Happy Birthday to Me!

So here is just a short follow up to yesterdays post. This birthday was pretty much as boring if not more boring than my last one, with one little exception. I woke up and had a doctors appointment, and dropped off some "birthday" donuts to my department at the clinic so I wouldn't get razzed for not bringing a birthday treat.

Then I went out and bought myself a birthday present. I decided that in honor of my 26th birthday I deserved diamonds. So I bought myself a diamond right hand ring that I have been drooling over for the last three years. When I walked into the store and saw that is was 75 percent off on clearance I knew it was time to make it mine.

Then I went home and made my own birthday cake, yellow with chocolate frosting. Then my parents took me out for dinner. They actually tried to get me to have one alcoholic beverage, but I was too afraid to chance it with any alcohol after my surgery so I had water, and soup....and my birthday sundae. Complete with song and full on embarrassment.

The Day Before The Dip

So today is February 4th. My birthday is February 5th, tomorrow, and tomorrow I will turn 26, and officially begin my descent down the hill toward 30. Now don't get me wrong I am not freaking out about it or anything 26 is still young. Its just that now I am on the other side of 25, that happy little middle ground where your not quite pushing 30. And starting tomorrow, I will officially be pushing 30.

It probably wouldn't bother me at all if I wasn't bothered by the rest of my life. You know the no husband and 2.5 children part gets to be a little more annoying at this age. I never finished college like I planned on. I am working an "ok" job I guess, but I could do better. And oh yeah, I LIVE WITH MY PARENTS!!!! I am working on remedying that last one here soon, but you know it doesn't help matters at all. Oh well, I started this blog with no particular game plan or exit strategy. So in conclusion, Happy Birthday to me.

Tonsillectomy Do's and Dont's

So since its been a little over a week since I had my tonsils viciously yanked from the back of my throat, and had my deviated septum fixed I decided it was probably time for me to write a little blog about my experience.

So as far as I know my surgery went really well. I woke up in the recovery room feeling like I had swallowed shrapnel and then reached up for my nose, which had no bandages on it. I think at that point I said something probably strange sounding to the recovery room nurse asking if he even corrected my nose. Which he did, and he didn't lie about that not hurting, I was fortunate enough to not have any pain associated with the septoplasty (horay). But I made up for the lack of septoplasty pain with tonsil pain.

So after having almost two cups worth of ice chips in the recovery room we were off to my hospital room that I would be spending the night in. As soon as they got me off of the gurney I suddenly became as hot as a menopausal woman on the 4th of July. I was sweating like nobodies business and then I had to puke, so that should have set the tone for my week. Then after the nurses got me into my bed, I kicked all the covers off and had them put my hair up in a very haphazard rubber band pony tail to help me cool off.

Then after that they brought me my pain medication it was a liquid narcotic called Roxicet and it was my savior, especially considering that I just threw up....you know after tonsil surgery...stomach acid, open wound, you get the picture it hurt like hell. Then it was time to parade my family in, and for me to pass out. Around ten after my parents left (and several doses of pain meds later) it was time for me to go to the bathroom and clean up for the night. Now mind you I was under the impression that I would get a little help since I was drugged up with an IV in my arm, but I thought wrong.

So I was put in the bathroom with a "bath in a bag" and left to my own devices to clean up and change into a new gown. Ok, no big deal. The cleaning up went slow, but it was ok. And then it was time to put a gown on. Now they handed me a gown that had none of the sleeve snaps done up so I had to snap them together. And I had an IV in my arm, so its not like I could just slip my arm into it. So I crack the bathroom door to look for help. No help in sight. So I stick my arm in there and try to button it up while holding it up with my teeth and trying to stay in the upright and locked position. So finally after about 5 minutes I managed to figure my gown out and went out to tuck myself into bed.

The nice RN came into my room and slipped a little Demerol into my IV. Oh sweet demerol how I love you, it made me fall right asleep. So the night went pretty well I just had to get up about every two hours to pee (constant IV fluids will do that) and get new ice for the ice packs on my neck.

So skip the boring shit, night went fine yada yada. Woke up and got flowers from my co workers blah blah. Then they brought me scrambled eggs and hash browns for breakfast. HELLO I just had my tonsils out and you want me to eat that?!?!? I tried half heartedly a couple eggs, then I made the nurse bring me jello. Later after I had chocked down lunch (scalloped potatoes and ham). The nice nurse lady went to give me one last dose of demerol to make my drive home comfortable. As soon as she finished putting it in, it was like WHAM, suddenly I jerked upright and thought for sure I was about to puke again. But then nothing happend, and they sent me home about a half hour later. Lesson learned here: Demerol not always my friend.

So on the car ride home, I managed to throw up three times, thank god they sent me with a puke bag. When I got home, it was time for more Roxicet, sweet roxicet. However after taking it and a short nap I started what would become the longest night of my life. I threw up more Wednesday night then I think I have thrown up in my whole life. Any attempt to have any food or water was immediately thwarted with me puking. So naturally I became very dehydrated and got a wicked headache.

By that point my sore throat was not my big issue, it was the puking and the headache. So after that my mother called the hospital and spoke to the ENT on call. Now this genius thought that making me take suppositories was going to stop me from throwing up. So after my dad got back from the drug store, I had to assume the position to add insult to injury and have my mother shove a little bullet up my ass ( which burned like hell by the way). Well much to my not amazement the little suppository didn't do shit, so it was off to the emergency room.

When I got there much to my disappointment the worst ER doc ever was on duty. I know this since I work for the hospital and I have worked with him in the past, he thinks everyone is a drug seeker, and has had more complaints then any other provider in the system (good guy). Well luckily my uncle the nurse practitioner that works in the hospital had called ahead and talked to him, so I had no problems at all. So three bags of IV fluids and some anti nausea meds later I went home.

So I spent the rest of my recovery time taking kids tylenol for the tonsillectomy pain. Kids tylenol. KIDS TYLENOL!!! That's like putting a band aid on a bullet wound. But since the good stuff made me puke my guts out (even looking at the bottle makes my stomach flip) that's what I had to work with.

Well that concludes the interesting part of my story, so I wont bore with anymore details. Here is Inga's list of Tonsillectomy Do's and Dont's

1. Don't over-do the ice chips in the recovery room
2. Do ask for help when its time for a new gown
3. Demerol is not your friend
4. Don't eat scrambled eggs for your first meal
5. Don't take the roxicet, its not worth it
6. Do get the junior strength dissolving tylenol tabs they are bubble gum flavored
7. Don't let anyone talk you into using a suppository for nausea
8. Do use the ice bags on your neck it helps