January 17, 2013

Today was the day. I got my son Joel off to school and took my dog, Monkey to his nanny. I arrived at the surgery center starving hungry, since they wouldn't allow me so much as a sip of water past 7am this morning, or any food past 7 last night. My surgery was at 12:45, so I spent the morning listening to my stomach's demands, and it was painful. More pain than I am currently in, which at about 4 hours post op,  the numbing is almost wearing off, and I am starting to feel the tingly sensation of the numbing agent wearing off, as you do after dental work. When I first arrived they had me change into a gown and asked me a series of medical questions. Then the nurses realized I still had my toe nail polish on. Nobody had explained to me that this would need to be removed, so the nurse and I went at it and she followed by washing my feet in an anti-septic solution. The anesthesiologist talked to me and told me that he would be using a mild sedation and that the doctor would be using a local to numb my feet. I was unaware. I told him my concerns because I have had local's "wear off" and not work, and he agreed to put me under general anesthesia due to the complexity of my surgery and my history (while in labor I had two epidurals that did not work). The nurse started an IV and after I talked to my doctor, was wheeled into the operating room. After getting situated in the operating room, the anesthesiologist put a breathing mask on me, and the next thing I knew I was being awakened in the recovery room. 
To my delight, I did not have to be casted. I didn't even have a huge walking boot, only two walking shoes, which look ridiculousness, but I'll take all the smiles I can. After eating a huge sandwich, Chris drove me home and went to the drug store to get my prescriptions. I am expecting to get my wheel chair tomorrow, Chris has been piggy backing me around from the car and to the bathroom. 
As I am writing this, I am starting to experience the first little bit of pain in my heel on my right side and my outside edge of the left. I just took half a painkiller. Doc prescribed hydrocodon.