Feelin’ the Love

from my cousin Vanessa

 It's almost a week post-op and I am finally up to writing and posting on the blog; I can focus a bit better and my eyes aren’t crossing when I try to read. Wow! Where should I start? There’s so much to catch up on. I'll have to catch up in a few posts

Before I went to the hospital I was already receiving so much encouragement. Calls, cards, emails, food and flowers all made me feel so loved and in such a positive mindset to go to the hospital. 

I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 am; pretty early for Bob and I, but no traffic to fight. Ross cancelled his morning appointments and got to the hospital to see me before the surgery. What a surprise to see Larry Craig there also to show his support to us all. Larry is one of the Elders in the NYC Church of Christ, Ross and our friend, and Ross' colleague. We knew that our good friends Tommy and Connie Beene would be there to stay with Bob while he was waiting. It was really comforting to know that they would be waiting with Bob to be a bit of a distraction for him. They are two of the most thoughtful, considerate people I know.

After saying goodbye to Bob & Ross the anesthesiologist and his assistant started hooking me up with IVs, arterial lines, and a catheter in my neck in case I needed to have a blood transfusion. That wasn't necessary, thank God! I really stayed pretty calm, but I'm thankful that they gave me something right away to relax me since I don't have a problem with all the needles, but when I started feeling them sew the catheter onto my neck all I could say was, "Wow that's intense!" In probably a very sleepy voice. At that point I think I would have become very anxious without the meds relaxing me...phew!

That is all I remember until much later that evening. So very, very thankful that you can't remember a single thing from the surgery. I don't remember them removing the catheter in my neck or the breathing tube and all of the other lines they had in me. Grateful that I couldn't feel or remember a single thing about part of my skull being removed and all the other procedures Dr. Tyagi and her assistants did during the surgery. I was left with only the IV line so that I could get fluids and my medications administered.

Bob and Ross tell me about a couple of funny things while I was waking up in recovery and how I was just mumbling and cross eyed, not being able to keep my eyes open. Bob says that I said, "I think I was just dead". I don't remember anything until I was in my room and then I remember saying, "Is this ICU?". They told me I'd be in ICU, but I guess my vitals were so good that they took me to the Neuro floor right away. 

I was so out of it, but in so much pain that they gave me a button that I could get a dose of morphine as needed. The pump has a safety that doesn't allow you to overdose. I was so groggy that I wasn't even aware enough to press the button.

They took me for an MRI sometime in the evening to see the change after the surgery. I had a hard time imagining that I could take all that loud sound of the MRI, but they said they'd give me something to relax and i just wanted to get it over with rather than waiting until the next day. Turns out I was so out of it that I slept through it all.

I will post some pictures of my incision and tell some specifics about what Dr. Tyagi had to say about my surgery in another post later or tomorrow.