make all right with the world.

So...finally...at 10:40 p.m. I clambered into a wheelchair and was pushed to
the entrance where I climbed into our waiting truck and my darling hubby
chauffered me home.

I can't lift anything over 10 lbs. I have to be careful coughing, sneezing,
and *ahem* with other bodily functions (no straining! *LOL*) Oh, and I have
a prescription to get filled. Darvocet. With 2 refills. Ohhhhyeah. *LOL*
Seriously, I'm only to take them when I'm in pain. I haven't felt much in
the way of pain today, so I'm hoping that will continue. We'll see what I
feel like in the morning.

But...the first step is done. We are Borg. You will be assimilated.
Resistance is futile! *snerk*

I'm about to go to bed. Despite having slept so much today, I'm tired...and
finally getting sleepy enough that I think I'll be able to do something
other than stare into the dark. Just four more days! :)