Sera's Surgery

My week at MUSC was an adventure to say the least. I was told going into the surgery this was the one of most painful operations performed at MUSC by Dr. Hebra, my Pectus surgeon. No one can prepare you for the pain you endure after this procedure. I was lucky to have the support of my family during this time. I also had many people praying for me and I did much praying myself. The night before surgery I got ZERO sleep. I was so nervous about the procedure. I had to check into the surgery waiting room at 5:30am Monday, September 9th. The thing I was most afraid of was being put to sleep. Everyone reassured me this would be the least of my worries.

BEFORE SURGERY
I was trying to stay calm. I had my family by my side. My Pastor came and prayed with me and my parents. This helped me so much and I felt so much more relaxed. I relied on God for my comfort and the fact my family was with me. I was warned about the risks involved and the pain associated with the procedure. I remained positive and talked myself through the last few minutes before surgery. I went to the operating room at 6:55 AM.

AFTER SURGERY

After finally coming to my senses after being under the knife, I was in rough shape. I looked like the living dead. I was doing okay, and I was dealing with the pain. I had an epidural, but the pain was still there. I also was given IV pain medicines as well. My chest felt really tight when I would breathe in and out. I was most tender under my right arm, which is where the "stabilizer" is. Dr. Hebra told me this would be the most painful spot. The stabilizer is expanding my ribs which is causing the most pain. The stabilizer keeps the metal bar in my chest in place. 

DAY TWO 

Tuesday was my WORST day. My epidural quit working around 7 PM. My day time Pain Management team was AMAZING, but that night there was some miscommunication among the hospital staff. I did not get any pain relief until 2AM. My mom was with my that night and stayed by me. I had to talk myself through the excruciating pain. I felt like I could not breathe, my "pain level" was at a 10, and I was in a panic. I had never been in that much pain, even during child birth. I had to talk myself through the situation. My mom had to talk to me as well. I did not quit praying. I tried not to cry, because it made my chest hurt worse. I could not hold back the tears. I eventually got some sleep and my day time Pain Management Team came in at 7AM and my epidural was working shortly after. 

DAY THREE 

By Wednesday I was sitting and standing. I was fighting pain, feeling nauseous, and the urge to faint. I got through it and being in a chair was much better than being in the hospital bed! 

DAY FOUR 

I got to walk down the hall! I was beyond excited to be out of my room. It was a huge accomplishment, considering I could not even lift my head on Monday. 

DAY FIVE 

NO MORE EPIDURAL! I finally could be epidural free. I will explain really fast how this worked. The epidural was placed higher up than when I had Haiden. It was in between my shoulder blades to numb my chest and arms. This is known as the "T3 and T4" regions. I was so glad to be able to feel my fingers, but this meant I had to adjust to the pain as well. I was given oral pain medication along with the IV medications. 

DAY SIX 

By this day I was moved to another room. The doctors revealed to me I would be returning home the next day. They were preparing me for leaving the hospital and what to expect. I had to work on taking deep breaths and reach a certain number on this little device before I was given the okay to leave the hospital. 

DAY SEVEN 

I was discharged from MUSC. When I got in the car with my mom I started bawling. When she asked me why I was crying I replied "I'm just so happy to be going home".  I had a room full of flowers given to me at the hospital and a brand new Coach purse on my bed. I won the Coach purse thanks to a wonderful woman involved with the Children's Hospital in Boston. She entered my name in the drawing and I won! 

MORE FROM MY HOSPITAL STAY:

THERAPY DOGS 

I was visited by therapy dogs. It made me feel so much better. We watched the monitors and it IS true what they say about petting dogs lowering your blood pressure! 

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, NOT YOUR PROBLEMS 

There was a little boy two rooms down from me before I was moved. He had no family and watched TV and ate by himself every night. Chris kept telling me about how he was just sitting on the edge of his bed with his tray. Chris would walk by his room, since his door would always be open. He would tell me he would be playing with toys or watching SpongeBob. So Chris took it upon himself to buy him more toys to make him feel better. We were not allowed to give them to the little boy, due to patient privacy. My nurse took the toys to him and told us he was having a blast after opening them. This made me aware of how blessed I was. I have never been left alone without family at a hospital at any point in my life. I had a family and this little boy who was about 7 years old was alone. He did not have a mom to comfort him after getting a shot. He didn't have family to visit him and tell how much they loved him. I just wanted to take him home. I was told his hospital stay was a long one and it would be awhile before he was discharged. He was the cutest little boy and had the sweetest face. He was always smiling despite his circumstances. 

ALL IN ALL 

I am happy with the end result of my surgery. I will gladly put up "After" pictures when I start to feel better. My chest looks wonderful and I am praying for a speedy recovery! My mom actually got a picture of me blogging. When I wasn't looking! I told her NO PHOTOS TODAY (haha).