03 November 2010

Broken, Fractured...and Dislocated - Part VI

So, they wheel me in to the operating room. I notice that they have my x-rays on the light box thingy on the wall.  I guess they need some sort of map before they open me up.  The room was really cold, good thing they have heated blankets.

They park me next to the operating table and have me slide over.  First the nurse moves my left arm to the table extension.  Good thing she was in charge of relocating my arm, as I could not move it.  Actually, she had already moved it when they had me side over.  I thought my arm was still on my chest, only to look over during my bed transfer to see that my arm was already on the table.  Kinda freaky to have no control nor knowledge of one's appendage.  They place my right arm, the one with all the tubes, on another table extension.  I would lie there with my arms spread out...like I am flying.

The next thing I remember, I am waking up in the recovery room.  No countdown or mindless chit chat, nothing.  One minute, I am lying on the operating table, having my right arm placed on the table...the next minute, the doctor is showing me x-rays of the plate he just put in.  I recall going through the motions of Siu Lim Tao, first form of Wing Chun, with my right hand...I was still woozy at the time.  Dr. Shin asked me if I was meditating, and I remember saying, "no, Wing Chun"...or, it was all a dream.  For the next half hour, I would come in and out of conciseness.  Again, I did not notice the procedure was completed until I looked at my hand and was looking at a burrito.  Arm was still blocked, no pain or the ability to move. 

When I started to become more aware of my surroundings, one of the nurses gave me some crackers, cookies, and apple juice as a post operation treat.  Not as good as a toy, but I have not eaten anything since midnight, about fourteen hours.  Food and drink was a good idea.  Coming out of sedation is kinda fun, like being legally high.  I was kept in the recovery room for a while, I guess it takes about an hour for the sedation to wear off.

Once I was conscious enough to check out, the first thing I wanted/need to do was to pee.  Remember the drip?  I got to ride in a wheelchair for the first time.  I guess that is hospital policy to escort a patient via wheelchair so they do not get injure during transport to car.  Yeah, I was wheeled into the bathroom.  Then, wheeled to the special elevator and to the car.  Time to go home and rest.

Remember that block they put on my arm?  It is suppose to last twelve to eighteen hours.  For me, it lasted six.  I took some painkillers as soon as I felt a little tingling.  Did not do much...as the block wore off, the pain started coming, like a fucking runaway freight train. The nerves in along the incision woke up, as well as the 'feeling' in my bones.  I tell you, it was a new kinda of pain. 

Holy shit!  My bones felt like a car rolled over me and all the weight was on my arm, a crushing feeling.  The incision felt like it was on fucking fire.  I mean it really felt like it was burning.  Burning like the towers at the Saddledome after a power play goal by Mark Giordano.  Fuck me, this lasted about two hours before the painkillers kicked in.  Needless to say, I did not sleep well.

Note:  I am writing this four weeks after the day since my injury.  I have lost ten pounds in those four weeks due to loss of muscle mass.  I went from working out seven days a week to nothing.  But, at least I am losing weight, right?

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Go to Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV - Part V - Part VII - Part VIII

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally remember my operating room chit chat; it was about HOT WHEELS! seriously... even on surgery day you can't escape work...