Home Already

Right before I was wheeled back into the operating room, my plastic surgeon asked, "Hey, do you want to go ahead and do the right breast lift today?"  Originally we had planned on waiting a few months before doing a breast lift on the other side.  But I'm tired of being unsymmetrical so I said, "Um.... sure?"  

When I woke up in recovery, I had two new breasts, a giant scar across my abdomen, and four surgical drains.  I've had a lot of surgeries and I always play a little game in recovery.  There are patients moaning and wailing and talking nonsense, so I always try to be the toughest, most coherent patient.  I try to convince the nurses that I'm totally cool and that I took it like a champ.  (I'm groggy from the anesthesia, so for all I know I cry like a baby and just don't remember.)

I finally made it to my ICU room at 7pm, where Jeff was waiting for me.  He had hung the girls' art in my room, and Julia had snuck my Mommy Moondragon Lego figure into my hospital bag.  

It's important that I stay bent at a 30-45 degree angle while my abdomen heals, so the nurses got me into the right position in my hospital bed.  I was sleepy, so Jeff didn't stay very long.  My eyes were blurry from the ointment they used during surgery, so it was hard to see.  The nurses woke me up every 30 minutes to shove a Doppler wand into an open wound on my left breast so that they could hear the blood vessels working.  (Thank God I couldn't see clearly!)  At 5am, the nurse made me stand up and walk around the room and move to a recliner chair.  She rewarded me with applesauce and my first glass of water.  

At 7am, my surgeons came to check on me.  The Houston surgeon suggested I go home that day, after only one night in the hospital.  I was shocked because I'd been told 3-5 days.  I asked him if he was sure and he replied, "Do you really want to stay here with all of the COVID patients down the hall?"  Well, when you put it that way, get me the heck out of here!  All of my nurses had treated COVID patients during other shifts, and they made it sound pretty grim.  They want you to wear masks and social distance!!!  

Anyway, I took a couple old-granny walks down the hall with my walker, and I was home by 3pm.  I'm all settled into my medical lift recliner.  The girls and my mom made cupcakes.  Jeff is building a massive spreadsheet timetable with my dozen medications.  It's nice to be home.  Thanks for all the good wishes everyone!