Myasthenia gravis and back surgery report

First and foremost, I had and have a wonderful relationship with my neurosurgeon, was comfortable and trusting of my anesthesiologist (very important for the myasthenic), stayed overnight in ICU, and ta dah here I am two days later recovering very, very well. It was my breathing that I was so concerned about since I had had problems after my kyphoplasty, and the myasthenia is much worse today than it was then.

So, I was nervous. I remember waking, still in surgery, and they said, "Here she comes," then they started taking things off my face, and saying she's going to room such and such, when I knew I was supposed to be going home. Ummmm. All they told me was that I just acted up a little, and were keeping me, and watching me overnight. That was the first operative memory that I was taking into surgery with this one. Once I talked to the anesthesiologist, I felt much better. Still, I was just glad when I didn't know anything that was going on around me, when I didn't have to think about any of it any more. Anyway, except for some after-flair of the myasthenia, I think I've done very well.

Okay. The spinal surgery is done and over, over and done with . . . well, not totally. Due to the condition of my spine, he was not able to remove all the calcification he found there at T2-T3. He spent some time Friday morning explaining it all to me, plus he's going to see that I get a copy of the op-report. Right now, I am just too tired to recount the who, how, why, and wherefores, so I'm just going to post the pictures Jim took as they were filling my veins with IV lines since my portacath continues to malfuction until Dr. Cook takes a look at things.

Computer ~ better than an anti-anxiety pill
















Julia comes to perform her skill with the needle poke of the vein. Later, Mary has to add a line for potassium. Ugh. Ever had potassium flowing through your veins? One of the most unpleasant things in the world, spoken in the plainest of English for I can think of no other words to describe how it feels. Horrible, horrendous, yeck, anything!.... Ragdoll's thesaurus....heheh
























Enter Melissa, a cutie the One Day Surgery staff urges me to not encourage, but how can I resist her when she treats me so special. How special? Well, she treats me like a grandmother, bringing me little tidbits, gifts, etc. She brought me a goody bag. Awww, Melissa, socks that say "Cutie," some shine lipstick, a notepad *just the right size!*, much needed body lotion (how did you know this ole grandma needed THAT?), a picture frame that I'm now going to decide who I'm going to put in there and WHERE Poppa's going to put it.... that's just a bit of the goodies. Think I ought to put the cutie socks on to make me feel lookig ooooh so cute at 66, lotion to feel so soft and smell so sweet, and then top it off with the shiniest of lips. Jonesboro won't know what hit it whenever we girls hit Turtle Creek Mall once I'm recovered from everything. Aha.... shirts that say One Day Surgery. I can do that ya know.

What in the world is this girl up to now?








Melissa, now doesn't she look sassy.... naw, not Melissa. Those other nurses just don't know her like I do. Add the Bobsy twins and who else, and we'll have a blast!








Melissa, down to serious business as a nurse








Jamie ICU, a real sweet, and VERY helpful ICU nurse. I didn't get my other ICU nurses' pictures, Linda and Marcia. Linda and I talked a lot about our grandchildren, talking about our rings depicting our children. Marcia and I had some like meds and diseases of which it comforted her, and we're going to *try* to get back in touch later as I'm coming to the hospital each month.


All the St. Bernard's staff made my surgical experience more pleasant than I ever could have imagined considering how nervous I was to begin it.

Thank you St. Bernard's. I must go.








However, as I go, let me show you the best of all, for supper tonight.......