After getting back to the surgery center, I had more shit to sign my name to. I was irritated because I had signed so much the day before, but it is what it is.
Basically the same thing happened after that. I changed into the surgery gear and got hooked up to an iv. This time another guy came out and attached silver-looking things to my legs because they were going to be testing my nerves (?) throughout the surgery.
What freaked me out was when I was told two different times that they’d have to wake me up to test things, like they did during my discogram. I wasn’t given this information before, and I wasn’t thrilled.
So, let’s see. They brought me to the surgery area and I got up on the table. After feeling little zaps on my legs, I was out of it for the most part. But there was one part I won’t forget: they were testing something and I was awake, and I could feel what they were doing to me – and it hurt like a son of a bitch. I remember saying STOP! STOP! and then STOP TOUCHING ME! And they did, and then I was back under. That was truly worse than the discogram. There are just no words to adequately describe what that felt like. The doctor told me the next day that they woke me up three times in all. Ew.
Next thing I know, I woke up slowly, drank juice and ate crackers, and left. Mark was still out getting me flowers and picking up my prescriptions, so they had to call him.
Speaking of scrips, they initially prescribed me amoxicillin, which I am allergic to. I’m not sure how this happened because I stated on all my forms that I can’t have it, and they asked me twice on Wednesday and once on Thursday what I was allergic to! The pharmacy flagged it, and I had to get something else prescribed. WTF.
The doctor kept saying how bad my back was for someone my age and even asked me how hard I work (ha!) because of the shape it’s in. He said he did the full discectomy at L3,L4, and at L5,S1 that he got most – but not all – of the herniation removed. Apparently it was trickier than he thought and there is still some of it left behind some bone. Ack. Regarding L4,L5, he said there wasn’t any disc left there naturally, and that it’s bone on bone. He believes in 10-15 years that it will fuse together on its own. It shouldn’t give me pain, just stiffness.
Two of my nurses were dating. I asked them about it on my last day, and they couldn’t believe I could tell. Ummm? They were very flirty but said they are trying to be discreet in front of the doctors. Ha. I told them they had good chemistry. I think they have cute flirty chemistry, but nothing longterm. Anyway.
We went straight to the hotel, and I napped for a couple of hours. I wasn’t feeling my best and couldn’t get comfortable easily. Then we watched Big Brother and went to bed.
And that’s that. The pain I felt during surgery still sticks with me. If I get better, then it’ll have been worth it.