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(Sarojini deserves the Presidents award for providing a full, clear description of her experience with this surgery. I hope she continues to give us updates! - Jill O.)
Well gals, I made it through the trial surgery and lived to tell about it
We thought the roads might be icy this morning, so we left early -- but the roads were FINE and we got there 45 minutes early!! But, they took me back into pre-op anyway and started getting me into my gown, socks, and dumb bouffant cap.
The nurse then told me to pee in some cup, and of course I couldn't -- first of all, I had just gone in the lobby, since I didn't know they would call me so soon, and second, I was starting to get nervous and "retain-y." So, she left that cup in the bathroom and said we'd try later after I'd had some IV fluids.THEN, the anesthesiologist came by and started by saying, "Ok, well, you've had this done before, so..." HUH????????????????????????????? I said, "Wait!!! I am having Stage I InterStim today!!! I don't already have one of those!!" Turns out they were so booked so early they'd mixed up my chart with another of Dr. Evans' patients, who was having a cysto/hydro. If I hadn't said something, and if Dr. Evans didn't know me so well by now, I would have been prepped for and/or given the wrong surgery. SO FOR ALL OF YOU THAT GET MAD WHEN YOU ARE ASKED 50 TIMES WHAT YOUR NAME IS AND WHAT YOU ARE THERE FOR, THIS IS WHY THEY DO IT -- TO AVOID THE WRONG SURGERY STUFF.
Anyway, that was cleared up very quickly, and everything went smoothly. Dr. Evans came to see me, I got my bracelet, my IV was started, and they dumped a ton of lactated Ringers into me. They also gave me a few different antibiotics via IV as well. Then we waited, and waited, and waited....
Finally the nurse anesthetist came in to get me and I actually walked back to the OR. I had to lie down on a gurney on my back first; of course, I complained about it being freezing in there so I got a ton of blankets. Things started happening fast -- putting the pulse oximeter on, putting my EKG leads on, giving me some oxygen -- but I really didn't care since they'd injected something into my IV as soon as I got onto the stretcher, and that was making me feel out of it. Then, somebody said something about putting a Foley catheter in, and someone else said, "Jennifer, we're going to give you a little of something else in your IV now..." I went to sleep for a few minutes after that I guess, because I woke up a few minutes later and they were making me roll over onto the operating table onto my tummy.
"Hey, did you put that catheter in?" I slurred drunkenly.
Someone said they did, and I slurred something about "Good, I don't want to pee on anyone" which got a good laugh.
I must have passed out again on my way down to my stomach, because I woke up again with the anesthesiologist telling me to get my arms out from under me; he needed the IV ports. I stretched them out onto his boards spread eagle style, and he said, "Okay, here's the real stuff..."
And that is ALL I remember about my trial surgery itself!! Pretty dang amazing for just twilight anesthesia (sedation) and not full general...
I do remember waking up in the OR though when it was over; the anesthesiologist was calling me and shaking me, and I kept swatting him -- I was actually DREAMING that my husband and I had gone to the Caribbean!!! LOL
Finally I woke enough to realize I was in the OR, drooling, and I slurred "Is it normal to have a dream???" and the anesthesiologist said, "Yes, I hope it was a good one."'Course, that's when they flopped me back onto my back, and I realized my butt hurt like mad. Back to reality!! Anyway, I was given pain meds in recovery, and then the Medtronic rep came to hook up my external generator and show me how to work it (he'd also gone out to the lobby to show hubby what to do with it first, because he figured I'd be dopey). He futzed with it until the stimulation was in a good place and then clipped it to me. He was really cool and said I was welcome to call him on the weekend, and wrote his number directly on my generator
Then I was taken to the second recovery, and hubby was there waiting... they'd put out crackers and drinks, and I scarfed it all down. I don't know if they've been giving me anti-nausea meds, but the last 3 sedations/anesthetezations I've had, there has been NO nausea and I have immediately wanted to eat. (After they let me out, we went to Ruby Tuesday's because I was so dang hungry....
So, apparently what happened during the time I was out was that Dr. Evans got me spread out on the OR table face down, taped my butt cheeks open, made his incision in my butt, and used fluoroscopy to guide the lead wires into the hole in my sacrum that houses the sacral nerve. Apparently, I was good and he got a hit immediately, because my butt twitched as hoped and my big toe wiggled as hoped. I don't even think he roused me to ask me about the stimulation, but with proper twilight anesthesia I wouldn't remember if he did or not. He DID go out and talk to hubby -- he even showed hubby an X-ray of my wires inside me, and he said, "I made certain not to mess up her tattoo." (I have a biohazard symbol tattooed on my lower back, and sure enough, his surgical tracks go neatly around it.)
There are several incisions (likely used for threading stuff around) on my lower back, upper butt, but they are small, covered with gauze, and taped down with some sort of shrink wrap stuff. Out of all that, a large cord comes from one of the gauze pads (you can also see the lead wire a little under the shrink wrap stuff) and that goes to the generator hooked on my pants.
I'm doing okay now; I'm a bit sore, but already it seems to be helping my frequency, and I feel much emptier when I do go to the bathroom. We will see in a few days.
Right now, I'm going to page the Medtronic guy though, because I feel some stimulation in my FOOT still. I would like to know if there is a way to make that stop since it feels like my left foot is asleep....
Talk to you guys soon with more updates...
)
I have to say thank you for all that you remember and have shared about your experience....well written and may really help someone 
Volunteers are not medical authorities nor do we offer medical advice. In all cases, we strongly encourage you to discuss your medical treatment with your personal medical care provider. Only they can, and should, give medical recommendations to you.
In Memory of My Father (Lawerence) 1/25/2007
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