—Stent Procedure 11/3/2021—
At 10:00 AM, mom and I arrived at the hospital to check-in.
I was to have my procedure at Noon.
At 10:30 AM, mom and I were taken back to a private room with a bed, T.V., and equipment to take my Vitals. I was then told to get naked and put on the robe. I did as I was told.
I was also told that two others were ahead of me.
At 12:30 PM, mom and I were very quiet. Then came 1:00 PM. We both had the same thing going through our minds.
See, I once was scheduled for a 45-minute surgery. That surgery would take a turn for the worse and end up taking my doctor over 9-hours to complete.
My doctor would later tell me that “You dang near died on me.”
All the appointments that were scheduled after my surgery were canceled that day.
My oldest brother told me that my doctor came out of the Operating Room, after 9 hours, with blood on him, visibly upset, and told my family that I was alive and stable. He then explained what had happened. I won’t go into that here, but it wasn’t good.
I would end up staying in the hospital for 36 days that trip.
I was fed through a feeding tube the whole time there.
So, today, now at 2 PM, mom and I feel that something has happened in the Operating Room.
At 2:30 PM, I asked the nurse to turn my overhead lights off so I could close my eyes and nap. I also said a Prayer or two for the person in the O.R.
At 3:00 PM, mom and I talked about the time my 45-minute surgery turned into a 9-hour surgery. Mom then says, “They’ll probably admit you into the hospital and plan on performing your procedure tomorrow. —Something has happened in that Operating Room…”
“Or cancel my procedure for now,” I reply.
At 4:00 PM, the nurse, who has been checking on us the whole time, lets us know that they have finished in the O.R., and the doctor will be coming to see me next.
My doctor comes in. I know he cannot tell us anything about what happened in the O.R. Mom tells him that we remember when he performed a 9-hour surgery on me.
“So, we understand,” I said to my favorite doctor.
“We Prayed for y’all,” Mom adds.
“Thank you, for that” my doctor says back to mom.
My doctor is a Christian. We’ve talked about it.
He then explains the plan of action for me.
“I’m going to go through your ileostomy and replace the Stent in your right Kidney. Then I plan on placing a Stent in your left Kidney as well. Either way, I don’t plan on you having to stay the night. You’ll spend some time in recovery. Then, you’ll spend 45 minutes with the nurses and have to eat and drink and keep everything down for them before you can leave. Altogether, you’ll spend about 2 hours with them before you can leave.”
“Sound good to you?” He asks.
“Yep. Sounds like a plan. Let’s get this thing done!”
I’m wheeled in my bed into one of the many Operating Rooms they have.
This one looks and feels familiar to me. All the rooms probably look and feel the same.
I see the Operating Table, and I know what my part is going to be.
I’ll scoot from the bed I’m in and onto the table. I’ve done it a million and one times.
A mask is placed over my nose.
“This is just oxygen, Mr. Thomas. We will put you to sleep through your I.V.”
“Okay, tell me when you push the juice into my IV, please.”
“It’s in you, Sir.”
I begin my routine. I always try to say The Lords Prayer until I fall asleep.
“Okay… Our Father, who art in Heaven, … um, Z, Y, X, … um, 99, 98, Hallowed be thy name…”
I awake in recovery.
As always, I immediately look around, check my body, make sure nothing went wrong with the procedure.
I notice that I am indeed in the recovery room with other patients. —I’m not in ICU.
My nurse is sitting at the end of my bed charting everything.
“How are you feeling, Mr. Thomas?”
“Actually, I feel fine. I’m not even in pain. Did everything go well?” I ask.
“Everything went fine.”
“Did he get the stent into both kidneys?”
“Yes, Sir. The right Kidney and left Kidney both have stents. It went fine.”
“I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since 7:30 PM last night; Can I have some water or ice, please?”
“Yes, Sir, Here is a cup of ice. You can suck on the ice.”
I take the ice and suck on it. I break the rules and quietly chew it as well.
It tastes so good. It’s tastes like it came from Heaven.
Shortly, I’m wheeled into another section.
In this section, I’m given some Peanut Butter Crackers and Diet Coke to drink. My job is to keep everything down.
The Diet Cokes are tiny cans. I’m guessing 8 ounces.
By the time I finish eating and drinking, I’ve eaten a Blueberry Muffin, a pack of Peanut Butter Crackers, and some kind of health nut bar. I’ve also consumed 4 of those tiny cans of Diet Coke.
Around 6:00 PM, I’m told I can get dressed and leave.
I get dressed, and they wheel me out in a wheelchair to the vehicle.
On the way home, I have momma stop by Milo’s to get me some burgers to eat for dinner.
I hope and Pray the patient that went before me is doing well tonight.
All in all, it went well for me.
I’m to get my stents changed out every year from now on, and I don’t see a problem with it.
That’s all for now.
Thank you all for your thoughts and Prayers.
Love you,
–Lynn
11/3/2021
