Surgery Day

It has now been exactly a week after I've had my surgery.  I was feeling pretty loopy all week and now I'm able to sit down and write this.  

June 13 came around the corner very fast! A lot has happened over the past couple of weeks.  Peter and I went out of town to visit my family, then camping, and then he moved in with me!  For those who don’t know me, or haven’t met this boy, I’m in LOVE! I had a hotel booked in Baltimore for the night before the surgery.  My parents came up to stay for a few days.  Sunday morning, mom, dad, Peter and I packed our bags, loaded up the car and headed to Baltimore. We decided to spend our Sunday shopping, going to a brewery, and exploring the inner harbor in Baltimore.  I truly had a lot of fun and this was a great way to spend my last day using both hearing aids.

We woke up the next morning, got ready and checked out of the hotel. We arrived at the hospital just before 7:30am since the surgery was scheduled for 9:30am.  Marla, my interpreter/coworker/work-mom, was waiting for us in the lobby.  She volunteered her time to be my interpreter for the day.  When I went to check in, it turns out my surgery was postponed to 2pm! We were all thrown off! This meant we had to wait 5 hours before I could get admitted. My parents, Marla and Peter were feeling bad for me because I’m not allowed to eat or drink anything prior to the surgery. I felt bad for them having to wait 5 hours! But, everything worked out.  We all kept each other busy.  While we were waiting, we learned that Marla couldn’t interpret for me because she wasn’t on Johns Hopkins’ staff. Apparently, Johns Hopkins screens and hires all their  interpreters.  Now I was feeling bad that Marla drove all this way and she couldn’t even interpret.

12:30pm rolled around and my name was called.  Mom and I walked to the registration desk. They had an interpreter waiting for me. THANK GOODNESS! I was a little worried as they were telling me I would have to write back and forth with a paper and pencil. I wasn’t all about that! We completed the paperwork required for registration and I was taken in for prep.  I had to change out of my clothes into the hospital gown.  They hooked me up to the IV and double checked my paperwork.  A nurse marked my right ear since this was the ear that was getting implanted. Everyone kept coming in and asking me what my name and birthday was, the reason why I was there, etc. My poor mother was an emotional mess!  She was in tears and worrying about everything.  I had to comfort her. The anesthesiologist came in and discussed the anesthesia I would be using during surgery.  All of this took about two hours, and Peter got to wait with me all this time.  Mom, dad and Marla took turns coming in.  There was no way I was letting that boy go anywhere. The interpreter that I had left at exactly 2:00pm, but my surgery was postponed another half hour due to a prior surgery being delayed. Dr. Della Santina finally came in, and Marla got excited as she got to have an opportunity to interpret! Dr. Della Santina and I discussed the procedure to make sure the cochlear implant equipment was exactly what I ordered, that the right ear was getting implanted, etc. I had the opportunity to take a picture with him!  I was really excited about this.  

We waited a couple more minutes and the OR nurse finally came in to get me. I gave Peter my left hearing aid and a big hug.  I walked into the OR with the nurse in complete silence.  It was weird. I was overwhelmed with the operating room. There were so many people: Dr. Della Santina, the OR nurse, another nurse,  the anesthesiologist, an intern, and like 5 other people.  I was informed to lay down on the operating table.  I was so nervous!  I was choking up and trying to hold my tears. (I can’t even hold my tears in as I type this!) I was getting really scared. I kept thinking to myself that everything was going to be okay! I had to distract myself, so as I was being hooked up to the heart machine, I saw Dr. Della Santina was looking at me.  I decided to ask him a question, “How many cochlear implant surgeries have you done?” He scratched his chin and thought for a few seconds, pulled down his mask so I could read his lips, and said “I don’t know…probably over two hundred?” He continued to scratch his face and think. Basically the man has done a lot of implants! I wanted to ask him something else, but I got distracted by the OR nurse telling me that I was going to feel sleepy.

Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the recovery room. It was almost 6:00pm. I don’t know why, but everytime I wake up from anesthesia, I’m crying. There were two nurses near me, one was typing on the computer and another was filling out paper.  I slowly started falling back asleep, then waking up coughing. I had a breathing tube down my throat during the procedure. I drank up all the water that was in front of me and the nurse gave me graham crackers.  I don’t remember eating them all but apparently I ate them all fast.  I turned my head around and felt that there was something around my head.  I was wearing an ear guard to keep the ear safe.  I got out of bed with help from both nurses, and  into a chair.  Mom and Peter came in, and I got to put my hearing aid back in my left ear.  I was in and out with everything. There was a new interpreter sitting in front of me.  The nurse explained to us what needs to be done from this point on.  The nurse was explaining how I can’t lean over for a few days, pick anything up that’s over 10 pounds, or do strenuous activities.  Peter got my attention and said I have to rely on him.  The nurses added, “For ONE year! No dishes, no laundry, no cleaning for you!” I think Peter was about to get second thoughts here! I laughed.  I tried so hard to stay awake and listen to the nurse.  When we were done, I changed into my clothes and sat in a wheelchair.  I was wheeled out of the recovery room onto an elevator. How nauseating was this?! Ugh! I hated the elevator.  I felt so sick.  I was wheeled out of the outpatient center to the car where dad, mom and Marla were waiting. I climbed into the backseat and laid down on Peter’s lap while mom and dad were in the front seat.  I slept most of the way and eventually woke up as we were driving into Virginia.

We arrived home around 9pm.  I had to walk up to the second floor of my apartment, but I don’t really remember much of the walking.  I laid on the couch and begged for some chicken noodle soup and crackers. Mom gave me some crackers and I started eating a bunch of them. The soup was ready and I downed the soup.  I was starting to be fully awake, but dang, that headache was killing me. I knew I wasn’t feeling good.  I was rubbing my forehead and as I sat up, I threw up immediately into a bowl. I think I must have eaten those crackers and soup too fast!

I was ready to go back to sleep.  I took my antibiotic and went to bed.