Double Jaw Surgery as a Mom: Surgery and Day 1

Pain Level: 3
Inconvenience level: 9 (can't feel my lips to eat)

Hey everyone! Here is the run down of the surgery. Be warned, ugly pictures ahead!!

I was pretty calm when we arrived at Kaiser Oakland around 10am. We had to fill out a bunch of paper work. I was asked if I wanted Advance Directive (meaning, someone who will make decisions for me in case I can't). I took the paperwork for that but didnt fill it out.
I changed Abby's diaper for the last time (for a few weeks). I went into the the Pre Op room on the 2nd floor (area 22). Okay, it wasnt an actual room, more like a station with a surrounding curtain. I was at station 71. There was a two year old little boy being pulled around on a radio flyer, listening to disney tunes. He was getting surgery too. Apparently, he'd had issues since birth because his mom had pre eccamsia and they had to do a C-Section at 26 weeks. The mom has to have permanent c section births now.

I did a pregnancy test (obviously it was negative), tried to nurse Abby for the last time. She kept wanting to grab the IV line though, so we had to take her off. There was lots of crying from Steven and I, prayer, and listening to Kari Jobe's song: "I am not alone." Great song for moments like this. I also listened to Meredith Andrews' "I am not alone!"Steven read scripture, kissed me once last time. Then Dr. O came in and said she was just about ready for me. "I have to put cat whiskers on you," she said, as she took a blue ball point pen and drew scribbles on both sides of my face.
I went to the restroom and then waited to be taken back.

Was wheeled into surgery at 1250. Operating room 5.

This big intimidating automatic doors swung open. First thing I saw was 6 people.

To the left were black and white pictures of my face. I asked the male doctor assistant, whose name was Austin if I could get copies of those.

I saw these huge round boom lights overhead (thats best way I can describe them).

I was moved to a smaller bed with a purple donut cushion for my head. Everyone introduced themselves and what their roles were and then I had an iv put in and started taking deep breaths with a mask over my face. They put a breathing tube through my nose after I fell asleep.

I remember becoming conscious in recovery room 90 and seeing that the clock said 620. I was trying to write things down on a random paper. I remember thinking that I had more feeling in my face than I thought I would, could feel my teeth, and my throat hurt more than I thought it would. I was told I might be nauseous and throw up upon waking up. But that didnt happen praise God!

Apparently my friend Barcleigh (whose doing her residency at the same hospital) came in but I don't remember that.

Around 730 I think I was taken to a hospital room on the 8th floor. Room 809

Steven stayed with me for about 2 hours.

I had many different nurses and nurse aids help me. The first one I remember saw my Christian diary and we talked about both being Christians. She showed me some scripture verses on her phone.

She's the only one I've liked so far on this end of things. I've barely been able to sleep and have asked for some pain meds to help twice in 2 hours and haven't gotten anything. They disconnected my iv and I have no idea why. I need fluid too. It'd been hard to get enough with the syringe.

I pumped about 3 ounces of milk around 4:30am.

The nurse took 40 minutes to show up after I paged her. She answered on the call speaker and asked what I needed several times (hello, can't talk remember!?)

I asked again about the iv and she said it wasn't necessary since I can get water with a syringe. Sure but not enough to stay hydrated. I asked if I could get a pain med to help me sleep and she said, well it's morning already. Sure lady, it's 5am and I haven't sleep all night.

She put my iv back in with anti biotic and a swelling med. But it started hurting and she said as long as the skin isn't swelling it's ok. I talked too much and then I felt this painful snap in my chin. The nurse slowly prepped the liquid ibuprofen. I had hopped she would have given me something a little stronger but apparently it doesn't matter if I sleep or feel better. Not happy with her.

The earlier nurse was also rude. I asked for hot tea and she said this ain't no 5 star hotel. Then she muttered to the other nurse "patients these days. A patient asked me for wine one time." She told me to ask the cooks in the morning.

At one point a nurse named Winston came.

One guy told me to take the liquid ibuprofen. I started feeling nausea because my stomach was empty, so I didn't finish it. I asked for morphine in my iv. I also got an anti swelling med and penicillin.

I had a breathing humidifier on. It started clicking because it got backed up with water.

When I woke up around 730, the resident doctor named Austin answered my questions about the surgery and recovery. I was annoyed that dr. O was once again too busy to see me herself. She did however give good news to Steven. Because dr. M had positioned my teeth so perfectly, I don't have to wear a splint!! Austin commented about how clean my teeth looked.

My last nurse was a guy named John. He helped with my discharge. We left around 1245.

A man wheeled me out and told me that he had to have his jaw fixed at age 22 because his ex Japanese girl friend had punched him the jaw so that it broke in 6 places. Apparently he had been cheating. Yikes. That was kind of a funny story.

I'm home now, resting and icing it up. Can only have clear liquids for the rest of the day.
The most frustrating thing for me is that I can't talk. And no one understands anything I am saying (with the exception of Austin). I have to write everything down.