The Night Of

Waking up after sedation always weirds me out. I guess it's because I go out so quickly and wake up in an unfamiliar area, still really hazy. The haze prevents me from giving an accurate timeline, but I'll do my best, the time passed quickly for me, but I was also heavily medicated.

Apparently the surgery only took 30 minutes, but I was under for about 2 hours.

I woke up in 'my room' where I had started pre-surgery, Dr. Ellis was sitting next to me and Kate was there, but for the life of me I cannot remember if she was sitting or what side she was on. I remember Dr. Ellis sounding pleased at the success of the surgery, but he did say he saw something surprising. I forgot what he said shortly after and would need to remember to ask him later.

I slowly began to register that I was attached to a breathing tube. My foot was wrapped in a very thick bandage, a bulge over the incision site. Eventually a nurse came and unattached the IV bag, but left the IV injection in my hand, and the breathing tube and took me to the next exit station. There I was asked what kind of sandwich, turkey, ham or cheese...I chose cheese...It was plain, cheese, lettuce and wheat bread, and some cranberry juice, but I was very hungry. I was asked to move my toes, success!

I was told to make sure I drink a lot of water because the pain meds cause constipation...fantastic.

Kate told me she barely had time to get herself food during the surgery, it was so quick and Dr. Ellis and talked to her afterwards, excited with the successful excision. She was also lovely and called my mom and stepmom when I was I was out of surgery.

I was given vicodin for when the nerve block started to wear off...my foot was still very numb..discharge papers and wheeled to the next station. Kate discovered it was best to hail a yellow cab to get me home, since there was no local car service in Yorkville.

I watched the nurse get into a communication mess. The patient was from Massachusettes and had just come out of surgery. The nurse was speaking to the patients parents who were on the train to NYC, as the nurse got off the phone the patients friend came to pick her up, apparently the patient was planning to stay with her friend...the patients friend got her parents number...I hope it was resolved.

A nurse came to remove the IV injection from my hand and put on a bandage and in doing so had to remove a bunch of medical tape at my red skin she said, 'do you have sensitive skin?' 'Totally' I replied. She chuckled at my response. I thought I was told someone was going to help me change back into street clothes, but I was done. Kate closed the curtains for me and politely turned her back, I didn't really care at that point. Two ETW students and long time friends....plus I was really drugged. I managed to change myself, even remembered to put my naval ring back in, and removed two electrodes in the process.

Another nurse with a wheelchair arrived to take me out of the building, I think we chatted about the surgery. I remember him being very nice. Kate went and hailed a cab, and shortly after we were on the way home.

Kate helped me inside and helped to arrange me on my bed and called a pizza for me, and we chatted while she befriended my scaredy-cat hiding under the bed. She waited until I could not stay awake anymore, and as she was leaving she fed my cat.

While we were talking, I started scratching my chest, and noticed an electrode I had didn't realize I had forgotten to pull off...we had a laugh about that.
Unfortunately, the way my locks work I had to show Kate out so I could lock my door. The nerve block had started to wear off, and in combo with the drugs(I have been assured that this is normal) I started to faint while I was showing her out It got to the dizzy, light-headed intense sweating stage. Kate waited with me while I kept my head between my knees and waited for it to pass, and then we had to rush her out so I could get to bed before I started to faint again. One of the few downsides to living alone I guess.

I didn't sleep very well that night. Overall I was very warm and when the nerve block wore off completely the vicodin did very little to relieve the pain and allow me to sleep. The pain was so intense, it was like my foot was burning and ripping apart and the worst pain was concentrated where I knew the incision was and like a reverse 'L' shape, in the ball of my foot, which Dr. Ellis says makes sense...considering that's where the surgery was. And an intense throbbing when I had to lower my foot.

The next morning I talked to Dr. Ellis and we spoke about the fainting and the pain. If the pain was still awful we could try upgrading to percocet. I was lying down most of the day so a little nausea wouldn't be a big deal. Dr. Ellis told me what he found while he was removing the tibular sesamoid, there is a line of cartilage missing, very unusual. He told me the fibular sesamoid didn't appear damaged and we are still hoping this surgery takes care of the pain.

Two days after surgery I did 'upgrade' to percocet because the vicodin was not strong enough to let me sleep. My foot would wake me up every two or three hours...my best friend Julie was watching me the first two days, she got the grumpy drugged part...not very fun for her, but she was patient.