Waking up from the seven hour surgery was brutal, as I started to come to, I can remember literally trembling so violently, and having such terrible pain. I was practically jerking, my teeth were chattering, and my jaw would not stop quivering, the only word I could mutter through my chattering teeth was hurts. I kept saying hurts, it hurts, but I wasn't sure if anyone really understood, because all I could hear was Turkish voices. Finally someone grabbed my shaking hands and said, (I have no idea, it was in Turkish) and soon I was out. They must have given me something good, because the next thing I remember was waking back up in the hospital room where my husband had been waiting. I woke up feeling very little pain, and was able to rest quite comfortably. I remember Prof. Erdogru coming in to talk to me and my husband, but honestly I can't remember very much of that conversation, maybe a little something about my numb legs, but that is all. I was in a rather odd state for the next 6-7 hours, I was somewhat aware of what was going on around me, but feeling so sleepy, my eyes just wanted to be closed. This seemed to bother my husband a little, he mentioned he didn't like not knowing if I was really sleeping or not, because every time he thought I was asleep, I would talk to him...with my eyes closed.
After coming out of that foggy state, I felt a little more alert, and I also had more understanding of my situation. I definitely felt sore, and I also thought it was odd that my legs seemed so heavy, and that I was unable to move them. I did a quick examination, okay, I see two legs, I can see my toes, but I was unable to pick my legs up and move my feet from side to side or back and forth.. Hmm... that's weird, so I wiggle my toes, with more effort than expected my left toes move just ever so slightly, hmm, okay, but my right toes, absolutely nothing. I feel a sense of alarm, I know this can't be good. I go through the whole process again, with the same results, oh, oh, something is definitely wrong. This sensation was feeling very familiar to me, like the times I have had an epidural during child delivery, so just like after giving birth I assume with time they'll eventually wake up. I told myself it would be fine, after a couple of hours my legs will wake-up, I hope?
I was feeling very nauseous, I really thought that I might throw up at any second, I kept the little throw-up container very close, but managed to avoid this over the next few hours. My mouth was extremely dry, and I had a terrible bitter taste that would not go away. I wasn't sure if this was due to the sleepy medicine prior to surgery, or something else during surgery. Between the nausea and bitter taste, I really wanted something in my stomach, anything. Here in the U.S. they're really good about starting you on clear liquids after surgery. Usually, they start you out with ice chips, and then offer something like apple juice or a slushy, if you can keep that down they offer some broth and maybe some crackers. I just wanted that nasty taste out of my mouth. After a couple of hours, I remembered I had some gum in my purse, I asked my husband to please get me a piece. I was so glad I had this, after three pieces I finally got rid of the nasty taste, but my stomach still felt nauseous. At one point in the night I asked if I could have some water, I felt so thirsty, the nurse said "no, you can't have anything yet, I would have to wait until the next day." this was really hard, I really didn't understand why they had me wait so long, I would have never made it without the help of my gum.
The night was very long, besides feeling like I needed something in my stomach, I was starting to get very uncomfortable. Not because of pain, because I was hooked to a morphine pump, and this help manage the pain really well. It was because with the exception of some areas on my left leg, everything from the waist down was numb. I didn't like the position I was in, but there was nothing I could do about it, I was stuck. I asked my husband what time it was, he told me it was almost 1:00 am in the morning, I felt very discouraged, because it was going to be a long time before morning, and I counted the hours until Prof. Erdogru would come. When the door opened in the morning it was only the hospital staff bringing a tray of food, he pointed to me and shook his head "no," he than pointed to my husband who was asleep on the fold out chair and then pointed back to the tray of food while nodding his head up and down. Double whammy, no Prof. Erdogru, and still no food or water for me. About an hour later the door opened again, finally it was Prof. Erdogru, I was so excited to see him come through that door, I knew this meant some changes would soon happen.
He explained that once the nurses removed the catheter, I could get up and walk around. Umm, big problem, how am I suppose to get up and walk around when I can't even move or feel my legs? I explained my situation about my legs to Prof. Erdogru, he became very concerned. He said he would call in some specialists to evaluate my legs, he apologized repeatedly and left. Soon a doctor from Orthopedics came by, after his examination he said that within 3-4 days my legs would be back to normal. That didn't seem too bad, then a doctor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation came by. She had me try to lift and bend my legs, curl and flex my toes, and than she used her reflex tool and started tapping away on my legs and feet. After, she used the same tool, which also had a sharp pin like pricker attached to it, and began pricking around to get an idea of lost sensation. After her evaluation, she too thought this would only be temporary, and told me she would have one of her physical therapist come by for treatment. I guess sometime after surgery the night before, I had already talked to Prof. Erdogru about my legs, my husband told me that a radiologist came by with an ultrasound machine, and checked for deep vein thrombosis. I really have no memory of this, I must have been really out of it, but my husband told me everything checked out okay. After about a hour Prof. Erdogru stopped back in, he had went back and reviewed the Cd's from surgery. He was happy to inform us that after reviewing the surgery, he was confident that my leg complication was not the result of anything done during surgery. We were all relieved to know this, and I am thankful he cared enough to take the time to double check. He asked, "have you puffed," and I said "yes," I then got the okay to eat. Who knew that would be the only requirement.
Imagine how disappointed I was when I got my first tray of food, there was something about the way it looked and smelled that instantly made me lose my appetite. (I've never been good with the hospital food in the States either, it reminds me too much of school lunch.) Kris offered to butter my pre-packaged roll, he thought I should at least eat that. I took a bite, between my very dry mouth and the hard roll I had a hard time chewing it up small enough to swallow, I spit it out, I was afraid I would choke if I kept going. They brought a hot red liquid of some sorts in a bowl, I gave it a smell, it smelled a little sweet. I managed to sip some spoonfuls of this, maybe comparable to jello water, but hot, and not as sweet. So there you have it, some hot red liquid and water, I really wasn't satisfied. I remembered that there was a fruit stand not to far from the hospital, I asked my husband to go down and get some bananas. He returned, but the bananas were a little spotted. I'm pretty picky when it comes to bananas, I like them just barely ripe and no spots. I felt disappointed, but ate one anyway, even with spots, I was finally satisfied. I had finally gotten something in my stomach, and I felt better.
In the afternoon the physical therapist stopped by, she hooked my legs up to the TENS unit, or as they called it, "electro shock therapy." After she was done she showed my husband some exercises, she wanted him to do each motion 100 times, once a day. She said she would return tomorrow.
Before going home Prof. Erdogru stopped by one last time that day. He removed my catheter and said someone would be by to fit me with a walking boot. He said that I should be able to get up and walk around with the boot. Good, I was getting anxious to get out of bed, I was tired of laying there. By that evening I was able to lift my left leg up, and reposition it anywhere in the bed, but my right leg was still stuck in the same position. He apologized some more for my leg, and left.
A little later, a man showed up with a bag, he pulled my new walking boot from the bag, and put it on my leg. He then unwrapped a plastic T-shaped device, which my husband called my wings, and velcroed it to the bottom of my boot. He helped me sit up, and with the help of my husband they helped me get to a standing position. Finally, after 33 hours, and with the support of my husband, I am on my own two feet, a little wobbly, but I am up. The man has me walk around the room a couple of times, I can do it, but only with the help of my husband. He gives us a smile, he seems satisfied and he leaves. Later that night with my IV's, pain pump, and drain line still attached, my husband helps me take my first, very slow walk, up and down the hospital corridor.
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