Post Surgery

I regret it has been a while since my last update...so here is a recap.

The morning of July 22, my beautiful and loving girlfriend, Sara, drove me to the hospital. I was feeling a bit nervous and didn't know what to expect. Upon entering the hospital, we headed straight to the receptionist desk and the receptionist asked me a bunch of questions in regards to HIPAA, billing, and such. After answering the questions...we sat down and waited in the waiting room.

After a period of waiting and twiddling my thumbs, a nurse came in and escorted us into the preparation room. There, Sara helped me get scrubbed down, a nurse inserted an IV in my arm, and I was asked tons of questions: Name? Birthdate? Allergies? Which ear do you want surgery performed on? And so on. I was so glad Sara was here to help me answer the questions as I had a hard time understanding the nurse...therefore, I'm very, very thankful for her. After prepping was complete, my anesthesiologist came in. Again, he asked my name, birthdate, etc. I answered them and then he gave me a general overview of what to expect from anesthesia. Then my doctor came in...and he asked how I was doing, which ear, etc.

Then it was time. Another nurse came by to escort me to the operating room. On my way to the operating room, she asked me the same questions: name, birthdate, etc. I was like "Geez...lets get this done with already."

When I was parked underneath a bright light in the operating room, I saw my anesthesiologist behind me and saw him smile. Next thing I know...my eyelids became heavier and heavier. I tried with all my strength to stay awake...but alas the drugs were simply too much.

Next thing I know, I woke up. Vision was a bit blurry...but was slowly starting to come into focus. I didn't know where I was, what the heck was going on...but there was a nurse/worker/whoever holding me down as he didn't want me to get up. I gave him a bit of a fight as I had something in my mouth which was restricting my breathing...as if I was dealing with a ball of food in my mouth. He realized that I was having trouble breathing and allowed me to slightly get up and swallow...much to my relief. I managed to blink and rub a eyes for a bit until my vision came into full focus...I then realized that I was in some sort of room (a recovery room, if you will). I didn't care to identify who or what was in the room, or even know what time it was, as I was groggy, albeit very groggy from the surgery. I didn't want to do anything but sleep...so sleep I did.

I woke up again and found out that I was being moved down the hallways to another room. I was being transported from the recovery room to the patient room (in which visitors were allowed). The nurse asked if I wanted a drink or something to eat...but I declined because I was not in the mood. All I want to do is sleep. Before I dozed off, I realized that my head was in a bandage and I wasn't experiencing any pain...so life was good.

Later that day, I woke up to see my first and only visitor, Sara. She asked how I was doing...but really, I had a hard time lip-reading as I was still groggy. So she repeated and then I said "Good". I asked her if she saw my doctor and if she did, I asked her how the surgery went. She said the doctor didn't experience any complications and everything went quicker than expected (about 30-45 minutes quicker). So everything went very well.

For the rest of the day and into the night, Sara stayed by my side. During this time, I ended up taking naps, taking pain medications, talking with Sara, and watching Sara read a book (I like to watch her read). I really wanted to go home that same day, but the nurses strongly advised me not to, as I was groggy and experiencing pain. About 11 PM that night, Sara left to go home and get some sleep and I was already looking forward to seeing her the following day...so I managed to get some shut-eye to make the time pass.

So the next morning, my doctor woke me up and asked how I was doing. I said "Oh...I've had better days". He smiled, took off my bandage, and inspected my sutures. He said everything looks good and I am free to head home and get some rest. I was very elated to hear that and waited for the nurse to come to me. She brought me breakfast and I took my time eating the meal and savoring every bite. After finishing up my breakfast, I managed to pass the time by reading a book, taking a nap, and such.

About mid-morning, Sara arrived at the hospital. I was very happy to see her and I told here that my doctor has cleared me to head home that day. The nurse offered me some materials to clean up before I was released. So with the help of Sara, I washed up and put on my clothes. Then she helped escort me out of the hospital and into her car. Upon arrival at her house...I ended up crashing on her bed.

The next few days, I spent a lot of time sleeping and resting. The pain has subsided four days after surgery, but I have been dealing with some side-effects: ears popping and vertigo. My experiences with vertigo was no doubt a wall-clinging experience. If I would try to get up out of bed, I experience vertigo. If I walk a short distance, I experience vertigo. If I tilt my head, I experience vertigo. If I lift something heavy, I experience vertigo. You can say that it drove me a bit nuts as I like to be active...and it was NO fun to deal with it.

But as time went by, my vertigo experiences have subsided, but today, I'm still feeling it here and there. But I know over time, it will go away

Later today, I will be visiting my doctor for a follow-up appointment. But I will not get the device activated until August 25th. So I have some waiting to do before I enter the wonderful world of sound.

Also, here is a picture of my ear after the surgery:


Also, I want to end this blog on a very special note. I could not have done this without the support of Sara. She supported me on the day of my surgery and she helped me during the recovery phase. Again, I could not have done this without her help! I love you very much, Sara!!!

So until next time, have a good one.