The next thing I remember was being in post surgery care. It is where they monitor you for a certain amount of time and make sure that you are doing okay after your surgery before they send you to your room. I was just starting to wake up from the anesthetic and I remember the nurse talking to me. "Stacy, you have to breathe..." she said that to me a couple times. I remember feeling scared because I had to conciously tell myself to take a breath; something that was supposed to be natural was almost like work. I remember feeling so tired. I remember thinking to myself "Take a deep breath" so I did then I dozed off.....
When I woke up again I was in my room in the Neuro ICU. I was very groggy from all the painkillers and anesthetic I had been given. I don't remember much but I remember seeing my Mom. I don't remember if my Dad, Justin and Jaimie were in the room. I remember seeing my Grandma's brown jacket and I remember thinking that everything was okay because my Grandma was there. I dozed off again....
When the anesthetic had finally totally worn off I woke up. I felt much better this time than I did after my first surgery. I had some pressure on my sinuses, my head was sore from the clamps used during surgery, and I was slightly achy all over. Not near as much pain as the first time. I also had a cut on my stomach from where they had taken tissue to block the hole in my head from where they had to go in to access the area of the tumor. I was hooked up to 2 IV poles. But there was great news.... NO SPINAL DRAIN! There was no excruciating pain in my back. When the nurses told me that I had a cut across my stomach where they had taken some tissue out I asked them "Couldn't you have taken a whole lot more?"... apparently it sounded funnier in my head because the nurse did not think it was funny.... Could of been the painkillers I was on but I thought it was hilarious!
Throughout my stay in the hospital my Mom stayed with me pretty much the whole time. However I do remember one time when she was late getting to the hospital in the morning... I don't know why but I was so upset with her and I told her so... maybe not in such a nice way (I don't remember being mad). My mom later explained that the painkillers I was on mad me have horrible mood swings.... I guess I went from being happy to angry in seconds...... my Mom tended to get the brunt of most of my mood swings..... it wasn't like I meant to it just happened that way! My Dad, Justin and Jaimie stayed with me alot too. Jaimie and I played cards lots... but I don't really remember it.
I remember there was a lady next to me in the room, I never seen her because we kept the curtains closed, but I heard them talking sometimes. It was actually a very sad thing... she was a young mother of 2 small children. She was riding in a car and had been T-boned by another vehicle which the driver was drunk and had stolen the vehicle he crashed into this lady's car. Now this poor woman was paralyzed from the waist down and the doctors told her she would most likely never regain her feeling in her body. I couldn't even imagine being told that I would never walk again... especially with having 2 small children. One morning her children were visiting her and I could hear her little boy. He said to his mom "Mommy why can't you get up to play with me?" I felt like I was going to cry... this poor little boy didn't understand why his mom was unable to play with him. It was very sad. It made me realize that again.... it could be MUCH MUCH worse.
The recovery from this surgery was similar. I still had swelling around my nose, IV poles attached to both arms, and I had nose plugs in. I must have been on more pain killers this time when they decided to remove them. I remember it being uncomfortable, but not as painful (although I thought Justin was going to pass out when they took them out!) I think it also had something to do with the fact they were not left in as long, and I also used the mask more to keep my nose moist. I felt much better after this surgery than I did after the first one. I was in way less pain (not that I wasn't in pain), and I was able sit up which was great! I think I was only in the hospital for 4 or 5 days and I was allowed to leave the hospital.
As I was leaving I ran into Nikki (the nurse that had taken such good care of me during my first surgery). She smiled and said "I thought I recognized your name on the list!". She was now one of the head nurses in the Neuro ICU and had just started her weeks on the day I was being released. I remember her saying how strange it was to see me again because most of the time in that department you only see the patients once in a lifetime... not twice in a little more than a year. We only talked for a moment but I was happy that she remembered me... it made me feel special. As I was walking out she laughed and said "No offence but I don't want to ever have to see you again!" I laughed and said "Don't worry I don't want to have to see you again either!" and with that I walked downstairs and out to the vehicle.... freedom at last...... again!
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