Hi Everyone!!!!!! I'm back!!!!! I'm in shock and still can't believe I did have the surgery and didn't chicken out. I owe this all to you. I have met sooo many friends on this forum. You all feel like family to me!
Well, it's now June 19 (11 days after my surgery) and I am finally able to sit and write a long response explaining my long and painful journey. I have to say that the hardest part of this journey was the pre-Op waiting stage from November 2009 to June 7, 2010. That was a very anxious time in my life. I was so nervous during these 7 months that I decided I needed to put this nervous energy into good use. So one day in November I decided I was going to do the treadmill 5 days a week and eat healthy and chart/measure my weight every day. I didn't put alot of pressure on myself. I started to watch Dr. Oz and picked up some great points from his show. I was going to use this time for myself to concentrate on myself (for the first time in a LONG time since I have young kids). I pretended I was going to treat this as being an athlete in a marathon (and for me this was a far-fetched goal). I needed 50 pounds to lose. I have a 2 year old and never really lost the baby weight.
Tracking my weight on an excel spreadsheet was the best thing I have ever done for myself. At first, I lost 3 pounds the 1st month, then lost 5 pounds the second month, then 7 pounds, etc. Every month I lost weight. This gave me alot of confidence and made me actually excited for the surgery! Mentally, the exersice was great for me and "pumped" me up for the surgery. So from November to July 7, I lost about 40 pounds and felt like I fine tuned athlete. I really don't think I would have ever been able to lose this weight if it wasn't for me making the decision to have the scoliosis surgery.
Ok, so the morning of my surgery, June 8th, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City at 6am and felt a sense of calm. I met Dr. Boachie in the pre-op area and he made me feel sooo calm. He has a way about him...he doesn't say too much but as soon as he gave me this comforting look I know I would be in great hands. From the day I met him I had so much confidence in him compared to any doctor I ever went to. Then the anesthesilogist came in and answered all my questions. I didn't end up needed a chest tube. Then they gave me the "happy Juice" and I was wheeled into the OR room. I said goodbye to my husband and told him to take care of my son and daughter.
I never counted backwards or anything. THen it felt like a minute later I woke up. I would say on a scale of 1 to 10 my pain was a 5 when I woke up from surgery. I spent the night in the PACU and was totally comfortable. I basically had no pain and kept telling everyone this!!! The next morning I was moved to my regular room. THis is where the pain began to intensify. I am going to cut alot of the details out here, but from June 11 to June 15 the pain was horrible!!!! On June 14 I started having muscle spasms which went up and down into the back part of the shoulder. I was literally screaming in the hospital. THe pain management dr came to see me to assess the pain. He gave me flexeril for the spasms but that didn't touch the pain. I was screaming so loudly that teams of doctors were running to see me as if it were a major emergency or something, Flexeral didn't touch the pain for spasms but the valium did. I have to say, the muscle spasm in the back of my left shoulder and the gas pains from constipation were the worst types of pain I experienced. I rarely had any back pain at all.
I ended up leaving the hospital on Wednesday, June 16. I couldn't wait to go home into my own bed!! I have to say, the first 3 days after the surgery I really regretted it, but on day 4 i measured to be 5 foot 6 inches (i was 5 feet 3 1/4. That makes me soooo happy and I was stand up so tall!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like a new person!!!!
I actually have to run as my doorbell just rang. I will type more tonight. I am soooo glad to be back! I have lots more questions for all of you!!!!
Joyful, Janet, JennyRN - i thought and prayed for you the entire time. Every day gets better and better!!
Thanks so much for everything. Debbe-thanks for posting on June 8th for me.
Talk soon.
JenM
Well, it's now June 19 (11 days after my surgery) and I am finally able to sit and write a long response explaining my long and painful journey. I have to say that the hardest part of this journey was the pre-Op waiting stage from November 2009 to June 7, 2010. That was a very anxious time in my life. I was so nervous during these 7 months that I decided I needed to put this nervous energy into good use. So one day in November I decided I was going to do the treadmill 5 days a week and eat healthy and chart/measure my weight every day. I didn't put alot of pressure on myself. I started to watch Dr. Oz and picked up some great points from his show. I was going to use this time for myself to concentrate on myself (for the first time in a LONG time since I have young kids). I pretended I was going to treat this as being an athlete in a marathon (and for me this was a far-fetched goal). I needed 50 pounds to lose. I have a 2 year old and never really lost the baby weight.
Tracking my weight on an excel spreadsheet was the best thing I have ever done for myself. At first, I lost 3 pounds the 1st month, then lost 5 pounds the second month, then 7 pounds, etc. Every month I lost weight. This gave me alot of confidence and made me actually excited for the surgery! Mentally, the exersice was great for me and "pumped" me up for the surgery. So from November to July 7, I lost about 40 pounds and felt like I fine tuned athlete. I really don't think I would have ever been able to lose this weight if it wasn't for me making the decision to have the scoliosis surgery.
Ok, so the morning of my surgery, June 8th, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City at 6am and felt a sense of calm. I met Dr. Boachie in the pre-op area and he made me feel sooo calm. He has a way about him...he doesn't say too much but as soon as he gave me this comforting look I know I would be in great hands. From the day I met him I had so much confidence in him compared to any doctor I ever went to. Then the anesthesilogist came in and answered all my questions. I didn't end up needed a chest tube. Then they gave me the "happy Juice" and I was wheeled into the OR room. I said goodbye to my husband and told him to take care of my son and daughter.
I never counted backwards or anything. THen it felt like a minute later I woke up. I would say on a scale of 1 to 10 my pain was a 5 when I woke up from surgery. I spent the night in the PACU and was totally comfortable. I basically had no pain and kept telling everyone this!!! The next morning I was moved to my regular room. THis is where the pain began to intensify. I am going to cut alot of the details out here, but from June 11 to June 15 the pain was horrible!!!! On June 14 I started having muscle spasms which went up and down into the back part of the shoulder. I was literally screaming in the hospital. THe pain management dr came to see me to assess the pain. He gave me flexeril for the spasms but that didn't touch the pain. I was screaming so loudly that teams of doctors were running to see me as if it were a major emergency or something, Flexeral didn't touch the pain for spasms but the valium did. I have to say, the muscle spasm in the back of my left shoulder and the gas pains from constipation were the worst types of pain I experienced. I rarely had any back pain at all.
I ended up leaving the hospital on Wednesday, June 16. I couldn't wait to go home into my own bed!! I have to say, the first 3 days after the surgery I really regretted it, but on day 4 i measured to be 5 foot 6 inches (i was 5 feet 3 1/4. That makes me soooo happy and I was stand up so tall!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like a new person!!!!
I actually have to run as my doorbell just rang. I will type more tonight. I am soooo glad to be back! I have lots more questions for all of you!!!!
Joyful, Janet, JennyRN - i thought and prayed for you the entire time. Every day gets better and better!!
Thanks so much for everything. Debbe-thanks for posting on June 8th for me.
Talk soon.
JenM
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