Day of Surgery

Real nervous right now. We're waiting for my Doctor to arrive. The anesthesiologist is real inpatient and is eager to get started. I've already talked to my doctors PA.

My doctor finally arrives, 20 minutes late. Anesthesiologist pops in a minute later, gives me a shot in the IV to make me drowsy. I kiss my wife and they start to wheel me out, next thing I remember is I'm in the PACU and I have lots of pain. My wife tells me later that surgery last 4 1/2 hours and I was in the PACU for two hours. They headed my advice and brought me out of the anesthesia real slow. It didn't seem like a very long time once I woke up before they wheeled me to my room where my loving wife's concerned look greeted me. I sure am lucky to have married her. She is and always will be the light of my life.

Didn't get to see the doctor for the rest of the day, but my wife talked to him after the surgery. He ended up doing two levels instead of just one. L4/L5 just wasn't stable enough to take over for L5/S1. He also performed a Hemi Laminectomy and Foramintomy at L3 but other than that, L3/L4 has the right stuff but I'm gonna have to work hard to help it out.

Got a Fentanyl epidural with button to bump delivery every 10 minutes. Like an idiot, been hitting the button every 15 minutes all day. Pain hasn't been real bad today, mostly at a 4 (with spikes to 6 or 7). I've been nodding off all afternoon while my poor wife has been sitting there straining her neck to see the TV. There is nothing worse in the world then sitting / laying in a hospital room watching the time pass by.

My wife went home at 8pm when visiting hours were over. I finally took an extended nap for 45 minutes at 9pm. Here is why I am an idiot, no button pushes during nap resulted in increased amount of pain. It took an hour to get everything under control again pushing the button every 10 minutes. To top everything off, I now have my worst migraine of the year and I'm unable to take aspirin for it. Around 1 am the pharmacy sent some tylenol up but it's to late now, this ones here for the duration. My nurse convinces the pharmacy around 6:00 am in the morning to order some Fiorcet for the migraine. After 4 hours of waiting, Fiorecet arrives at 10 am. I really hate the pharmacy now.