Another surgery is behind me

I had my 58th surgery on Friday the 25th. 

About a month ago the hospital sent me a package of chlorhexidine wipes to wash my body with the night before surgery to help prevent infection. Shortly after using them I broke out into hives and I couldn't stop itching. 

At first it was just on my arms and legs and we tried laying a wet washcloth on them to help with the itching, I took some Benadryl and we waited about 30 minutes until I just couldn't take it anymore and the hives were spreading. So I took a shower to wash it all off and now we know I'm allergic to chlorhexidine. 

Surgery was scheduled for 12:45 and I needed to be there at 10:45. They gave me this really weird paper gown to put on that was then hooked up to something that blew air into. It was called a bear hugger and was supposed to help prevent infection. This was in the adult hospital. Oh how I miss children's.

 I was really uncomfortable but the nurse insisted I wear it. I did get lucky though. There was another nurse who took over for her and she told me that there were a lot of people who felt uncomfortable in them so she was nice enough to get me a regular gown to change into. 

They then asked the anesthesiologist if they would use my port for surgery (some won't due to the risk of infection) and he said yes so they accessed it. 

My neurosurgeon was running late (I found out the next day that he had two other cases both in different hospitals) and my surgery was pushed back to 4. I was in a lot of pain though and since I couldn't have any oral medicine, they were able to get me iv pain medicine through my port. I didn't see my surgeon until 4:30 and he called a neurologist who I have seen before and who also happens to be a mathematician, to talk about if he should change the current shunt assistants or add a new one. Ultimately he decided to change my current ones. 

He said the room was already ready so surgery would be soon. He went back to the o.r. (#4) and then called my mom and let her know there was a problem with the room and it would be another hour. About 20 minutes later he called again and asked her if she thought 9/19 (pressure of 9 when laying down, 19 when upright) was a good idea since we have never tried that before. Which is what we all agreed on. 

The pre-op area closed at 6 so I was taken to a room near the or while I waited. Finally it was time. I had a different anesthesiologist than previously because of shift change. The new guy was nice though. I can't remember how we got to the subject but he and I were talking about having dreams while under anesthesia. I told him that so many people think that you have dreams but you don't or at least I don't. He then responded with you can't remember them because you're sleeping. I met the nurses who would be in room and I told them to make sure my surgeon didn't use steri-strips or skin glue because I will get hives. 

My mom gowned up and we went back. My surgeon is always in the room so I reminded him not to use the steri-strips or skin glue. He said "what do you want me to use? Nylons?" I said "yes" then he said "do you want me to go left to right or right to left?". I knew he was going into my chest but I didn't know he was also going into my neck. He said to one of the nurses "prep her chest and neck" but it didn't register with me.

 I asked him if I could have the shunt assistants that he took out and he said yes so I have them in a jar soaking in saline to disinfect them. When they were putting me to sleep they were pushing it in really slow so they wouldn't give me too much. I don't remember this (my mom told me),  I asked my surgeon who was standing next to me "do you think this will help?" He sighed and then I fell asleep. He looked at my mom and says "I dodged a bullet there didn't I."

I was in a significant amount of pain after I woke up (can you blame me?) and I was confused as to why my neck hurt. I asked the nurse if he cut my neck and she said "yes but it's only about an inch long." They gave me iv pain meds in the recovery room but oral on the floor. 

I asked for my mom in the recovery room and then asked if we could get her on the way to my room since she was in the waiting room. That didn't happen but right when I got to my room my mom walked in and said she had been looking for me since they usually get her to see me in the recovery room. She asked the surgeon what floor I would be on and then she went looking for me. 

I got to my room around 9 and it was a rough night. I was in a lot of pain and the oral medicine wasn't helping. The nurses asked the resident multiple times to order iv meds but he wouldn't. He obviously doesn't know me! 

The hospital has hot packs that you pop and they stay hot/warm for up to 30 minutes. After that they get really hard. They don't last long but they work so well while they're hot/warm. I was talking to the nurse the day I was discharged about them and we both agreed that they work much better than heating pads. We usually take some home with us but this time the nurse actually ordered us a box of them. 

The pharmacy isn't the greatest there. When he was giving me some meds he said the box should be there any minute. I didn't have my hopes up. About 30 minutes later he was deaccessing my port and it still hadn't arrived. He did clean out the drawer for us. So at least we were able to bring some home (10) which I am grateful for. 

I'm in a lot of pain and I can't move much without hurting. I was taking off the bandage (a piece of gauze with paper tape) but the gauze was sticking to my incision so I'm going to wait another day. I'm praying that things will start feeling better and I really hope that someone with hydro or who has a family member with it reads this.