Date- July 1, 2020
My husband woke me up at 4 am so that I can do my last shower with the special soap and get ready to go to my surgery at Balboa Naval Hospital. I packed my bag since he wouldn’t be there to hold my things like the first hernia repair surgery back in 2019, and he woke up our still sleeping daughter.
We piled into the van and headed for the hospital, needing to be checked in by 5:30 AM. We got there early so that I could be there before 5:30 in case they needed any paperwork filled out. I grabbed my bag, gave kisses to my husband and daughter, pulled up my mask, and headed into the hospital. They took my temperature before I could go to the surgery department and soon enough I was signing paperwork, answering questions, and getting ready to be taken back with a few others who were going into surgery that day.
I was laying in the bed in back, getting prepped, and meeting my surgery team from nurses to anesthesia to the surgical team and my General Surgeon. He reminded me that this is a more invasive surgery because it is going to be done with robotics and mesh. I said I was ready and by 7:30 AM, they rolled me back to the surgery room.
I do not know how long I was in surgery but I remember slowly waking up and being transported to my room. They called my husband since I definitely wasn’t in any shape or form to be able to do it myself. I could hear someone else in the room with me so I had a neighbor. Hi Neighbor!
My husband came into my room after leaving our youngest with my parents and her older sister and sat down. I was still very groggy and had to go to the bathroom and walk before they would let me go home. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get up and do all of that because I felt sick and exhausted. And I don’t remember the time. I think my husband got there a little after 3 PM so I was in surgery for a long time. I am still kicking myself because I left my hair up in a hair tye and they left it in. Now I have a bruised scalp where my hair was bunched up together during the whole surgery. Ouch!
Soon my nurses were in my room, telling me to get up and walk to the bathroom. I had to do what they said so with their help, and after I got my glasses on, I was slowly shuffling my way to the bathroom. I went but not much they said. And as soon as I got back to the bed, because of having issues with anesthesia, I did end up getting sick. It was horrible and super painful.
But I did what they had asked me to do and soon I was getting discharged in the care of my husband. I did get sick again after getting in the car and it was just as bad as the first time. We picked up our youngest from my parents but our oldest stayed another night.
Once home, I laid on the couch and ate a little bit. By this time, it was already 8 PM. I couldn’t eat much because of everything so I went to bed. But do you know how hard it is to sleep on your back when you are in pain and a side sleeper? It was not fun let me tell you. But I got the sleep that I needed thanks to my husband and all of his help.