Just a reminder, I had: Forehead reconstruction (including type 3, scalp advancement (only very slightly) , brow lift) and then rhinioplsaty/ceptoplasty.
Here's a long diary account:
Day of surgery
Night before, I had to take a shower and wash my hair with baby shampoo and put in a lot of conditioner (not rinse it out ). I then braided my hair and went to bed.
The next morning, we had to be at the medical facility by 6am but we ended up getting there a little early. They admitted us right away though so that as good. Waited in the waiting from for only a little bit and then they call just me in to start prepping me.
They had me change into a gown and thigh high pressure stockings and socks with grip on the bottom as well as blue bonnet thing. Then the guy proceeded to ask me a lot of questions, mostly about vitamins and medications, most of which I'd stopped 2 weeks before as requested by Dr. D.
The nurse then gave me an IV int he hand (ugh I hate them in the hand) but he used lidocaine at first so it wasn't so bad. He also gave me an anti-nausea patch and I still had the low blood pressure patch on from the day before. Then orally he ave some other anti-inflammatory or something.
About then the doctor and his assistant came in and said hi, they weren't dressed for surgery yet but wanted to check in. They were all smiles. Then they brought my adopted mother, aunt, and uncle in and they all got to meet the doctor.
The doc and his assistant left to go change but came back shortly saying we had a slight delay because of an emergency case that came in before us. so we waited around for a while. My family had brought me my teddy bear and unicorn to hold on to so that was good.
Eventually they wheeled me to another area where one family member could go and so Mom came and the others went back to the waiting room. The Anesthesiologist then came in and introduced himself and checked up on me. I wasn't coughing or anything at that point so I felt pretty good.
We waited there for awhile, maybe 30-45min until they finally came to wheel me into the OR. Which is odd cuz the last few surgeries I've had Ihad to get up and walk to the OR. But anyway it worked out.
The OR was rustling with people everywhere. running around, hooking things up. they had me switch from the tourney to the operating table and then started hooking me up to stuff.
Dr D was there and he was mostly just hanging out, kinda waiting for everyone to get ready and he kept rubbing my arm and smiling at me in a comforting way. At one point, he pointed up at the wall where he had my X-rays and his notes and the pictures of noses I had sent him. That was comforting.
The anesthesiologist asked me what I did for a living and I said I told him and also told him about my hobbies and everyone kinda smiled and then I kinda blacked out.
Woke up in the OR as they were finishing up I think but I don't recall everything there. Apparently I asked for a margarita or a burrito or something, kinda funny. Then they wheeled me to like a waiting area inf front of some desks with nurses there and there were a couple gourneys next to me too. I guess an in-between area. I felt like I was asking for Dr D a bunch, kinda wanted to know how it all went.
Anyway they finally wheeled me over to a room and I saw the family kinda all waiting too and they walked in with me.
At first I was all kinda chipper and happy and silly even though I couldn't see very well with no glasses/contacts. But as they gave me more meds in my IV, I would drift asleep off and on. They brought me some soup and stuff and sipped a little bit but it wasn't going that great with my stomach, despite all the anti-nausea meds.
My family finally left around 7pm I think and they were going to get mexican food.
My night was ok, a lot of drifting off to sleep then waking myself up by breathing thru my nose on accident (no packing). The nurses would come every so often and give me more anti-nausea IV and anti-inflammatory IV.
it must have helped cuz my eyes did not get swollen at all or anything. They also gave me a couple stool softeners throughout the night too.
I think it was about 5am, that Dr D's nurse came (or maybe she'd been there longer) and she kinda took care of me, taking my vitals and then letting the nurse on duty know when she came in. She also was checking my catheter bag a lot too.
Finally about 6 am she asked if I was ready to give walking a try and I said sure. So I held onto the iv pole and we walked the whole circuit of the hallway ....about 3/4 of the way, I started to feel hot all over, kinda precursor to nauseness but it seemed to go ok. Got back to my room and she said she could take the drain out of my head, the catheter out, as well as the IV out. So I was happy about all that.
Then I immediately had to go pee and she said that was a good sign.
Dr D came in shortly after, prob 7am...he was running early but he talked to me about how it all went. He said everything went very well and that he had to put my sinus bones back in place in 4 pieces and he even showed me a picture. I asked how normal that was and he said it can be anywhere between 2 pieces to 7 pieces so 4 was pretty good. You could see the wiring holding it all in as well.
He commented on my cute little nose as well, saying it all went well.
He spent a good amount of time typing on the computer I'm assuming for discharge paperwork but wow it took a long time. We than chatted about his vacation after my last post-op appointment.
Then he left and I felt like I was waiting forever. The nurse on call came in a nd tried to give me more meds but the iv was out already so she only gave me the stool softener which was oral.
My family finally arrived at like 10am and then we waited a little bit for discharge paperwork and transport wheelchair and then we were off, back to my air-bnb . When we got there, I laid on the bed (upright) and my mom and uncle wen to the grocery store while my aunt and I watched some tV but I kind dosed off and on lol. Sow hen they got back my aunt and uncle went back to their airbnb.
I had a couple of quesadillas (gluten free) cuz I was starting, the hospital still couldn't get the gluten free thing right, bringing me cream of wheat hah so I ended up eating vanilla yogurt and vanilla pudding....and coffee.
I took several pics of myself right after the surgery and some the day after. Really not looking too bad yet. Not a lot of swelling but some general tightness and numbness around the hose and forehead.
As for top of the head numbness, it doesn't cascade all the way back down the back of my head surprisingly, it really is just not he very top and into the forhead I think.
So far been alternating tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hrs and that seems to be all I need along with the anti-biotic,anti-inflammatory, steroid, and other crazy stuff the doc has me on haha. Whatever the cocktail is, I think it's helping.
Finally today I woke up with a little bit of stuffiness / post nasal drip. I may have to use the weird spray cleaner they said to use up my nose but I can't put it directly up my nose because no pressure can be going up or down it for a while....include sniffles, ugh. I have coughed a little, cleared throat a little, and sneezed a little, all taking care to not do so thru my nose but even so I can feel the sinus wall move a little when I do it. eek.
Anyway today and tomorrow for the weekend and then first appointment is post-op on Monday.
Sorry that was a novel and a half.
