Day 13

I'm at school again. I've already done all my work... I guess this gives me the opportunity to blog. :)

-Back Story Back Story: Part Three-

First, I'll start off by saying something that actually happened before all the back pain. My friend Taylor had scoliosis, and had to get rods in her spine. I went to visit her in the hospital a couple days after her surgery. Her mom showed us the x-rays and we were shocked how much straighter her spine was. Now before I go on, let me point out that Taylor is the tallest person I know. Before the surgery, she was 5'8". I was 5 foot even. Immediately after the surgery, she had 'grown' two inches. She didn't actually grow, her spine was just so curved that it was making her almost shrink. When I saw her in the hospital, I jokingly said to her, "I wish I could have some growth-increasing surgery!" If this isn't ironic, there is obviously some small monkey in your ear giving you a false definition of the word.

So anyway, back to lets say... July. I was very stressed out and worried about everything. I just remembered, it was July that I found out about my back, not June. It's funny, when I'm stressed, I bake. Remember, stressed spelled backwards is desserts! :)

So I was pretty much doing the same thing from August to December. Those last few days of school were kinda stressful, but I had some friends come visit me the night before I went to the hospital. My friend Lauren, who I've known for almost ten years, spent most of Sunday night with me.

This would be part four, but that would be too many parts for a Back Story. Anyway, this is the actual surgery portion of the Back Story.

I woke up at about five that morning. I had to be at the hospital at 6, but I didn't really have to do anything. I literally rolled out of bed and got in the car. In the car, we put this stuff on my arm that made it numb so I wouldn't feel it when I got stuck with  needles... It didn't work... :(

We got to the hospital, and went to the front doors, but it was dark inside. The door was locked. We had to go through the main hospital then into the children's hospital, but it was still funny. I got checked in, and they brought me back to the little holding room thing. I brought my stuffed giraffe Herbert, that I got at my pre-op at my last surgery. I changed into my gown and everything, then they started to prepare me...

It was pretty easy at first. They had to connect some wires to my head, but the only bad thing about that was the glue... After all the wires were connected, they came over to work on the IV...

Six times they tried to get the IV in. At first I didn't mind, because the numb stuff was working, but apparently that stuff shrinks your veins so it's harder to get a needle in. Eventually, they had to go away from the numb areas. Have you ever had to be stuck in the wrist? It hurts!!! Eventually, they decided to just knock me out then do the IVs. (Yes, multiple.) I was perfectly fine with that, until I realized that they had to give me the loopy stuff through the IV... So I was perfectly conscious and aware of everything while they were wheeling me down the hall to the OR. That was probably the scariest thing ever... I remember I was lying in the bed thing and they were getting ready to knock me out. My mom was standing over me, along with about 20 other people. One of the nurses sort of laid the gas on my chest, so I could breathe a little of it, but it wasn't enough for me to sleep. I was sitting there trying to inhale as much as I could, and I can imagine I looked pretty funny. Finally, they decided to put the mask on my face. They put Dr. Pepper chap stick in the mask, so now I was pretty much inhaling my favorite soda. In a few seconds I was out. I do remember my mom telling me that she would be there when I woke up though.

When I eventually did wake up, I was still in the OR. I looked around for my mom, but she wasn't there. I was kind of sad actually... I asked where my parents were, and a nurse told me they went to get something to eat. I was wheeled down to the ICU, where I stayed for probably one of the worst nights of my life. After a few minutes of doctors and nurses running around me trying to get me hooked up to various pain killers and machines, my mom and dad walked in. Apparently, during the last half hour or so of the surgery, a nurse came out and told them that they should go get something to eat before I came out. They finished up a little early. The surgery lasted five hours. I am SO glad it felt like a few seconds!

In the ICU, there are two patients separated by a curtain. While I was on one side, a small baby was on the other side. She was about three months old, about the same age I was when I had my first surgery. She was in there after a de-tethering surgery with Dr. Fuchs, the same surgeon I had. Coincidence? I think not.

That first night was really hard. There is almost no room in there for other people, only enough for the bed, nurse, and all the IV stuff. There was one chair for someone to sit in, but it was probably the most uncomfortable chair ever. My dad was awesome and stayed with me that night, since my mom was going to stay with me for the whole week. His plan was to stay until around seven in the morning, but my mom had to come around four. I don't know why, but other people can't sleep in the ICU rooms. Also, the baby on the other side of the room was crying most of the night, and to try to calm her, some of the nurses were playing a 10-second loop of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star all night. From about 8 that night until 10 that morning, all we heard was that song... Eventually, we got to my more permanent room. It was painted lime green and had crayon trim all around it. I liked it! I don't really remember much more, except for the fact that I had some awesome visitors. (my Girl Scout troop, some friends who brought me awesome food, family, and just other awesome people) Well, the bell just rang, I'll continiue this later!