Bringing Sexy Back...
Day four after surgery this past Friday... Mummy ace bandages that went from foot to thigh could finally be taken off. Bloody gauze pads removed. A few butterfly bandages ripped and were replaced by band aids. I was able to take a shower! It's the little things we must celebrate (smile)...
All in all, this procedure was hands down easier and less painful than the first I had done in April. Dr. Fry is amazing. Besides having great hair, he is a pro at wielding that hook and scalpel (along with that very poky scissors of his). The vein is gone. The pain during surgery minimal (aside from one screaming moment over the knee cap where I lamented that the last time I had pain this severe, I got to bring a baby home), just an utterly strange feeling of your muscles and skin being pulled and yanked for an hour and fifteen minutes and hearing the snipping of scissors and feeling the rushing of fluids. I asked Dr. Fry if that was, by chance, blood I was feeling. He looked up at me and said with that infamous little chuckle, "well, and other things". I stopped asking questions...
What felt like an eternity later ( I was awake for this one, but the drugs they gave me were fabulous as I really didn't feel much pain--just "weirdness"), he asked me if I wanted to see the extracted vein. The big old swollen thing had been with me for so very long, I only felt it proper to say farewell and wish it all the best. I knew I'd be kicking myself later if I had gone through this whole ordeal and hadn't taken the opportunity to look at it. Very gross. There is was, just laying on the metal tray next to all of the surgical equipment--in three separate pieces. "Looks like a worm, doesn't it?" Dr. Fry asked. "Either that or spaghetti", I said--not sure I'd ever be able to eat it again. Something that was once inside my body was just lying there--all bloody and slimy. It was quite surreal. Four incisions, or stabs, were made in my leg to get it out (I really should have named it). Lots of bruising due to the tugging and pulling. All rather miraculous to me. Modern medicine is truly a marvel. Dr. Fry asked me if I was having separation anxiety when I laid back down (always the joker). I said, "No, just trying not to pass out."
All swollen and bandaged up, I was told not to shower or take the dressings off till Monday. I kind of think he said some other important stuff too, but I really don't remember much. Hobbled on out, made a recheck appointment for December, and then back in the van. Marty stopped to get me a salad at McDonald's (thanks to my sister's very generous gift card on this momentous day), scarfed it down as I was starving, went home and went to bed. My sister was kind enough to take the day off of work to watch Griffyn for us--who wanted to jump on mommy right away and didn't understand why I was "so cabby".
Our friend and neighbor, Amy, and the kids came over to drop off dinner last night and check in on me (thanks, girl!). I told her my only real concern was that Dr. Fry had said the butterfly bandages covering the incisions should stay on for a week and a few of them had already opened up (I got dizzy trying to stand and fell right on my knee -- pretty sure that's what did it). She assured me not to worry about the butterflies breaking and told me just to put a band aid over it. Amy is a great source for all information medical and otherwise (smile).
At bedtime, I asked the boys if they had any questions or concerns after we read our stories for the night. They had been in Iowa City all weekend while Daddy hung out with friends and watched the game and they had lots of fun making cookies and decorating the tree with Grandma Mitchell. They left for Iowa City a few hours after I had surgery and had only seen me in pain and then go to bed. I wanted to talk about it because the unknown is scary, and this really wasn't anything for them to be worried or scared about.
Max's interpretation of what happened was awful. He assumed they spliced me from ankle to hip and completely cut my whole leg open and pulled everything out. He was worried I'd never be able to walk again. I let him ask lots of questions and explained the surgery process in very easy steps. He was quite relieved. I told them they made teeny, tiny incisions (about the same size as the cuts Griffyn had to get stitched up by his eye and mouth), pulled the vein out of those incisions, stitched them back up, bandaged me up, and now it was just time for it all to heal. Griffyn then asked me, "Is dat when dey put in da butta fies?". Max says, "What are you talking about, Griffyn?" So G says again, "Da butta fies--in yore yegs... Is dat when dey put dem in?". I realized then, that Griffyn had heard Amy and I talking about the butterfly bandages and just started laughing. "No, G. No butterflies in my legs, honey. That's just what they call the band aids they put on because the stips look like butterfly wings." He looked thoroughly disappointed...
So, all in all, not the best time I've ever had, but by far much, much better than the last procedure!!! Rerouting three different veins and keeping them going must be more painful than just pulling the suckers out. The heal time for actual working viens is much longer, longating the recovery process. I had to worry about rupturing and exploding occuring in my leg as the veins were healing. Nothing majorly internal to heal this time around. It's mostly on the outside of my leg with this procedure. That vein is in a hospital dumpster. They wouldn't let me take it home in a jar (ha!).
Very thankful for such an amazing surgeon in Dr. Fry, a fabulous nursing staff, my sister, Jen, for watching Griff and spoiling me, my mother in law for watching the boys in Iowa City so I could rest (although, I didn't go to sleep till after 2 a.m. that night as I'd never been away from all three of my boys for a night and it was unbearable and I don't plan on doing it again any time soon), and all of my friends for the phone calls, support, and love. I am so blessed.
Dr. Fry promised I'd be faster, sexier, and healthier, so I'm holding him to that (smile). What a year. To go from never having surgery in your entire life, to having two in one year within seven months of each other is just way too much excitement for me. I think I'll take a break and let someone else have a turn now. Any takers? ;)
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