Surgery

Made it to the Arkansas Surgical Hospital yesterday morning at 6:30 a.m. Got taken back to pre-op about 7:00. After stripping down to my birthday suit and putting the wonderful gown on I settled into my bed. EKG went good, drawing blood was painless and then come the dreaded blood pressure check. I take bp medicine everyday. Low and behold my bp was 118/83. I can't tell you the last time it was that low. Through the whole waiting time my bp never went up much. Donna (pre-op nurse) got my iv in & started without any problems. Jason come in and then the waiting began (surgery was at 8:30). Got to meet the anethesiologist (gas passer) and then the nurse anethesiologist. After that I HAD to go use the bathroom, which meant walking in pre-op in that wonderful gown. Got snuggled back into the bed and the OR nurse stopped by. FINALLY Dr. Cathey stopped in and explained what would be done. He headed back to OR and the nurse come and got me. Said by to Jason and was on my way. I am very interested in medicine & stuff like that. I was totally awake when they moved me to the OR table. They gave me some medicine that was to relax me and started asking me questions. I told them real quick "yea...give me drugs and then ask me questions!". I had everybody laughing...well that is the last thing I remember.

I got a cd of the surgery and Jason and I are going to watch it tonight....can't wait.

The thought was that the disc was bulging mainly on the right and that the bone spur was mostly on the right...well during surgery it was discovered that it was just as much on the left as on the right. Dr. Cathey was really surprised that I didn't complain about having problems on the left not just the right. Dr. Cathey told Jason that I was one of the easiest, non-complicated surgery he has performed in a while.

I am really feeling like I had surgery...my neck is sore, my shoulders are sore, my throat is sore. None of this is any more than what I've felt since September of last year. I just keep in mind that once I am over the soreness from surgery that I will feel great. I just have to wonder though...the metal plate & screws in my neck...will it make the alarm sound when I go through screening at the airport???