May 15, 2007

• So yesterday was the big day - time for me to put this silly broken bone in it's place [with the help of a doctor, some drugs and a few pieces of metal].  In true xangan form, I chronicled the day in pictures....

  Don't worry - nothing gross or disgusting here - just a little scary me without makeup! 

  My sweet dad took a vacation day at work so that he could take me in and take care of me for the day...when we got to the surgery center, I pulled out my camera and told him that he was in charge of pictures for the day.  At first he laughed at me, then realized that I was serious and proceeded to snap away - shaking his head the whole time at the strange ways of the blogging crowd...

  This would be the very first shot of the day - pre-operation as you can tell from the smile on my face...
  

  
  
  I proceeded from check in/registration to the little changing room where I was given my standard issue gown with ties in the back, booties for my feet and cap for my head...in true murphy's form, my gown did not have a SINGLE tie on the back.  Which meant that in order to not expose myself, I had to wrap that sucker around me as tight as I could.  Thank heavens they are made to cover people much larger than myself, so there was plenty of fabric to wrap...

  From there I was taken to my bed, hooked up to IV's and the oxygen, and they slapped a cool sticky thermometer strip on my forehead.  The [very cute] male nurse was giving me crap about how silly they look  - I just told him he was jealous cause all the cool kids were wearing them.  Notice that I am still smiling in this one.... who said you can't have fun while getting ready for surgery?
  

  

  

  I had to laugh because the very last thing he did before leaving and the anesthesiologist coming in [who was also easy on the eyes - must have been hotty day at the surgery center] was to write YES on the foot that they were operating on - I had actually thought of doing that myself, after hearing horror stories of operations done on the wrong limb...I had decided against doing it myself for fear that they would think I was being condescending or something - but I must admit I was relieved that they were marking the correct foot!

  
  
  I lost consciousness pretty soon after this - the [hot] anesthesiologist gave me a shot in the back of my knee to numb me from the knee down - kinda like an epidural for your knee/leg.    I am SUPER grateful that it has worked as well as it has - believe me - I am still kind of numb, and I know that is helping the pain factor.  After the shot I was wheeled into the operating room and don't remember a thing after that until I was waking up after surgery.  I was surprised that there was no warning before they knocked me out - rather stealthy and ninja like really...

  This being the fourth time I have been under general anesthesia, I had still managed to forget how extremely emotional I get when waking up...Dad walked in and snapped a picture of me in the height of my pitiful-ness...such a sad face that it makes me totally laugh now....

  

  [Hey - you would be crying too if you just had your foot sliced open and four pieces of metal inserted before being sewed back up!!]  Right after dad took this shot he did come and hug me .  And then the nurse came in and gave me a double dose of Demerol - so I was pretty 'floaty' [for lack of a better word].  Much better.

  Eventually I was recovered enough to get dressed and to wheel out to the car [recognize those pants A? you were right] ...different nurse now, but she was super sweet - everyone was so nice [or maybe it was just the drugs?!?].

  

  When we got home, mom and the kids had made me a get well banner - so sweet - this picture doesn't do it justice really...in case you can't tell - the G is a [backwards] roll of scotch tape - the E is lightening bolts, the T is made of two pencils, the W is a link chain of some kind, the E is an elephant, and the L's are made from ladders and bobby pins...my name being entirely spelled out in heart letters...

  

  
  I pretty much spent the rest of the day in bed [and today as well] - my sweet siblings pooled their very own money and bought me a get well balloon, a fabulously cheesy bed tray with dinosaurs on it, and [drum roll please] the first four Harry Potter movies on DVD.  I know that they maybe had an ulterior motive with the movies , but that does not negate the fact that they were thinking of me and chose to spend their money to bless their big sister.  They are pretty awesome really.

  My sister Hannah brought baby Hadassah over in the evening so that we could sleep/recuperate together.
  This is what the rest of the evening looked like for me...

  
  

  Even though I have done this entire post from my laptop IN BED, I am exhausted - off to sleep some more.

  More later...

  • 2:27 pm
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