G'bye, girls. (:
Waiting around to be sedated.
Sayin' goodbye to them.
The bandages and the drains. But I covered the drains up because I don't want you to see them. (:
Not feeling too bad. All wrapped up and nowhere to go.
So today was my breast reduction surgery! I don't know how many of you know, but I've been dealing with this big bust for most of my adolescent life and it's been taking a toll on my neck and shoulders and back. I ran the half-marathon in Salt Lake at the end of April and I know most of it was that I didn't train (heh heh) but my chest was killing me. I thought, if I ever want to seriously exercise and be an active person, three sports bras aren't going to work. And with all the pain I've got in my shoulders, I needed to get this done.
Well, let me tell you, I was pretty nervous. But last night, my dad gave me a blessing and it really helped. I've been talking with a friend of mine who had the same surgery after her senior year of high school and she highly recommended a Priesthood blessing. She's been giving me all sorts of tips and things to plan for and what to expect, I don't think I would've ever felt so prepared and good about getting this done if it hadn't been for her.
At 5:10 am, Mom drove me to Sunnybrook in south Portland. We got there and waited anxiously in the waiting room, filling out questionnaires and getting the last of my consent forms figured out. Then a male nurse, Aaron, came out to get me. He took me back into the prep room, gave me my gown and went over what they were going to do before they put me under. He was really sweet. He told me he had a ten week-old baby and I asked if it was a boy or a girl and he went right to his iPhone and said, "I have to show him off." (: He showed me pictures of his two little boys, Oliver and... Henry? Anyway, then he left so I could get dressed and I thought I could leave my underwear on but I asked anyway. He said, "They want it all off." I think by my expression he could tell I was a little embarrassed. So he added, "Well, it's a long procedure so they might put a catheter in so it's either off here or they take them off for you in the operating room." So I was butt naked, except for my paper gown. I'm sure all you mothers out there are rolling your eyes at my naivete, but I'm still twenty-years old and have had little public experience down there, mind you. Actually none. So there you go.
Anywho, then Aaron put my IV in and stuck a heater in my gown, which I mighty appreciated. And then they stuck calf compressors on my legs to help massage them during the surgery. I figure I wasn't in too much danger for blood clots, considering I sleep four times as long in the middle of the night, but ah well, I didn't mind. (: Then a bunch of people came in and out all asking, "What's your full name?" "Whitney Marissa Call." "And what are we having today?" "Breast reduction." "And what's being operated on today?" "Breasts." "And what will Doctor Jewett be doing for you, today?" "Breast reduction." I was tempted by the fifth time to just say, "They're chopping my boobs off." But it was too early in the morning for me to get cheeky. (:
Then the Jewett himself came in and marked me up with that purple marker you always see in Extreme Makeover or on the surgery channel. He had an assistant watch what he was doing to me, which was basically making sure the incisions made my breasts symmetrical. Then I laid back down and they administered the sedative to me. The room started spinning and hasn't really stopped yet. (: I don't know what I said when they gave me the sedative, really, just that these nurses' jobs must be really fun to listen to people start going cuh-razy.
Then they wheeled me away to the operating room and switched me over to the table, sticking brain monitors to my head and other such monitors to my shoulders. I don't exactly remember what anyone was saying, just that I was being shifted this way and that. Until finally they gave me the gas mask and I was out.
Then I woke up bruised, bandaged and completely bonkers! I must've talked Nancy's ear off. Nancy was the nurse taking care of me post-surgery. I couldn't quite keep my eyes open at first, they kept rolling in the back of my head. But I did note the bandages wrapping me tightly to myself. And the drains. Now I was nervous about having drains pumping out fluids from my incisions, but these aren't all that bad. It's really just to catch blood that still might be around from the stitches and all, but I can't really see where they go in because my bandages cover them up. They showed me how to change them, well, they showed Mom how to change them. Then I fell back asleep, then I woke up, changed, went to the bathroom and was wheeled out of there to the car.
As soon as I got home, I puked, but I think that was due to all the medications and the fact that I was still out of it and the long car ride home and so I'm grateful I only threw up once and it was all water, anyway.
Now, I'm here. On the bed in my room. I've been here all day, keeping ice to my chest and sleeping. But all in all, I don't feel too bad at all. I feel pretty bruised up, but I know bruises. I've had them all my life, so one big one across my chest isn't too difficult to handle. (:
My mom and dad are being super great to me, getting me my meds and food and water and such. Thank goodness for them, because I still get pretty nauseous when I get up to go to the bathroom.
So that's me so far. Day 1 of the new girls. (: I know that was detailed and long-winded but I'm probably still a little loopy, so you got the whole story. I'll keep you updated but so far, I'm already glad I had this done.
Sayin' goodbye to them.
The bandages and the drains. But I covered the drains up because I don't want you to see them. (:
Not feeling too bad. All wrapped up and nowhere to go.
So today was my breast reduction surgery! I don't know how many of you know, but I've been dealing with this big bust for most of my adolescent life and it's been taking a toll on my neck and shoulders and back. I ran the half-marathon in Salt Lake at the end of April and I know most of it was that I didn't train (heh heh) but my chest was killing me. I thought, if I ever want to seriously exercise and be an active person, three sports bras aren't going to work. And with all the pain I've got in my shoulders, I needed to get this done.
Well, let me tell you, I was pretty nervous. But last night, my dad gave me a blessing and it really helped. I've been talking with a friend of mine who had the same surgery after her senior year of high school and she highly recommended a Priesthood blessing. She's been giving me all sorts of tips and things to plan for and what to expect, I don't think I would've ever felt so prepared and good about getting this done if it hadn't been for her.
At 5:10 am, Mom drove me to Sunnybrook in south Portland. We got there and waited anxiously in the waiting room, filling out questionnaires and getting the last of my consent forms figured out. Then a male nurse, Aaron, came out to get me. He took me back into the prep room, gave me my gown and went over what they were going to do before they put me under. He was really sweet. He told me he had a ten week-old baby and I asked if it was a boy or a girl and he went right to his iPhone and said, "I have to show him off." (: He showed me pictures of his two little boys, Oliver and... Henry? Anyway, then he left so I could get dressed and I thought I could leave my underwear on but I asked anyway. He said, "They want it all off." I think by my expression he could tell I was a little embarrassed. So he added, "Well, it's a long procedure so they might put a catheter in so it's either off here or they take them off for you in the operating room." So I was butt naked, except for my paper gown. I'm sure all you mothers out there are rolling your eyes at my naivete, but I'm still twenty-years old and have had little public experience down there, mind you. Actually none. So there you go.
Anywho, then Aaron put my IV in and stuck a heater in my gown, which I mighty appreciated. And then they stuck calf compressors on my legs to help massage them during the surgery. I figure I wasn't in too much danger for blood clots, considering I sleep four times as long in the middle of the night, but ah well, I didn't mind. (: Then a bunch of people came in and out all asking, "What's your full name?" "Whitney Marissa Call." "And what are we having today?" "Breast reduction." "And what's being operated on today?" "Breasts." "And what will Doctor Jewett be doing for you, today?" "Breast reduction." I was tempted by the fifth time to just say, "They're chopping my boobs off." But it was too early in the morning for me to get cheeky. (:
Then the Jewett himself came in and marked me up with that purple marker you always see in Extreme Makeover or on the surgery channel. He had an assistant watch what he was doing to me, which was basically making sure the incisions made my breasts symmetrical. Then I laid back down and they administered the sedative to me. The room started spinning and hasn't really stopped yet. (: I don't know what I said when they gave me the sedative, really, just that these nurses' jobs must be really fun to listen to people start going cuh-razy.
Then they wheeled me away to the operating room and switched me over to the table, sticking brain monitors to my head and other such monitors to my shoulders. I don't exactly remember what anyone was saying, just that I was being shifted this way and that. Until finally they gave me the gas mask and I was out.
Then I woke up bruised, bandaged and completely bonkers! I must've talked Nancy's ear off. Nancy was the nurse taking care of me post-surgery. I couldn't quite keep my eyes open at first, they kept rolling in the back of my head. But I did note the bandages wrapping me tightly to myself. And the drains. Now I was nervous about having drains pumping out fluids from my incisions, but these aren't all that bad. It's really just to catch blood that still might be around from the stitches and all, but I can't really see where they go in because my bandages cover them up. They showed me how to change them, well, they showed Mom how to change them. Then I fell back asleep, then I woke up, changed, went to the bathroom and was wheeled out of there to the car.
As soon as I got home, I puked, but I think that was due to all the medications and the fact that I was still out of it and the long car ride home and so I'm grateful I only threw up once and it was all water, anyway.
Now, I'm here. On the bed in my room. I've been here all day, keeping ice to my chest and sleeping. But all in all, I don't feel too bad at all. I feel pretty bruised up, but I know bruises. I've had them all my life, so one big one across my chest isn't too difficult to handle. (:
My mom and dad are being super great to me, getting me my meds and food and water and such. Thank goodness for them, because I still get pretty nauseous when I get up to go to the bathroom.
So that's me so far. Day 1 of the new girls. (: I know that was detailed and long-winded but I'm probably still a little loopy, so you got the whole story. I'll keep you updated but so far, I'm already glad I had this done.
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