The next thing I knew, David, the orderly, came into our room with a rolling bed and asked me to jump-on so that we could head to the operating room. Showtime! Outside the operating room, I had fun with the anesthesiologist who was surprised at several of his observations: 1) the fact that I wasn’t on any medication, 2) my exceptionally low blood pressure and 3) that I had never had any prior surgery. The medical community is not used to dealing with proactive people who are in relatively good health.
While waiting to go in for the surgery after speaking with the operating room nurse, I had another opportunity for prayer. I’ve learned to pray for God’s will instead of my will or my desires. I now know that each thing that occurs in my life will somehow bring me closer to God – even if it’s painful. My prayers are always answered even if I don’t like the answer.
My body must have taken very well to the anesthesia because the last thing that I remember is being rolled into the operating room. I never saw my surgeon in the operating room. I don’t remember counting backwards from 100. I have zero recollection. The next thing that I remember is waking up in the recovery room feeling unbelievably happy. Was it the medication or the joy of being conscious and back in this world again? It think that is was a little of both, but mostly the latter.
My sense of joy was tempered by the fact that I had an overwhelming desire to urinate. So much for being in that state of bliss for very long. I asked the nurse if she could take me to a bathroom. She responded by saying that she had a few things to do and that she would wheel me back up to my room as soon as she finished. That sounded to me like I might have a little wait on my hands – or lower. Could I wait? Once I arrived in my room, I was greeted by my wife who looked relaxed and beautiful as she sat reading a magazine. I think that she really enjoyed 3/4 of a day of uninterrupted silence at home without her loud husband coming into the kitchen every couple of hours for hugs, kisses or conversation. After a very quick “hello” to my wife, I asked the nurse if I could please visit the bathroom.
What I had anticipated as being a moment of tremendous relief turned out to be a time of equally tremendous pain. In order to remove the kidney stone from the bladder, the surgeon goes in and removes it without making an incision. That’s my best clinical language for saying that they go in through the penis when operating on a male (sorry to share that disgustingly graphic factoid!) The pain and burning associated with trying to urinate was now balanced by the tremendous urge to purge. To Pee or Not to Pee, became the question of the moment. Which is the lesser of the two pains?
After that awful experience in the bathroom, I got dressed and went back out with my wife while waiting to be discharged from the day-surgery. While sitting there, the pain in my back and abdomen (similar to the kidney stone pain) came on in full force. The nurse then mentioned that I could have an Oxycodone (for the pain) and that I could pick up some pills if I was experiencing any burning sensation while urinating. I knew for the first time in my life what real pain felt like and how much I desired both of those medications. The nurse gave me one Oxycodone at the hospital which seemed to do nothing to alleviate the pain and I impatiently waited alone at home while my wife went to conduct the drug deal at the pharmacy.
The second Oxycodone significantly helped with the pain and I finally felt well enough to eat and drink for the first time after 20 hours of fasting at about 8PM. I really like eating!
Talk about life’s simple pleasures. I was ecstatic to be sitting at our kitchen counter eating two of my son’s frozen Eggo waffles with fresh blueberries and for the ability to be able to go to the bathroom with a little less pain. Thank you drugs. Thank you Carolyn. Thank you God!
After a great night’s rest, I was up at the crack of dawn thankful to be back into the old routine – meditation, reading of scripture, affirmations and breakfast- and off of the Oxycodone!!!!! I even thought about going to the gym, but the nurse asked me to wait until Sunday. Life is good!
More to come!
