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Interstim Diary -- Day One with the Permanent Implant
Well, guys and gals, it's in and working. I'm a little loopy, so forgive any typos in this diary entry...
Got to the surgery center this morning at 9:30 as requested-- after not sleeping much last night due to nerves. I woke up several times dreaming of surgery occuring without anesthesia, and realized it was just my bladder reminding me it was there and scared.
When we arrived at the hospital, they took me right back and there was no waiting around in the waiting room, at least for me -- at this surgery center, they take the patient back, do all of the tests and IV starting, and then bring husbands or other caretakers back to wait with you. Maybe it has to do with some people being squeamish about all that?
Anyway, when I got there I had to pee in a cup again for a pregnancy test. Since they use fluoroscopy, which is basically a repetitive-shot X-ray machine, to place things, they always check for pregnancy so if the patient IS pregnant, she can back out of the procedure if she wants. (Of course, I wasn't pregnant as hubby and I haven't had intercourse -- just "nights for him" since my Interstim trial began.
)
My urine looked awful -- I had been flaring since last night and was in a lot of pain upon arrival, and my urine had those flakes of tissue it gets when I'm flaring hard. The nurse saw that and helped me back to my little bed/recliner, and asked me what my pain level was... then she disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a syringe and IV supplies. After starting my IV with Ringer's lactate to rehydrate me and my first bag of antibiotics, she said the anesthesiologist said it was okay and gave me a little bit of Demerol to ease my bladder pain. A big
shout-out to the nurse and anesthesiologist!!
Once all that was started, the anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. It was a different doctor than last time. This doctor was especially thorough, and wanted to do full general anesthesia -- and sure enough, it was indicated with a note as of this morning that I should have it if possible. I had been prepared for the possibility of this happening, and took this to mean that the two nurse anesthetists that my urologist doesn't trust to hold a deep enough sedation were working... so I agreed.
Being very thorough, this anesthesiologist requested I be given a treatment for my asthma before the anesthesia in order to be extra certain to maintain patency of my airway during surgery. I got a nebulizer treatment with oxygen and albuterol (Ventolin) while in pre-op, which no other anesthesiologist has ever requested -- BUT I must admit, my lungs do feel better than normal this time, too.
Then John was allowed to come back to sit with me. I was a little loopy from my pain med and from breathing oxygen rapidly during the treatment(higher concentrations of oxygen can do that), but it made the time pass a little faster. John was a bit surprised about the change in anesthesia, but we made light of the situation and he joked around, making me laugh.
Again, they were behind schedule (surprise, surprise), and I was taken into the OR at 11:29 for a surgery scheduled for 10:30...
Oh well. What can ya do, right?
Anyway, I was asked to lay on a stretcher, and it was FREEZING in the OR, so they covered me with pre-warmed blankets. Of course, that's when things start happening fast; I was given something via IV to relax me and stop me from shaking, and they put all the EKG leads and other things on me. The oxygen mask was put on and I was told to take deep breaths, as usual.
To me, the difference between being induced to general anesthesia via IV and being sedated is like the difference between floating and being punched. The medications for sedation slowly and peacefully come into your bloodstream and you smile and float down, down, down... the induction meds for general come into your body with a burning, cramping sensation that travels up your arm, jumps to your jaw like a smack in the face.. then just a slight awareness of a metallic taste, and then.... mercifully, nothing.
All of this was done on my back; I don't remember anything, but I do know that as soon as the patient is down, the anesthesiologist paralyzes and intubates her, and begins maintaining the anesthesia using gas through the endotracheal tube. As soon as all that was done, I was flipped over onto my stomach, and Dr. Evans worked his magic back there on my butt.
When I woke up, I heard things then began to see things in the recovery room -- I felt something on my face, an oxygen mask, but the combination of anesthesia fog and unfamiliar surroundings caused me to swat at the mask and shout a bunch of unintelligible stuff to the nurse... LOL I then started to struggle, because I was on my back, flat, right on my incision... YEOOWWCH. They managed to get me to keep my mask on and quiet down, and they then rolled me onto my side for comfort. I fell asleep again for a few minutes, but woke with a start a little bit later... felt foggy, but slowly I became more and more awake.
When I was awake and lucid enough, I was given some pain medication via IV, and my husband and the Medtronic rep both came into my cubby. I immediately reached out for hubby to hold his hand. The rep proceeded to begin programming my new Interstim II through my skin... I jumped sky high when he first placed the equipment against my fresh incision, and he reduced the pressure, thankfully. In a few minutes, everything was ready, and the stimulation slowly came on. We got it to a place where I was pleased with it, where it felt like it did with the temporary box, and then the rep showed us how to use the remote control. Mostly, he showed John at that point, because I was still sort of out of it
After that, when I was awake enough, I was taken to a second recovery area and given crackers and beverages... I drank deeply to ease my sore throat from the intubation and again ate all the crackers provided ... LMAO
The incision is just about two to three inches long, but it HURT though, so I was given more IV pain stuff and then, when they were positive I wasn't going to puke my guts out, a Percocet by mouth. All of that eased the pain and brought it down to about a 4 or so. Tolerable.
A while later, I was sent home, and rode home in the back seat of John's car... we had engineered it so that my butt incision wouldn't touch anything. I had my pillows and lay on my right side (the stim is on the left) and held a pillow behind my thighs to keep my lower back away from the seat. John covered me with a blanket and off we went.
I slept a good deal of the ride home. While I slept, John dropped off my prescription for antibiotics at Walgreens, and will go back later to get it.
Mostly now I am just resting, trying to stay off the incision, and waiting for the residual loopiness to go away
As for the Interstim, the stimulation is in the same place it was with the the trial stimulator, and so far, it is working just as well!!! Let's hope it continues to do so!!!!!!
Got to the surgery center this morning at 9:30 as requested-- after not sleeping much last night due to nerves. I woke up several times dreaming of surgery occuring without anesthesia, and realized it was just my bladder reminding me it was there and scared.
When we arrived at the hospital, they took me right back and there was no waiting around in the waiting room, at least for me -- at this surgery center, they take the patient back, do all of the tests and IV starting, and then bring husbands or other caretakers back to wait with you. Maybe it has to do with some people being squeamish about all that?
Anyway, when I got there I had to pee in a cup again for a pregnancy test. Since they use fluoroscopy, which is basically a repetitive-shot X-ray machine, to place things, they always check for pregnancy so if the patient IS pregnant, she can back out of the procedure if she wants. (Of course, I wasn't pregnant as hubby and I haven't had intercourse -- just "nights for him" since my Interstim trial began.
)My urine looked awful -- I had been flaring since last night and was in a lot of pain upon arrival, and my urine had those flakes of tissue it gets when I'm flaring hard. The nurse saw that and helped me back to my little bed/recliner, and asked me what my pain level was... then she disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a syringe and IV supplies. After starting my IV with Ringer's lactate to rehydrate me and my first bag of antibiotics, she said the anesthesiologist said it was okay and gave me a little bit of Demerol to ease my bladder pain. A big
shout-out to the nurse and anesthesiologist!!Once all that was started, the anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. It was a different doctor than last time. This doctor was especially thorough, and wanted to do full general anesthesia -- and sure enough, it was indicated with a note as of this morning that I should have it if possible. I had been prepared for the possibility of this happening, and took this to mean that the two nurse anesthetists that my urologist doesn't trust to hold a deep enough sedation were working... so I agreed.
Being very thorough, this anesthesiologist requested I be given a treatment for my asthma before the anesthesia in order to be extra certain to maintain patency of my airway during surgery. I got a nebulizer treatment with oxygen and albuterol (Ventolin) while in pre-op, which no other anesthesiologist has ever requested -- BUT I must admit, my lungs do feel better than normal this time, too.
Then John was allowed to come back to sit with me. I was a little loopy from my pain med and from breathing oxygen rapidly during the treatment(higher concentrations of oxygen can do that), but it made the time pass a little faster. John was a bit surprised about the change in anesthesia, but we made light of the situation and he joked around, making me laugh.
Again, they were behind schedule (surprise, surprise), and I was taken into the OR at 11:29 for a surgery scheduled for 10:30...
Oh well. What can ya do, right?Anyway, I was asked to lay on a stretcher, and it was FREEZING in the OR, so they covered me with pre-warmed blankets. Of course, that's when things start happening fast; I was given something via IV to relax me and stop me from shaking, and they put all the EKG leads and other things on me. The oxygen mask was put on and I was told to take deep breaths, as usual.
To me, the difference between being induced to general anesthesia via IV and being sedated is like the difference between floating and being punched. The medications for sedation slowly and peacefully come into your bloodstream and you smile and float down, down, down... the induction meds for general come into your body with a burning, cramping sensation that travels up your arm, jumps to your jaw like a smack in the face.. then just a slight awareness of a metallic taste, and then.... mercifully, nothing.
All of this was done on my back; I don't remember anything, but I do know that as soon as the patient is down, the anesthesiologist paralyzes and intubates her, and begins maintaining the anesthesia using gas through the endotracheal tube. As soon as all that was done, I was flipped over onto my stomach, and Dr. Evans worked his magic back there on my butt.
When I woke up, I heard things then began to see things in the recovery room -- I felt something on my face, an oxygen mask, but the combination of anesthesia fog and unfamiliar surroundings caused me to swat at the mask and shout a bunch of unintelligible stuff to the nurse... LOL
I then started to struggle, because I was on my back, flat, right on my incision... YEOOWWCH. They managed to get me to keep my mask on and quiet down, and they then rolled me onto my side for comfort. I fell asleep again for a few minutes, but woke with a start a little bit later... felt foggy, but slowly I became more and more awake. When I was awake and lucid enough, I was given some pain medication via IV, and my husband and the Medtronic rep both came into my cubby. I immediately reached out for hubby to hold his hand. The rep proceeded to begin programming my new Interstim II through my skin... I jumped sky high when he first placed the equipment against my fresh incision, and he reduced the pressure, thankfully. In a few minutes, everything was ready, and the stimulation slowly came on. We got it to a place where I was pleased with it, where it felt like it did with the temporary box, and then the rep showed us how to use the remote control. Mostly, he showed John at that point, because I was still sort of out of it
After that, when I was awake enough, I was taken to a second recovery area and given crackers and beverages... I drank deeply to ease my sore throat from the intubation and again ate all the crackers provided ... LMAO
The incision is just about two to three inches long, but it HURT though, so I was given more IV pain stuff and then, when they were positive I wasn't going to puke my guts out, a Percocet by mouth. All of that eased the pain and brought it down to about a 4 or so. Tolerable.A while later, I was sent home, and rode home in the back seat of John's car... we had engineered it so that my butt incision wouldn't touch anything. I had my pillows and lay on my right side (the stim is on the left) and held a pillow behind my thighs to keep my lower back away from the seat. John covered me with a blanket and off we went.
I slept a good deal of the ride home. While I slept, John dropped off my prescription for antibiotics at Walgreens, and will go back later to get it.
Mostly now I am just resting, trying to stay off the incision, and waiting for the residual loopiness to go away
As for the Interstim, the stimulation is in the same place it was with the the trial stimulator, and so far, it is working just as well!!! Let's hope it continues to do so!!!!!!
Get some rest now. I'm very relieved that you are back home and this surgery is behind you.
Janie
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