6/1/2011 – Surgery Day
I woke up much more calm and not nearly as starving as I had
anticipated. I convinced Shane to shower and go down and take advantage of the
continental breakfast before we had to leave. I showered, scrubbing for 10
minutes again, and carefully brushed my teeth making sure that I didn’t swallow
any toothpaste or water while doing so. I had very clear instructions – nothing
but spit after midnight the night before. NO gum, mints, water, coffee or tea,
nothing to drink and absolutely nothing to eat.
I dressed in my new Kidney t-shirt, braided my hair in
pigtails and painted my fingernails a nice olive-y green. All things that make
me smile. I figured I needed to smile as much as possible surgery day. I tried
to sit down with my very handsome husband Shane’s computer and write the
morning of surgery, but I just couldn’t focus … hmm … wonder why?
We arrived at the hospital, parked in the garage under the
surgery pavilion right next to my parents and went up to the second floor where
they had arrived minutes before we had. I checked in and was told that there
would be a little wait. Cherina, her boyfriend and aunt arrived minutes before
I was called back to pre-op. We were able to take a few pictures in our
matching kidney shirts before I was lead back to the curtained-off bed where I
was to undress and get my IV started. The nurses LOVED my shirt and even took
it out of my personal items bag so they could show it around the floor.
Dr. Batkha came in, marked my stomach with an arrow and his
initials and told me that we were delayed a little bit. A deceased donor
transplant was taking place in our OR. Kami had told me that she had only seen
a surgery bumped 3 or 4 times in her 9 years as transplant coordinator due to a
deceased donor surgery and I had told her that I would be happy to wait if that
meant someone else was getting their miracle. We were bumped, and another
miracle successfully checked off the Long, Long list.
My family was able to come back and visit one at a time and
keep me company while I waited. Surprisingly, the time went by quickly. I was
calm, and completely comfortable with what was about to happen. I usually have
a pretty mellow disposition, but looking back on it now I am surprised how
unaffected I was feeling. It was like I was waiting for a table at my favorite
restaurant, knowing that I was about to have a great meal with all the
satisfaction that comes with good food and good company.
Cherina came in to the pre-op room minutes before I was
wheeled out, we hugged then I was given my “gin and tonic” through the IV. I
made Cody give me a hug then off I went down a long hall with tons of equipment
lining the halls and into the operating room. It was a big room, with a giant
light in the middle and a big window to a room where they told me Cherina would
be. Again lots of random machines making it look more like a storage closet
than an OR, but seconds later I was out. I don’t even remember them telling me
I was getting more drugs or asking me to count down.
I remember a very nice nurse standing next to me while
waking up. I asked about Cherina but she said that she didn’t know anything.
She asked me what my pain level was and I told her none – I couldn’t feel a thing! My husband came back first and told me that everything went
very well. Dr. Baktha told them that my kidney was as perfect as they come. It
turns out that Cherina’s surgeon was the one doing the deceased donor operation
and he didn’t quite finish when they had expected so there was a waiting period
while I was under and waiting for the kidney to come out, but Cherina was not
ready for it. My surgery ended up
being more like five hours than the three to four that they had anticipated.
My mom came back and I remember laughing at the guy in the
bed across from us who was sitting fully clothed on the edge of his bed
belching louder than anyone I have ever heard. I am not sure if the drugs were
causing me to laugh or if it was just really funny. While my mom was there the
nurse kept asking if I was always this calm, and she kept saying that I was so
easy, not always a compliment but I guess in this situation it is! The nurse won lots of points with me
when I heard her saying to the people upstairs that I was “really small” and
would be easy to move.
I didn’t feel any pain until I was wheeled down the crazy
labyrinth of halls and elevators to get to my recovery room. Lots of bumps in
the floors and tight hallways not easily maneuverable in a rolling bed resulted
in a bit more jostling than I was ready for, but I had a pain pump and was
happy to push the button every six minutes until I was asleep.
I don’t remember much else of the night other than being
thankful for my Foley catheter so I didn’t have to get out of bed and being
really thirsty. I know Dr. Batkha stopped by before he left for the night and
said Cherina’s surgery went very well, the kidney was producing urine before
she was even all stitched up and that things looked so good that the surgeon
felt comfortable removing her dialysis catheter inserted in her stomach. I
convinced my husband that I was okay and that he could stay the night in the
hotel. Around 10pm Cherina called and we talked on our cell phones until hers
died 40 minutes later. I couldn’t tell you much of our conversation other than
being so excited to hear her voice and know that she was okay. We both kept
dozing off and having a hard time keeping up with each other's train of
thought. I wish that conversation could have been recorded
~Kara
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