Trip to the Operation Theater ~ The Surgery

"You can step out if you don't feel okay watching this," Sarah (the adorable lady who was going to set up my IV for the surgery) told Abbie. Abbie decided to stay because she had no issues watching me being poked. Sarah asked me if I wanted my sister to hold and squeeze my hand while she poked me and I said yes. She joked, "You can give her just two fingers to squeeze so it doesn't hurt" and Abbie laughed and agreed.

Sarah made me drop my hand down from the side of the bed, tied something super tight on my arm and felt around for my veins. A very tiny and almost painless prick later she announced that it was done. Thank God Sarah was a real expert because I hadn't felt it at all and hadn't even squeezed Abbie's fingers that hard. She then taped up the cannula on my hand and stuck the stickers and etc. as Abbie proceeded back to her seat. Once she was done she gave me a remote control and explained the various buttons I could push on it. A big one to call for assistance, TV controls, lights, etc. She then drew my curtains and left to inform Mama that she could come inside.

Soon enough mama was sitting beside Abbie, I was lying in my bed feeling strangely calm again, and the HGTV on television was showing some episode of Rehab Addict. Some time passed away before Debbie knocked on the wall (because there are no doors in the prep area!), peaked through my curtains, and informed us that we had a super long waiting time ahead of us. Originally I was scheduled for a 3pm surgery but according to the current schedule I wasn't going to be taken in until at least 4:30pm. My empty stomach growled at the thought of such a long wait; I wanted it to be over as soon as possible before the silly IBS kicked in and I created any panic. How about handing me a Time Turner?

For the next couple of hours Abbie, Mama, and I spent our time talking about totally random stuff. We discussed everything from the sore loser who worked in our house when we were moving in to the new kind of giggles Gubby had started throwing these days. In the midst of all that Debbie came in and attached the fluid bag drip thingy to my cannula. She said she was only preparing and that nothing was going to start up yet. Rehab Addict kept playing on TV and every few minutes or so my mind wandered from TV to the topics we were speaking about and then back to what was going to happen to me. I still was hoping that they'd come and tell me it would be sooner than 4:30pm because the last thing I wanted to do was panic. Thankfully, I did not create any panic ... not until the sight of my surgeon walking in made it all sink in ... THEY WERE TAKING ME FOR SURGERY!

My smiley surgeon came in at 4pm and gave me the 'what-a-fabulous-day' look. She always surprised me, how could a person cutting up humans and stitching them back again be so happy and cheerful? Earlier on she had told me my surgery would be her last one for the day and so I was expecting a tired version of her. She was anything but tired! Her hair were all perfectly in place as if she had just gotten ready, her face had no signs of having seen blood and flesh all day long, and her expression was as if she was standing in an amusement park ready to get on her favorite ride. She came in, greeted us all, and told me they were cleaning and preparing the operation room. She marked my right arm which was to be operated using a blue Sharpie; the Sharpie had an orange cap and was wrapped up in an insulated protective covering like an injection is. I asked her how long it would take because I wanted to go to the loo once before I was given the anesthetic and she said now was the time because it would take half an hour for all to be ready.

Next thing I knew Abbie was carrying my IV drip above my head and I was walking up to the bathroom with my right arm labeled 'YES' and my legs almost numb with horror. It all started in full swing when I returned to my bed. Debbie came and set the drip back in place and then an extremely tired lady walked in and introduced herself as the anesthesiologist. She was wearing the blue gowns and a blue cap from the operation room and, unlike my surgeon, wasn't even bothered to try and hide boredom and tiredness from her expressions. She spoke in a Professor McGonagall kind of stern tone and told me, "You have two options, now!" Wow .. that sounded like a threat as if a game from the SAW movies was going to begin now. She explained that I could take the General Anesthesia in which they'd make me breathe in sedative gasses throughout the procedure and I wouldn't be conscious at all or I could choose the IV sedation anesthesia in which they'd put me to what they called 'Twilight Zone'. The GA had chances of making me feel very sick after the surgery so while I had the option to chose she suggested it wouldn't be ideal. The Twilight Zone would have me completely unconscious in a deep sleep and if they saw I was coming back to my senses, they'd give me more sedatives in the operation room. I looked at Abbie for help and saw her comforting smile. The anesthesiologist finally smiled seeing the look of horror on my face and I signed a document giving my consent for the IV sedation method.

Another lady then walked in and by this time I was just not bothered about catching her name because I was now freaking out. She told me she was going to be one of the people inside the operation room with my surgeon and then asked me really repetitive questions such as my name, date of birth, and what kind of surgery was I there for to confirm they had the right patient before putting me to sleep. The anesthesiologist then took out some injections (panic attack!) and told me she was going to give me some stuff that would make me really calm. They said, "You can say goodbyes, high fives, kisses and hugs to your mother and sister now." I felt SO weird. It was one of those feelings you can never shake off from your memories no matter how much time passes by. Abbie and mama hugged and kissed me. I said my 'I love you's to both of them and said Allah Hafiz. The anesthesiologist put on a blue operation room cap on my head, telling me she was going to make me look like one of them, and then gave me those injections and they felt icy cold flowing up through my left arm's cannula.

A moment later, my bed was being wheeled out of my room. I caught a last glimpse of Abbie and said, "Bye Bestie, I love you!" Abbie smiled back and it was all oddly calm. I was so light on that bed which was now heading for a set of double doors. I heard one of the ladies behind me say something about me still being Abbie's baby and then I heard Abbie laugh and say something like yes, I will always be. I smiled too but now my bed was passing through the double doors and I could see another set of double doors in front of me. Something was funny though because the second set of double doors weren't still, they were moving in a ripple effect like the old Windows' screen saver used to wiggle around. I knew I was falling asleep in some weird way and somebody was asking me about what I liked to do. I was talking about being a baker and liking decorating cakes. I do not remember exactly all the details from the room those double doors opened in to, what I remember are HUGE lights and I think they were bluish-purplish and had LOTS of bulbs on them. It was a fairly big room and I knew there were lots of wires and machines around me. My bed was positioned under the lights somewhere in the center of the room after which my life is a blur ...

Click to read My Pre-Surgery Thoughts or Day of the Surgery! Or proceed to Post-Surgery Experiences!