Day of Surgery

I added this post to tell a little about my day of surgery.

My surgery was at 1:00 and I had to arrive at Heartland at 11:00 a.m. I couldn't eat/drink 8 hours prior to surgery. We arrive at the Hospital and register. Chris and I take a seat and the waiting room is full of people. I spotted another couple that the girl had similar clothing to mine, I wondered if she was another Tarlov cyst patient. Finally after about 20-30 min. they called my name and took me up to a pre-op room while Chris waited in the waiting room. I was to see him one more time before surgery.

I got up to my pre-op room and changed into my gown and waited nervously. The nurses were so nice, I filled out paperwork, answered health questions , got my i.v. inserted, took some meds and talked to anethesia. I remember two different anethesia nurses (one male, one female) coming to talk to me. I told the female anethesia nurse how nervous I was, because I have never had surgery, or anethsia. She said they would give me something to help calm my nerves. Dr. Fiegenbaum and Debbie West showed up about 20 min. prior to surgery and Dr. Fiegenbaum came into my pre-op room and talked to me and made a mark on my back, where he was going to enter. I didn't see them again until post-op. The male anetheisa nurse came and explained how I was to have monitors on me at all time and where they would be placed on my body. Also I was explained that there would be someone in the operating room monitoring my anetheisa and someone monitoring my nerves. Chris came up to my room and said his good-bye to me and the next thing I remember was being wheeled away on my bed. I vaguely remember going in an elevator to the operating room, but I must have been getting some pre-anethesia, because I don't remember much. I remember being in the operating room and looking up and seeing those huge lamps looking down on me. That's all I remember. I was told the operation took 2 1/2 hours and I was in recovery for 1 hour. When I woke up, apparently I asked the nurse some silly questions. I remember being extremely tired. Chris came into my room. I pretty much was in and out of sleep until Sat. morning. I noticed my TED hose had blood on them, both legs, I thought this was odd, but found out that is where they were monitoring nerves, I guess I had some needles in my legs at some point.