Countdown to surgery #1

The ostomy nurse came and gave me a bunch of brochures and information on what I was about to deal with. She was very helpful and answered all my questions. Surgery was set for a few days, Feb 24, 2011. She came and helped me pick a reasonable spot for my stoma. She put a red dot on my stomach and we were all set. Because I had lost so much weight and was on so much medication, there was some nervousness about going through with surgery. My nutrition was good though so my surgeon approved me and said recovery might be a little longer just because I was so sick to begin with. 

Here comes Feb 24 and I am happy, scared, anxious, nervous...every emotion you could have, I think I was experiencing. I was so tired of being so sick that I was ready to do this but I don't think it all really set in about what was going to happen. I wish my surgery was in the morning but of course not. I had to wait in anticipation all morning and afternoon. My surgery was around 2pm I think. Can't quit remember. My parents were there and planned to be there for the 3-4 hour surgery. Surgery is not fun and very scary. They wheeled me into the operating room which is just a huge white room with a whole bunch of strange looking equipment. There had to be at least five or more people in that room running around doing things.

I laid on the operating table and they told me to hold out my arms (as if I was being checked at security in the airport). They strapped my arms to the table and put some funny things on my legs so they didn't get blood clots. Some nurse was talking to me and I told her that I was freaking out and she said she was going to give me something to calm me down through my IV. So she did, then a few minutes, she put the oxygen mask over me and I just remember being so nervous watching all the nurses walk around and fiddle with me. Then I was out.

I woke up so out of it and confused. My parents were right by my side in the recovery room. It was around 11pm or midnight..don't remember. The surgery that was supposed to take 3-4 hours took about 8!!! My dad has explained me the reason for this a million times but I always forget. The surgeon told my dad that if he was in the position I was in in the operating room, he wouldn't last a minute. Apparently I was put in all type of positions. When I finally came around, I felt like a bus had hit me and I was colon-free.