I did it! I made it! I was terrified, but I got through surgery. As I have mentioned before, I have never had a big surgery, with intubation. I have likely watched FAR too many medical shows and had a very dramatic notion of how this could go. Well none of that happened.

The day of surgery I spent the morning in a bit of a fog. We cleaned up, finished getting my bags packed and in the car and made our way to the hospital. Things went smoothly, I get checked in a and registered. We waited longer than planned, but in truth, I fully expected delays given an afternoon surgery time. I get it, things happen!

Once I went back to get gowned up, the train of people started. Tech, nurse, another nurse, my surgeon. EKG, IV, nerve block, game plan. This was happening!

If you have had surgery you know this. They wheeled me to the OR and approximately 30 seconds later I was waking up (it was actually more like 2 hours later, but I would not have know that!) in recovery. I was groggy, and confused and in SO MUCH PAIN! But it was over. Off to my room! If I am being honest, I don’t remember much of the remainder of Thursday so we can wrap that up on this note: I DID IT! One big hurdle jumped over like it’s my job! That was a big step everyone and it’s done!

Friday was rough. I was warned it would be, but I was still not prepared. I was hurting! Pain meds would not touch things. Getting up to go to the bathroom might as well have been climbing Mt. Everest. But it was also a great day of learning about how things went. Now that I was out of the fog, my family told me that my surgeon Dr. Lane came out after I was done and told them things went REALLY well! He got the entire kidney and mass out in one piece and he was able to really take a good look at the other organs and was pleased to have found no other issues! He visited later that day and reiterated this news to me himself! We are heading in the right direction!! I am grateful, I am so Blessed! Am I still scared? Of course. But again, this will not define me, this will NOT rule my life, my thoughts, squash my dreams. Not a chance!

Saturday started out ok. I thought I had gotten a small block of sleep, but between lack of sleep, very little to eat, and this whole situation finally catching up to me, I found myself dizzy and nauseous. I spoke with my surgeon’s PA. She was very comforting. This was all normal and she explained that clinically everything looked amazing. It would seem we have reached a point where the next few small steps were up to me. I needed to get up and move, get some food in me, take the necessary medications, you know, take care of myself. Put me first. I’m the mom……putting me first is not in my DNA. But I need to give it a shot!

So we came up with a plan. Some tweaks to my meds. A little Xanax to create some general calm, and help me rest. Less of the hard stuff (Oxy), and planned Zofran to combat the nausea before it starts. So Saturday wraps up better than it was starting and I am one day closer to getting home. Home to start the next phase of healing. At this point, Monday is the planned discharge day!

As a wrap up of the last few days, it has to be said, that the staff I have encountered, not just for surgery, but throughout this entire process, have been EXCEPTIONAL! Seriously. Not just good, not just great. Everyone has been TOP NOTCH! Kind, caring, informative, helpful. It’s been unreal. It has made a difference that can’t be explained. I am so thankful. I will be letting each of them know how much they impacted my care. How they made a difficult time a bit less difficult.

Be kind, be compassionate, be a light in someone’s life, offer a compliment, show you care. I promise IT MATTERS! It makes a difference.