Surgery

Back home from Mass General. I'm in pain but it's nothing like it was getting the metal put in! It's like a four where having the metal put in was an eight. I can't believe it either - I can actually feel that the metal's no longer in there! I'm, like, normal again. At least in my shoulder (ba dum bum!). I'm grateful to my trusty sidekick, Dad, for bringing me in and being there when I woke-up.

My surgery had been delayed because my surgeon's Mom passed away. After the surgery, he woke me to tell me it went well. The only thing I remember is saying to him, "I'm sorry about your mom" and him saying "It's OK" and adding something about her being old, and then telling me to focus on myself getting better.

I think I may have dreamt that though? It just seems like a strange exchange. But then, it's not like there was a whole lot to talk about with regard to the surgery. Not that this meant I should bring up is deceased mother, I just mean that my not remembering a whole conversation about the surgery is probably because we didn't go on and on about it.

When I woke from it I felt crappy like I did last time, and it was a little hard to breathe like last time, but not for as long as last time. Before going in the nurse anesthetist asked me about how it was last time and I told her about the sleep apnea sensation. She looked at my record and said "I see what med might have done that and I just won't give it to you this time".

There were loads of people in recovery and they were being circulated out frequently. I overheard the guy in the bed next to me talk about how he'd had a 12 hour surgery a few days before after getting his arm caught between to "rollers" for film? I have no idea, but that can't be good. Poor man.

For some reason, the nurses were told to have me "come out of it slowly", and as I prepared to leave the nurse with me said it was smart to let me wake slowly on my own. I'm not sure what that was about. Maybe they have the medicinal ability to bring me around quicker but didn't because I had such queasiness last time? Who knows.

What I do know it I am very unimpressed with the metal that came out. I mean, it's shiny and pretty, but it's so small! I can't believe such a tiny thing caused such trouble!

Now I am bandaged-up and will be able to remove that bandage in a few days, leaving me with sterile-strips along the suture line. It will be nice to put this chapter to a close!