October 2012 Weddings
pockysquirrel
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Surgery...ugh!
So after a lovely ER visit 2 weeks before my wedding followed by a few months of general procrastination, I am scheduled to have my gallbladder removed this Friday. I have never been under anesthesia or had any kind of surgery before, and I get anxiety about medical stuff to begin with, so I'm pretty much freaking out at this point. Talk me through this, ladies. If you've had surgery before, this or any other kind, how was it? Anything you found particularly helpful while recovering? General T&P and positive vibes would be nice, too...
October 2012 December Siggy - A Favorite Wedding Photo
Re: Surgery...ugh!
Definitely sending lots of T&P!
I had my gall bladder removed when I was twenty. The actual surgery was so incredibly easy. If they're doing yours laparoscopically (I think they always do now?) it's not very invasive and the scarring is pretty minimal (although for me it took about maybe a year or so for them to not still look dark, but I didn't use any scar stuff on it, which I probably should have, and I'm ghostly pale so that can't help). I won't lie, I'll say for like... three days after, it hurt a lot. Maybe closer to two, I forget? And I personally wasn't prepared for that, because like you, I'd never had any surgery at all, so it just didn't occur to me that the healing process would be painful.
The anesthesia wasn't something I was particularly freaked about beforehand, and so it wasn't bad, but I can't necessarily offer something like, "oh, this helped me to not be nervous" because I wasn't. I just don't think I'd been thinking about how weird it is, ha. I was instead paling around with the anesthesiologist (I did not spell that right, so thanks, spell check) and joking about hiring him for my upcoming 21st birthday for the fun drugs. So I guess maybe be silly with your doctor about it, if you can?
What sucked for me too is I just had some sort of terrible reaction to Percoset. It just made me nauseous and didn't help with the pain and it felt like I was just crawling out of my skin. So after a couple of doses of that being so hellish they switched me to Demerol (sp?) and that was like night and day, so if you feel like the pain medicine they give you isn't doing what it's supposed to, SPEAK UP. It made all the difference in the world.
The other thing is once you feel like you can and any doctors say go for it, walk around and get moving, and I'm not a doctor so I can't say why it helped, but it totally did.
Luckily, though, because it's not a very invasive surgery, the healing time is pretty quick and once those first few days are over, it's so much better to be without. Especially if you've been dealing with gall stones and pain from that. I know I was, and so to be DONE with it all was so great.
Anyway, so like I said, lots of T&P, and let me know if there's anything else you had questions about, I'm happy to PM you if there's more you needed to know!
I am sure everything will be fine. I have been under the knife before and I am ok. I had a semi- complicated facial reconstruction surgery about 10 years ago. You have to remember that the benefits of having this surgery are worth it.
My best advice is on Thursday plan a nice dinner out so you dont have to clean up then go to the movies. It will help take your mind off of everything.
As for recovery, dont over do it. You will probably tire very easily which is your body saying it needs more time. Netflix and books are your friend. Oh and us ladies here!!
You have to keep us posted because we will be thinking about you and wondering how everything went.
T&P your way!
I've been put under once in my life. I was terrified and started to ugly cry right before they put the IV in my arm. I was 16 and convinced I was never going to wake up. I clearly woke up and when I did I was saying the most ridiculous things. The nurses and my mom were crying laughing at all the silly crap I was saying. I hardly remember any of it but from what I do, I was being funny.
You'll be fine, but you should have someone video tape you when you wake up.
I'll be thinking of you! Hope everything goes well and that you have a speedy recovery!
I've only been put under anesthesia when I had my wisdom teeth out, and like Seipel, I said many silly things when I woke up.
I haven't had major surgery, so I can't give you advice there, but gall bladder surgery is common. Your doctor has probably done many and it will go fine. A coworker had hers removed a few years ago. She was incredibly bloated for months prior to the surgery and had a very limited diet to keep things working properly. She took about 2 weeks off from work, but her and I went to the same concert a few days after her surgery. She was weak at the concert but looked much better. I went on vacation with her about 6 months later and I didn't notice any scars.
Think about the improvement of your quality of life and how much better you'll feel. That hopefully will ease your anxiety.
I had my first surgery a few years ago and I was also pretty scared going into it. I have a major fear of needles, so I totally freaked out when they came in to put me under. I knew I would wake up, I just really HATE needles. Other then that, everything went fine. I had a laparoscopy done and it was a bit hard to walk around the first day or two. Your feel like you can't stand up straight, but it's not painful with the right pain pills. Like someone else mentioned, be sure to speak up if the ones you have aren't doing it for you.
You'll be fine and healthy, so try not to worry about it too much. The best thing was seeing my family right after, and if you're hubby is going to be there, you will instantly feel so much more calm when you wake up and see him there. Hope you have a speedy recovery!!