The day of the surgery...
So this is gonna be a long post. Sorry. I figure the best way to do this is to record all the little details and stuff, so that anyone reading this will get a detailed idea of the BR process. Also, so i can remember what happened! hehe.
Monday the 28th November 2005 I headed up to Epsom, Auckland with my Dad and Hamish, mum followed in her car. I had to report to Gillies Hospital at 12pm so we arrived around 11.45am. The 20/20 tv crew also arrived and filmed us walking through the hospital doors and checking in (they are doing a follow up story). I then was examined by a nurse who weighed me (for anaesthesia calculation), checked my blood pressure, gave me 2 panadol as preliminary pain relief and measured my legs for anti embolism stockings. I then got my overnight gear in from the car, and got settled into my room (room number 1 mwahah). Then changed into hospital dress /clothing thingees and put on stockings (which are a funky white and go right up to the top of your leg! and they have no toe cover). Spent last time with mum, dad and hamish before the Anaesthetist (Grant Waters, who was fabulous) came in and explained the process. Anaesthetist technician then came in and double checked what i'd eaten that day etc (not much hehe... no food after 6am). I do remember the Anaesthetist technician had a neat head band thingee, it had colourful characters on it, like frogs or something. Those of you who have seen my frog skirt will know what im on about. Surgeon Stephen Mills then came in to draw lines on me, 20/20 filmed from over the shoulder. The lines marked out what tissue was to be taken out, the new position of the nipple, and where the anchor scars would be. Just so you know, it was a permanent blue marker (I guess itd be no good if it rubbed off and then the surgeon just had to follow his nose!). When I was finished being drawn on, mum had a panic attack as I had a line drawn up near my neck and down the centre of my chest (which unbeknownst to her was to gauge the other lines by) as she thought my whole body was being cut up! But no, thankfully I dont have boobs on my neck so that wasnt necessary.
I then said last goodbyes to everyone and was wheeled off on my bed down to theatre. In the waiting area outside theatre. The Anaesthetist gave me a local anaesthethic before putting in an IV lure (man it was LONG). Then I got some kind of numbing stuff (prelim to full anaesthetic). When I was given this prelim injection, I was told I could 'say anything I like and probably not remember afterwards'. So, feeling rather good, I decided to repeat this to Lisa Glass, who I remember seeing standing outside the waiting area dressed in robes with a pink hat. And camera man Dan in blue. Then discussed what tape would be used on the lure and also on the wounds after surgery, as I seem to be allergic to some types of tape. Have been allergic to Micropore tape in the past so went for another spongy type tape with a different adhesive. Seemed to work well but was very sticky and took me ages later to get the glue off!
Anyway, I vaguely remember being wheeled into theatre, feeling rather intoxicated and happy at this point. I remember there being lots of nurses / observers in the theatre, I had no idea who they all were though. As I got into theatre, I was helped onto the 'table'. I guess thats the only reason i was still awake at this point, to get from the bed to the operating table. The theatre was quite big, with a wheely table next to the table with instruments etc, and I remember the lights above the table also. Next thing I remember, I was told I was getting an antibiotic via IV, and I dont remember anything after that (thats right, I dont even remember the ultimate anaesthetic injection). So thats it really, all I had to do was be good and lie still!
Woke up in recovery after almost 4 hours of surgery (it was previously estimated to be 2.5 - 3 hours). The first thing I noticed was someone holding my hand, which turned out to be my mum. Then I started feeling slightly uncomfortable, and was given morphine, which made me feel slightly sick. I was very sleepy, and my eyes seemed to shut by themselves. At some point I was given a Tramadol injection which immediately made me feel sick and I managed to say "I feel sick" and sit up just as the nurse managed to push a bowl in front of me, and unfortunately I threw up. But, I felt a lot better afterwards... Anyway, I felt slightly nauseous for a while after that but didnt throw up again. I remember both Stephen Mills and the anaesthetist coming into recovery to check on me, and I remember rambling thankyous about a million times. I did mean it, but it must have sounded retarded. The first thing I asked Stephen was "how much did you take off?" I cant remember the exact amount, but from the left side was about 750 grams, and around 950 grams on the right. Will find out exact amount later. I think to satisfy insurance requirements you need to have about 450 grams taken off. Wish I was insured! I must have gone back to sleep in recovery, and the next thing I knew I was back in my room. I slept most of the afternoon as I felt really tired, must have come out of theatre around 5pm ish. Mum, dad and hamish came in to visit and left around 10pm when security kicked them out. Best thing of all was when I got a lemonade ice block to eat :) I wasnt really hungry, but was very thirsty and the nice cold iceblock was perfect.
I wasnt very aware of my boobs, although the difference in my breathing and the weight gone off my shoulders and neck was noticeable immediately. One thing I wasnt expecting was to have such a difference in breathing! It is so much easier now!
I had a long night with a blood pressure pump on my arm automatically taking readings regularly, and also an IV drip, and pulse or heart rate thingee on my finger. I had a drain in each side to release fluids etc, but not much came out of them at all. The nurses were fabulous, it must be hard to understand someone who's talking in whispers and rambles, and coping with my incessant demands for sips of water. I tried getting up to go to the bathroom during the night but almost fainted, so gave up. Got through the night with quite a bit of sleep, but did wake up every time by blood pressure was taken, and the nurse would wake me up every few hours for pain killers etc. The IV lure started getting VERY painful when things were put through it, I got sharp pains all the way up my arm and into my shoulder. It made me cry at one point and so I ended up begging for no more IV fluids. The nurse promised I would only have to have one more IV antibiotic and then I would be able to have oral ones in the morning. The IV hurt more than the surgery, which certainly isnt painful at all. Apparently thats because breast tissue is mostly fat (you get pain when youre dealing with muscle).
Anyway, that was my day of surgery. That was a lot of reading hey?
posted by nelle @ 7:31 PM
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