It's finally here! I'm up at 4:00 with a sense of excitement but a small tinge of dread. I have to check into Day Surgery by 6:30 am. I hit the tub with a small bit of sadness. I won't be able to have a tub bath for at least two weeks. I stay and soak for almost an hour. I wash my hair and use the special antibiotic soap the nurse gave me to reduce the "germ load" paying special attention to my stomach. Then it's out of the tub and just dry my hair - no real need for any style since I'll be wearing an attractive surgical hat. I check my bag, grab my special travel pillow for the trip home, get my phone and announce I'm ready to rock and roll.
My husband is loading stuff in the car for him to work on while I'm in surgery. I'm not being especially nice this morning but he is his wonderful, long suffering self. Actually I'm being a brat. I'm nervous and worried about the time and of course I'm making acerbic comments about his driving abilities.
We get to the hospital at 6:25, park and make our way to Day Surgery on the second floor. There are just a few people in the waiting area and Jupp shows me a sign on the door that says if no one is at the desk just come on back. I push the door open and enter the pre op area. A great nurse wearing a Duke badge notices Jupp's Duke's sweatshirt, grins and announces she is MY nurse. She ushers Jupp back out to the waiting area and takes me to a cubicle, hands me a gown and tells me to take everything off and leave the gown open in the back. When I'm done she begins with the patient identifiers and goes over my chart. She explains everything as she goes. When we get to the IV in the hand part she is amazing. She uses a little bit of Lidecaine and I fell only a small stick. She's obviously done this once or twice!
Next on the hit parade is the person working with the anesthiologist. She does the patient identifiers, and we discuss my history and go through my chart again. She is very thorough and I am feeling in very good hands.
Dr. Kline checks in and again tells me he is going to use a smaller scope and asks if I have any questions or concerns. I volunteer I have a very serious concern. He gives me an intense look and that's when I tell him I understand his Dummy at the ACLS workshop died. I look him straight in the eye and tell him I would appreciate him not letting THIS DUMMY die. We both laugh. He tells me I'll be fine.
The nurse has retrieved Jupp and he joins me in the cubical. He asks me if I'm nervous or scared. I tell him I'm nervous but excited. The nurse returns to give me my shots of Versed and Fentenyl and tells me to kiss Jupp first before I get the juice. I get my kiss and see her push the drugs through the IV in my hand.
That's the last thing I remember....
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