About 10 minutes before surgery.

The morning started out very early; I had to wake up at 5 am. From there, I took a shower with Hibiclens to disinfect my body, and had to shave my body hair from my bottom rib to below my privates. This was not a fun task and required a lot of careful attention.

Sherry drove me into the doctor’s office, and I didn’t feel any anxiety. It was weird. But that all ended when the nurse tried to get an IV into my right hand and had trouble doing so. I didn’t realize that I was holding my breath and nearly passed out. I couldn’t see, what I could see were purple spots, and my hearing started going away. Within 10 minutes, however, I was better (albeit embarrassed). I’d never had any sensation like that in all the years I’d given blood or had IV’s.

Once the IV was successfully started in my other hand, I was wheeled into the surgery room and began discussing some mundane things with the anesthesiologist and the nurse and then… nothing. I was out. I don’t even remember the sensation of going out. It went from “Talk, talk, talk,” to nothing.

When I awoke, I remember I was already in a wheel chair. I am told that I did talk to the staff there, but I remember none of it. I do remember having to get into the car, and it was uncomfortable. I remember getting home and being taken from the car to my bed, and that was also uncomfortable. But, thanks to modern medicine, I was out for most of the day except for those times I needed to be administered more medicine. I had to walk a few times, and the first two times were not easy. I could feel the abdominal muscle sutures, and they felt very painful. Fortunately, the pain medicine works well, and I was able to get a full night’s sleep.