It was Wednesday August 25th, and I was having a shunt put in my head to drain the excess brain fluid to reduce the pressure on my brain. My surgery was at 3:00pm and I couldn't eat or drink since midnight Wednesday morning. The doctors actually took me back early, so I went back for surgery around 2:45pm and I was out in recovery by 4:30pm. So this surgery wasn't near as long! Suzie, one of my physical therapists was a trainee, and she was able to watch my surgery. I know this probably isn't what it was like, but I picture the observation deck on Grey's Anatomy. That all these people are watching me get my head cut open! This thought makes me chuckle and cringe at the same time!Anyways after my surgery I got to see John and my mom for a short period of time in the recovery area. The nurse made me eat a pudding cup before she would let me go to my room. I ate the pudding cup with no problem and shortly they wheeled me into my new room. I was back one the first floor which is the brain and heart floor. I got to my new room and no one was there. It was about a half hour later before John, Michial, mom, dad, grandma and aunt Annette came back into the room. I guess they had gone to eat in the cafeteria. I was like, you didn't bring me any??? I had been looking forward to dinner all day! Not only had I not ate all day, but it was Chinese day at the hospital, and I love Chinese! Every week the hospital had certain days that they had chefs come in from a restaurant and cook some of their food, and Wednesday's they had someone from Bo Ling's. We called the nurse in, and I was able to order my dinner!
Later that evening everyone had went home except my mom. John and Michial went home, and grandma went with them, dad went home, and Aunt Annette drove back to Wamego. That night I got ready for bed and brushed my teeth. When I went to get into bed I had some major abdominal pain where my incision was. I guess I should explain the shunt has a small tube that drains into my abdomen. So the doctors had to make two small incisions in my abdomen to insert the drain tube. The nurse gave me some pain killers and I was able to sleep peacefully that night!
On Thursday my physical therapists came to see me. They said they could notice the difference already and I was starting to get my balance back! That night I was able to sleep with no pain medication, and I had no headaches! Dr. Camarata had said if I had no other problems I should be able to go home Friday, so being able to sleep was great!
Friday morning I woke up and I had another problem. I had a black spot that I was seeing in my eye. Dr. Lyon my eye doctor was not going to be in that day, but I was going to see his associate. I was still going to be released that day, but I had to wait for the eye doctor to come look at my eye. She finally came around 6pm that night. I had what they called a "floater" in my eye, and it was from all of the pressure I had in my head. They didn't know how long it would take for it to go away or if it would even go away at all. I was to follow up with Dr. Lyon at his office in a couple of weeks. I had had a CT scan earlier in the day, and the results of that came back and they looked great, the fluid was draining wonderfully!
I had to sign a bunch of papers so I could check-out of the hospital. I was going to start in-home therapy the next day and then three times a week at my moms house. On Monday I was going to have to make a bunch of doctors appointments, but this weekend I was going to spend at home with my family! I had been in the hospital for nearly a month and I hadn't been able to see my two dogs for that whole time and I was sure they missed me like crazy!
When we got home I sat down in our LazyBoy chair and John let the dogs out of the basement, where we keep them, and they lavished me with doggie kisses! It was so great to be home with my family and I was going to enjoy sleeping in my own bed that night!
I had much recovery yet to come, but I was finally home with my family! Recovery was just around the corner!
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