Patient- Me
Surgeon- Dr. Ward V. Houck
Other Mentionables- Mom, Dad, Nanny, Megan, Marie, Ashlee, Nurses, Doctors


5:30am...

I get up and get dressed to leave for Wellstar Kennestone Hospital...I'm having an operation to correct my Pectus Excavatum_The Modified Ravitch Technique or Open Pectus Repair.

I throw on a pair of Aero sweatpants, ***Twilight*** shirt and my blue Aero Hoodie that Megan got me for Christmas. Even though I did not look my usual fierceness, I still didn't look half bad. I then go brush my teeth and wash my face. While I was finishing packing my bag my stomach started tying in knots...


6:00am...

Mom, Dad and me hop in the Lincoln and turn on the GPS. It wants to take us 75 but my dad wants to hit the BP by 285 so the whole time it is saying recalculating until we hit 285. At the BP he goes in and gets his coffee, before he did I warned him not to get any cookies though because I would kill him...


6:15am...

We get on 285 and are on our way...
Traffic is a breeze, especially because we weren't going through Atlanta...


6:50am...

We arrive at the hospital and park. By this time my stomach is killing me. Mom and I went ahead and went in and Dad stayed in the car and finished his cigarette. I took off for the bathroom first while Mom checked me in...


7:00am...

I come out of the bathroom and Mom and Dad tell me that we have to go upstairs to the Surgery Waiting area. The nurse at the desk calls my name and takes me and Mom back to my waiting room where I change into the gown...


7:45am...

After waiting forever and ever the IV nurse comes in and prepares to insert my IV. I THOUGHT it was just going to be the normal SMALL IV that regular patients get...I WAS WRONG!!! The nurse looked asked me which arm I would prefer and I told her the left. She looks at my hand and forearm and decides into my forearm. I am told that she will numb it with Lidocaine before she continues. I figured I could put on my Big Girl Panties and Deal With It...the nurse then tells me that its an 18Gauge needle. They have to use such a big needle just incase I need a blood transfusion. I decide to go forth with the Lidocaine...


8:00am...

The IV Nurse injects me with some Lidocaine to numb the spot where she is going to put my IV. She lets it sit and do its job for about a minute and then puts in my IV. While she is putting in my IV, I can't help but to watch...its like a train wreck, you can't help but to watch even though you don't want too... The whole time I am watching, I am thinking "THAT IS A HUGE F***ING NEEDLE!!!". The Lidocaine helped a little bit but I could still feel the stinging...d


8:15am...

They go get my dad who has been waiting oh so patiently in the Surgery Waiting Room. He comes in and we explain NeedleGate 09 to him. So now we are just waiting for Nanny, Marie and Ashlee to get to the hospital and for them to take me back to get my Epidural Block...


8:40am...

I get wheeled to where they do the Epidural. An Anesthesiologist comes in an says that they will be right with me, they have to do a little girls first. I'm like thats fine because...
#1. I don't like my back messed with!
#2. You want to put a needle in my back!
#3. I need to mentally prepare for it!
The little girl in the spot next to me is having a "little" pain with hers. I'm thinking "OH THIS IS JUST JIM FREAKING DANDY!!!" A nurse who is just starting he shift walks over to me with a FREAKING Iced Caramel Macchiato. I asked her if she hated me and she said no and asked why. I told her I would kill for a Caramel Macchiato right about now. We laughed about it. She said that I would not have the trouble that the little girl next to me was having. I told her that was a good thing...


8:50am...

The Anesthesiologist finished with the little girl and comes over to me and aks me if I'm ready and of course I said no. He assured me that I would do fine and Injected my IV with 2 things of some feel good medicine. They had me sit on the side of the bed and lean forward. The Starbucks nurse had me lean into her shoulder and told me I'd be fine. Mr. Epidural Man says that I will feel something cold and BAM he hits me with gauze covered in Beta-dine. I said "What the hell?" He apologized and said that it was just the Beta-dine. I told him that a little bit of warning would be nice next time. He then warms me that I will feel a pinch from the Lidocaine and injects me with that and inserts my Epidural Block. Little Miss Starbucks said that she would bring me a Venti Caramel Macchiato in the morning because I would be on the ICU Floor and she would be working up there...


9:10am...

I'm feeling GOOD from the medication and they bring in Mom, Dad, Nanny, Marie, and Ashlee so that I can see them before I get taken for surgery...


9:20am...

They get me into the Operating Room and onto the Surgery Table. The nurses ask me if I have any last questions, I have one...I ask to see my surgeon. Dr. Houck comes in and i ask him if he can take a picture after he cuts me open so that I can see what my sternum looks like. He said " Sure, that's fine." He told one of the nurses to see if they could find a camera. They never were able to find one. After Dr. Houck leaves to go scrub in, my Anesthesiologist says that he is injecting my IV with something that would make me drowsy but shouldn't make me go to sleep...bullshit! My eyelids got heavy and then I was out of it!!!...




In Recovery...

I don't know what time I woke up in recovery but I remember my eyes being closed but hearing a lot. I was burning up too. They did an x-ray. After some time Mom and Dad got to come back and see me then I was taken to ICU. I was still drowsy but alert. Marie and Ashlee came in and said hi, that they love me and that they were going home so I could get some rest. Nanny and Mom came in and I talked to Daniel on the phone for a few minutes...I don't remember what we said. I said bye to Nanny and Dad came in. Him and Mom stayed with me for a little bit but left too so I could rest.

The rest of that day I spent sleeping!!!


THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE WELL WISHES!!!