Hey! It's been a while since I last blogged, but I thought I would write about my surgery and try to remember as much as possible in case any other unfortunate adult has to get them out. Let's start with why I needed the surgery. Well in 2005 I went to Korea to teach English and had my first bought of Tonsilltis. It was terrible, I couldn't talk or breathe. I guess after you get a really bad bout of it your tonsils make these really deep valleys and things (I'll spare you the detail) accumulate in them and they remain infected. I was asked by my doctor 2 years ago to get them out and said No, and then this summer I was asked again and I said yes. Everytime I get sick it's with my throat and my old tonsils always were infected. (I will spare you more details). So I met my ENT in September and the surgery was booked for April 21st. Well April 21st was over a week ago (I can't believe it!). It was something that needed to get done, but man oh man was I not prepared for the recovery period. I know what you're thinking, thousands of kids get this surgery done and they're fine, it's totally different with adults! So let's go back to two Wednesdays ago, the night before my surgery. Jordan, Jacob and I went to Cheryl's for supper, we happy yummy taco salad and yummy desert. It's the last truly solid food I've eaten for 9 days now. (Yes I can no longer fit in my jeans, but just wait until I can eat again, I will fit right back into them lol). We had a wonderful evening of distractions such as Scentsy parties, Walking our pups off leash, and Jordan played x-box with her boys. It was a great evening. Although I was still so nervous. What if something happens in the surgery, what if I don't make it? Do I need to make a will? I can't leave Jacob behind etc. Although I did manage to sleep before my alarm went off on Thursday at 5:00 AM. We left for the hospital around 5:30 and we checked in and I changed into my nice "Prison" clothes complete with booties. I was getting really nervous. My Mom came and was going to stay until I was out of surgery and then go look after Jacob as I wouldn't be getting home until 2 or 3. So there I am waiting... I can't handle waiting, although I was pretty calm, it was all the prayers. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! Finally I was walked to the operation waiting area and Jordan and I waited. Then another guy around 30 came in and he was getting the same surgery as me right after me. Anyways long story short, my surgery ended being really late and the guy and I were just chatting about our tonsil horror stories. Then I went to the bathroom one more time and was whisked off to the surgery room. I gave my hubby a kiss and a nurse grabbed two heated blankets and I was off. Seriously, our hospitals are not as glamorous or are the doctors as good looking as they are on Greys... True disappointment. (Oh yah the surgery nurse and anesthesiologist all came to meet with me before this). I asked for nausea medicine as I imagine barfing with a purely raw throat would be no fun. So I lay down on the bed and all I notice are all the people in the room, there were a lot and the BIG light above my head. Then they hooked up my IV and I started to cry, tears down my face, and they told the surgeon that I was just scared, then they put the mask on my face told me I will be out in 2 minutes and that's all I remember. Wow, what an incredible thing it is to be put out and not remember a thing! Still super scary!!!
So I wake up... I woke up in the surgery recovery room where there are lots of other people waking up. Now I know the last time I was put out I woke up crying, I don't know what about, but I was crying. Same with this time. I wake up, not fully aware of where I am or what just happened and I'm crying. The LOVELY *said with heavy sarcasm* nurses told me to stop crying already, and were like"Good Grief" to me. They were not nice. Anyways, I started coming to and was so dizzy I can still feel it now. Anyways then they wheeled me back to the day surgery recovery ward in the newest tower of the Foothills and I'm recovering. I am still so dizzy at this point I can barely stand it. Then the nicest nurse came and gave me an ice pack for my neck and a melted popsicle to try to eat and a glass of cold water. Then I told her that I have family outside and she went and got Jordan. Then I was laying and feeling like CRAP and they asked about my pain and they gave me extra meds...
Around 2 Jordan wheeled me out to the car and we were on our way home. I was so happy to be home, but also so out of sorts, all I could do was make laps around our island and try to sort all of what happened out. I put on lots of ice, drank as much water as I could and started taking my T3's.
Now the highlights. So... On day 3 I barged up my T3's twice. Let me just say it's much more traumatic with a raw throat. Verdict. Regular Tylenol just to take the edge off. So I haven't had any pain relief for about a week, so it goes I've heard with this surgery. Friday-Sun Jordan and my Mom took turns looking after me, and lucky for me my Mom doesn't sleep much so we watched lots of HGTV all through the night waiting for moments for me to get some rest. I slept on our lazyboy. On Tuesday the pain got a lot worse. I guess as the scabs heal it causes ear pain as the tonsil beds are very close to the ears, and I must say that seems to hurt more than the throat itself. It was like 1000 needles jabbing into my ear drum. Not fun! So I had to heat up a magic bag and put it on my ears.
Anyways nothing else during this time is much to mention. I was distracting myself a lot, getting some sleep, in between my tylenol every 4 hours, and playing lots of games on Facebook.
I have been sleeping in my bed for the last few days and it's made quite a difference. We have the humidity set at 60 in our room and it helps although I wake up to take my meds and it hurts really bad and I need about 30 minutes for the pins in my ears to stop.
Now I'm on day 8 and I'm hearing the scabs should be falling off soon. Apparently it's a weird happening, but the pain goes away once they're gone! So here's hoping I'm better by Monday, which would be day 10. I also see my doctor on day 10.
Two things I learned: The pain is worse than I could have imagined, and would not wish this on my worst enemy. 2nd. Love and support from family and friends (especially those sleepless nights with Mom & Jordan helping me) mean the world to me and I couldn't have done this alone.
Thank you for all your prayers and support, keep them up as I'm not out of the words yet! :)
