Surgery day!

While I am writing this, I am officially 7 hours post op. 😀

This post will just highlight the whole experience while in the hospital. I guess that’s the most significant part anyway. LOL

So me and my wife got to the hospital an hour early, around 7.30am. We went to the Admitting Section of the hospital and they led us to the operating room area. We were greeted by a nurse and she confirmed the details of the procedure. She had me sign the consent form, where I had to use my legal name because as she said “It’s for hospital records kasi.” Then she asked us to wait at the reception area so they can start preparing. My surgeon wasn’t there yet as well.

Around 8.45am, my surgeon arrived and called me inside. Me and my wife was surprised that it’s all happening already. So I kissed her goodbye and she went back to the reception area to wait for our friends. (Later on, I found out she cried when I went in and fell asleep LOL such a cutie :D)

I was given the surgical gown and slippers and was told to go to the theater itself. There were 2 doctors already; the anesthesiologist (the wife of my surgeon) and one other doctor (not sure what specialty). This was where one of the first surprises came in. The anesthesiologist told me that I will be getting an epidural. I was shocked because I know what it is and I know how it was administered. I asked her why and she said it produces less complications and better recovery post-op than general anesthesia. She then joked about me being scared of an epidural yet I have so many tattoos. Haha! Good point, I guess.

My surgeon came in at 9.15am and said he will start the drawing process. He started measuring and making the necessary marks of where the incisions will be and where je will be doing the liposuction. He also marked where the areola would end up and the size we have agreed on. Note that I kept my original nipples, no grafts etc.

The other doctor then told me to lie down on the gurney because she will be starting the IV drip. She said she will be injecting local anesthesia first before the actual IV. Once the IV needle was in, the anesthesiologist came over and injected 1cc of something which she said was anesthesia too. She injected the same amount twice on the IV needle directly and once on the dextrose bottle. Whatever it was, it made my eyes heavy. But I was still alert at this point talking to them.

Then the anesthesiologist announced that she’ll start with the epidural. Whatever the effect of the anesthesia was suddenly wore off because I got scared! LOL. They asked me to do a fetal position and expose my spinal column as best as I could. A nurse positioned himself in front of me so he can make sure that I am curled up as tightly as possible. They disinfected my back and I felt them counting the the discs on my spine and then the needle went it. Then they asked me to lie back down. A few minutes in, I remember saying my legs felt heavy. One of the doctors said “Go ahead. Try to raise your leg.” I remember trying then poof, I was out.

This next part, I’m not sure if it was real or a dream. I woke up with something like gauze over my eyes. I heard my surgeon say “I’ll just finish stitching this up and we’ll start with the bandage.” I remember feeling sore in my armpits and I am not sure if it was because of the drains or because my arms were in spread-eagle position. Then it went black again.

Next moment that I woke up was in the recovery room. Forgive me if this will be fragmented. I remember saying that I am thirsty and the nurse wet a piece of gauze and put it to my lips. Then I also remember exclaiming (in vernacular) Hay ang sarap matulog!. That was embarrassing, whoever heard it. LOL then I saw my surgeon pop his head through the curtain and I even said “Hi doc!” I swear the things I did were really not me. Haha! Later on, my wife told me that when they wheeled me out of the theater, I was all smiles. They were shocked because they were expecting me to be all drowsy etc. But I was smiling like an idiot, said hi to my friends and this is the funniest: we even took pictures! Hahahaha! And yes I was smiling in those pictures. I can’t even remember that moment!

Because I was not in pain, not even nauseous, I was able to get up and get dressed in my basketball shorts and button down shirt. When I stood up, I guess the epidural was still kicking in, because my legs felt like titanium. LOL good thing a wheelchair was there to take me out and into my friend’s car. I was in and out of sleep the whole time we travelled. Me and wife even ended up going to Starbucks before going home! That was how conscious and painless I was. We even walked a block to our house because it was traffic. I swear if it wasn’t for the drains or the tight bandage, it doesn’t feel like I’ve had surgery.

So that sums it up, let’s see how it all goes in the next days 🙂