My surgery experience
November 29, 2010: the date of my surgery.
My surgery was scheduled for 7 in the morning, so I had to be there about an hour early. It worked out well to have it that early because I was half asleep, so I wasn’t too aware of what was going on before they even gave me the anesthetic. I was taken to a room with the wonderful curtain that turns a cove into a “room”. There was a bed and lots of monitors and medical things. I changed into a robe and gave all my clothes to my mom. Because it was early, my friends were all at school before it actually started, so while people were jabbing IVs and other things into me, I was passing the time and keeping my mind off everything by talking to my friends. One nurse told me she just put the anesthetic into the IV, so I should probably get off the phone before I pass out and my friends wonder where I went. I hung up and was wheeled away in the bed. I was pushed into a room. The last thing I remember was “Hey, there’s my doctor!” and then I passed out.
Apparently, I had woken up in the recovery room later that afternoon, but I don’t remember that at all.
The next thing I do remember was waking up about 7 that night, and my back was killing me. I wasn’t aware of much, but I knew my back was really hurting. It was horrible. I talked to my family for a while, I even opened a present from my grandparents, but then I fell back asleep until the next day. That morning I was so out of it, I didn't even remember opening the present! Apparently I loved it both times I opened it!
The nurse came in later and told me I had a button that I could press every 10 minutes and it would put some morphine in my IV to help with the pain. A couple times a day, an RN was supposed to come in a give me pain pills. I had hemoglobin bags and a catheter, and all I was wearing was a hospital gown.
The worst part was that every two hours a nurse would have to come in and roll me onto my side so my back wouldn't get stiff from being still for so long. Every morning, the doctor would come in and check up on me. I had to stand up. The first day, I only had to stand, but it took a really long time and more than one dose of pain medication. I had a walker because I wasn’t stable enough to stand on my own. Later in the week, I was walking down the hallway and back. I also had to walk up and down some steps. I got rid of the walker about 2 days before going home. I spent a total of 7 days (I think) in the hospital.
Once I got home, things got a lot better. It was hard without the morphine pump at first, but the pain got better and better. My surgery was during Thanksgiving break and I only missed the few weeks of school between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so by the time second semester started, I was (pretty much) back to normal.
My teachers were a huge help through the process. My English teacher Mrs. Frost came to my house and gave me my assignments a few times a week, and once I was back at school my teachers let me leave class early and go to my next one so that I wouldn't get stampeded in the hallways.
To make this long story short, Scoliosis is a hard thing for kids to go through. However, if you have loving and supporting friends, family, and teachers, you will be back to normal before you know it.
My surgery was scheduled for 7 in the morning, so I had to be there about an hour early. It worked out well to have it that early because I was half asleep, so I wasn’t too aware of what was going on before they even gave me the anesthetic. I was taken to a room with the wonderful curtain that turns a cove into a “room”. There was a bed and lots of monitors and medical things. I changed into a robe and gave all my clothes to my mom. Because it was early, my friends were all at school before it actually started, so while people were jabbing IVs and other things into me, I was passing the time and keeping my mind off everything by talking to my friends. One nurse told me she just put the anesthetic into the IV, so I should probably get off the phone before I pass out and my friends wonder where I went. I hung up and was wheeled away in the bed. I was pushed into a room. The last thing I remember was “Hey, there’s my doctor!” and then I passed out.
Apparently, I had woken up in the recovery room later that afternoon, but I don’t remember that at all.
The next thing I do remember was waking up about 7 that night, and my back was killing me. I wasn’t aware of much, but I knew my back was really hurting. It was horrible. I talked to my family for a while, I even opened a present from my grandparents, but then I fell back asleep until the next day. That morning I was so out of it, I didn't even remember opening the present! Apparently I loved it both times I opened it!
The nurse came in later and told me I had a button that I could press every 10 minutes and it would put some morphine in my IV to help with the pain. A couple times a day, an RN was supposed to come in a give me pain pills. I had hemoglobin bags and a catheter, and all I was wearing was a hospital gown.
The worst part was that every two hours a nurse would have to come in and roll me onto my side so my back wouldn't get stiff from being still for so long. Every morning, the doctor would come in and check up on me. I had to stand up. The first day, I only had to stand, but it took a really long time and more than one dose of pain medication. I had a walker because I wasn’t stable enough to stand on my own. Later in the week, I was walking down the hallway and back. I also had to walk up and down some steps. I got rid of the walker about 2 days before going home. I spent a total of 7 days (I think) in the hospital.
Once I got home, things got a lot better. It was hard without the morphine pump at first, but the pain got better and better. My surgery was during Thanksgiving break and I only missed the few weeks of school between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so by the time second semester started, I was (pretty much) back to normal.
My teachers were a huge help through the process. My English teacher Mrs. Frost came to my house and gave me my assignments a few times a week, and once I was back at school my teachers let me leave class early and go to my next one so that I wouldn't get stampeded in the hallways.
To make this long story short, Scoliosis is a hard thing for kids to go through. However, if you have loving and supporting friends, family, and teachers, you will be back to normal before you know it.