I Survived!

Monday, July 13, was my first leg surgery. It was actually two veins in my right leg that needed to be taken care of. So, my mom arrived at 8:30 am and Shawn took me to the Surgical Center to prep for surgery. I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight, and the boys had kept us both up the entire night before. So, we were exhausted! But, I figured I'd be sleeping a better part of the day anyway. They called me back shortly after 9 am, and once again I was a pin cushion as they tried to look for my "deep veins." They finally found a good spot in my arm, and I was thankful! The doctor was running a little late, but I finally was taken back for surgery close to 10:30 am. They started me out on my belly and told me that I wouldn't be completely out for the surgery. However, at the first stab (I later found out that they put holes the entire way up my leg as they shot a numbing agent in with a needle), I felt the pain immediately. The anethstesiologist asked me if I was surprised and I said "No, it's not out of shock that I'm wincing, it HURTS!!!" Almost immediately I was put all but completely out. I remember them waking me to roll me over and they were putting that stuff on your legs that preps them for surgery. I smiled and said "instant tan" and everyone laughed. The next thing I remember is waking up in recovery with my compression stocking already on. They gave me two good doses of pain medication through my IV that felt wonderful, some Lornadoones and some diet gingerale and sent us on our way.

My leg still looks bad, though, and at my recent ultrasound the gal explained that I was in too much pain for them to keep going. They treated the main two veins they were in there for, but the one that looks really bad he wasn't able to get this time because I wasn't tolerating it. I was confused and hope to talk to the doctor about it - why didn't they put me out, I wonder? But, the two spots where he tried to get into that vein have puffed up like a baseball and are black (more than blue) and feel awful. So, maybe he was wise... but since Shawn already had off work and I already had babysitters, etc I wish they would have just done it all. The ultrasound tech assured me that I didn't say anything inappropriate when I was half-incoherent and in pain...haaaa!!!

When we got home after the surgery, I went right to bed and slept until 5:30 pm at which time I got up to go to the bathroom. Joshua said "Mommy has an ouchy and tried to kiss it. Then we noticed that I was bleeding like a fire hydrant - blood shooting out everywhere, all over our carpet!!! I cried over the carpet, and I called the doctor's office. The on-call doctor (not the one who did the surgery) said that I needed to immediately have Shawn run and buy some gauze and tape and in the meantime hold a towel with pressure over it. If it didn't stop bleeding in ten minutes, I was to go to the emergency room. But, he assumed it would stop and said "it's normal" to bleed "somewhat." We did get it under control, but my stocking was soaked with blood and disgusting and he told me to leave it on and wrap the gauze on top of it.

In the morning, then, I called in to hopefully speak with my actual surgeon because the gauze became bloody overnight. His nurse told me to take the stocking off to see what the wounds looked like underneath. There are only four incisions, which include the two at the top of my leg where he couldn't do the one vein. The two at the bottom were the heavy bleeders. Plus, I have small dots the whole way up where they numbed me with a needle. Anyway, I couldn't believe how small they are compared to the amount of blood that had come out! Then she told me to put the stocking back on. My mom had already started rinsing it out, and the doctor had ordered a higher compression anyway, so we tried putting the new one on. Only we couldn't. It was trying to get something the size of a gi-normously swollen leg into something that looked like it was meant as a pencil holder. We couldn't even get my toes in. Frustrated, I called the nurse back. She told me I couldn't walk without compression and I MUST get this back on. I told her that I couldn't - what did she want me to do? The conversation continued like this for awhile. I was feeling aggravated (an understatement!). Finally, I called Shawn bawling and asked him to come home and see if his muscles would do the trick. It took all three of us to get this thing on and I didn't take it off until I went for my ultrasound, where I slid it to my ankle and worked it back up afteward.

To shower before my appointment, Mom came over and wrapped my leg in a large trash bag with duct tape around it, and I stood outside our master bathroom shower and washed my hair and then 'sponge-bathed' the rest. Last night I took off my stocking overnight and showered this morning. But, I was pretty sore so I put it right back on.

They told me to stop taking any pain medication since I'm having surgery again next week...I guess things like Advil can increase your chance of bleeding and complications. I could have cried when they told me that. I haven't driven since my surgery because I don't know that I could stop quickly with my swollen, sore right leg.

But, even though I'm sore and achy, cold and numb in areas, I'm alive. And I'm praying my legs look and feel better eventually!!! Please pray for my next surgery that it goes better than the first and that my first leg would heal without an additional surgery needed!

A special thanks to...
My husband, for taking off work to be with me and putting up with my whining when I'm sore. He also comes home from after working all day and takes care of the kids and tells me to rest. He's amazing.

My mom, who watched the kids the day of my surgery, picked up my compression stocking prescription and advil the following day, rescued me on Wednesday when I called her for help with the boys - she took us all back to her house and let me nap while she played with the kids, she took me to my ultrasound on Thursday and watched the kids while I showered, etc. She'll also be here for my left leg surgery and can't imagine what I would do if I didn't have her help.

Nonie, who picked up both boys on Tuesday and watched them for the day so I could rest. It was a huge help!

My sister Jen who made us a delicious meal of mini-cheddar meatloaves and watched Joshua while I had my follow-up ultrasound, which allowed mom to focus on one roaming boy while I was being checked.
And lastly my two amazing little boys who have had to put up with their mommy moving slower than usual and not taking them outside as much (since I'm not supposed to get the leg too hot, etc). They have been sooo good through this entire ordeal.