T-minus 10 days and counting...

    The countdown has begun..10 days until my surgery. I have had a couple calls from the staff at Maine Medical Center, where I will be undergoing the "procedure". I guess they do everything but the actual surgery before hand. I had a call from admitting, all checked in. I had a call from the nurse, who took a complete history and meds list over the phone, all done. Now, I am awaiting a call from the anesthesiologist (spell check don't fail me now!!). I am sure he will ask about any prior surgeries I had the pleasure of having had done, and how I fared during them.
    I only hope this doctor is a better doctor then the one I had for Liam's c-section. I can't recall his name, but I usually just refer to him as Dr.'Where's that damn sponge'. Oh I didn't tell you? Yes, I'm sure you have perhaps heard a joke about doctors "losing things" during surgery, but alas, I can tell you it happened to me.
      I have three children, all born via c-section. Brogan was in a breech position, so she had to be a c-section baby. With Cameron, I did my level best to pop him out, but I couldn't do it, so another c-section was had. With Liam, it was a nightmare from the word PUSH!! After struggling mightily with Cameron, I told the last obstetrician I used, " NO LABOR! I want a c-section before labor".
     I was scheduled to go in for surgery on a Monday, and of course, went into labor Saturday night. Ow, ow, ow! After allowing me to labor along with NO PAIN MEDS, the doctor finally allowed me to go to the hospital for surgery, (had to get the ole golf game out of the way..)
      The anesthesiologist met with me, and arranged for a spinal. Poof, it was done in a flash and blessed relief enveloped me at last. So, time for the baby to be born. I was on one side of the curtain, and the doctor was on the other, when suddenly Voila!! It's a boy! Tears of joy, congratulations were said, baby cried, life was good. For a minute.
      Having had this done before, I was pretty familiar with the whole show..spinal, baby, suture up, done. The first two were phases complete, but it seemed the third phase was taking wayyy too long. I suddenly became aware of the clanging of metal trays, sputtering and a general flurry of activity I hadn't recalled during my last two operations.
      Then, suddenly, I literally felt what I like to call a "rooting around" sensation. In my stomach. Accompanied by those words a patient never wants to hear on an operating room table. "Where is that damn sponge???"
       I was becoming acutely aware as the moments ticked by, that I was indeed actually FEELING the doctor inside me, not just feeling the movement. I was getting a sharper more insistent pressure and pain, and said, "Umm...I can feel that..."
      The good doctor tersely snapped, "Feel what??"
       "I can feel you inside me," I managed to squeak out, as I was rocked back and forth on the table, as the sponge search continued.
       At that point, the doctor yelled, "GIVE HER MORE MEDS!" The last thing I remembered as I went back under, was the anesthesiologist muttering, "this is taking too long.." and a very distant "I found the sponge!"
      I woke up later, and was all nice and tidy, but in great pain, and with an incision that didn't heal for about 3 months. "NO more kids!" said I, oh, and of course, "TIME FOR A NEW DOCTOR!!"
      So, perhaps that too is part of why I put off the fistula surgery as long as I have. I hate the thought of surgery again, but there isn't much chance of a missing sponge this time. I don't think. Right? Sponge? Hello..??

 

Photo left to right....Cameron, Sponge, Brogan