SpringsCalling: Return from the Hospital

So miraculously I survived the surgery. ^o^v (Actually I was told the procedure was done 2 times daily so it was not risky at all). The surgery... I wish I could talk about, but I frankly don't remember a thing.

It was like...
I was at the surgery room, the nurses and anesthetists starts injecting anesthetics into my vein. I close my eyes.
...
I wake up. I am in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) room, memories were a bit hazy there still, I remember sitting on a bed with 2 ppl beside me, no idea who they were though. Could be a nurse and one of my parents since I was told only 1 parent could accompany a nurse at a time to visit patients still resting in the ICU. But I really don't know.

But in any case, uptill that part didn't bother me except for the mental stress going into the surgery. Because, you know how surgeries are, especially an open heart surgery. During my previous visit with the surgeon he had told me all the possible "bad ends" (if you will, haha) after surgery. Such things are needing pacemaker for the rest of my life, entering coma and not waking up, and death. (wooo ._.)

But now that all the procedures are completed and I'm on my recovery process, I'm feeling pretty good. But it wasn't always like this. By the time this was posted, its already been 2 weeks since the surgery began. Surgical date was June 19th, 2009. I was in the hospital until the following Thursday morning, on Jun 25, 09. I've been at home ever since, I had to take a break off work so I could get some rest and return once I have recovered. Each day gradually got better for me. Which was normal but heck, did that make my nervousness go away. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't get better. Because the first couple of days after surgery... it HURT.. ALOT !

If I had no pain killers, it would feel like someone has stabbed you with a knife. While I was in the hospital, pain killers were administered once ever 4 hours along with other medications and supplements depending on what the nurses thinks you need. Every 4 hours, I had around 6 pills and one small cup of liquid to drink. 2 of the pills were my pain killers, another 2 were used to get me to have a bowel movement, another pill for Aspirin, and a last pill for something about protecting my stomache from all these medications. The drink was some magnesium drink since the nurses said my magnesium levels were low.

While I was in the hospital, there wasn't much to do. I was in a semi-private room, we didn't get a TV or a phone since the cost wouldn't be covered under insurance. So I had another patient sharing the same room as me. He seemed to have a kidney transplant or something (or so I eavesdropped >_> ) and he has been in the hospital for 3 weeks. Usually I just lied on the bed, when I got a little better, I would sit on the chair. During the last 2 days in the hospital, I began walking around. Oh yeah, I also had to do some breathing and coughing practice (apparantely for speeding up lung recovery). But that was ALL that I had done. It was BORING... to say the least. My parents visited once a day (such caring family, God bless them), that was the only time that was actually enjoyable, throughout the 4 days of boredom.

Looking back at it though, the worst day was definitely the first night. The nurses would administer pain killers every 4 hours if they are called. And we, patients, had a rubber ball which we could squeeze to call for a nurse. Now, on the first night, I was woken up in the middle of the night, in pain (great...). Felt like someone stabbed me all over, couldn't get into a good position where it wouldn't stop hurting. That night was sh!t. So naturally, I wanted to call a nurse... well, because of my luck, I knocked the rubber ball to the ground (or atleast it wasn't by my side on the bed anymore). So I was twisting and turning my body to look for it, which added to the pain I was already feeling. And being a jacka**, I didn't want to call out to the other patient in the room and get him to call a nurse, so I just tried to close my eyes and sleep off the pain. I woke up every 30 minutes or so after this, all the way until 6am when the nurse came by to check up on me. If anything I would say about that night... WORST NIGHT EVER.

At one point, I wanted to cry that night...

Every other day was alot better than that. Though there were still pain, it was still boring, atleast it didn't hurt as much. As long as I got my routine dose of pain killers, the pain was kept in check and I would actually focus on something other than the pain in my body.

Although disgusting, during my stay at the hospital and the recovery process there, there were 3 large tubes pierced into my body. From the looks of the holes now, I would assume that the tubes were around 0.75cm in diameter. I was told one of those tubes were used to drain liquid from the lungs, liquid which gathered when the lungs stopped functioning during the surgery. There is also a large scar where the incision took place on my chest, the line is pretty long, probably about 10-12cm long.

Oh, the food in hospital is pretty normal, plain bread, jello, juices, milk, tea, boiled eggs, lasagna, pork chop, muffins. Some sounds pretty good, but the way they're made, its rather bland. Well, its free, hehe so I didn't complain.

Thats about all there is to talk about during the stay at the hospital. If theres anything you want to ask, just drop off something in the comments.

Now I'm resting at home, building a gundam, 00 Gundam from... Gundam 00 lol. Complement of 2 of my friends who came to visit right after surgery, during my transfer from the ICU to the semi private room (if memory serves). Oh yes, that was HE*L ! I was sitting there in a wheelchair in pain and stuff, and the nurses were working so slowly. ;_;
I swear, it was atleast 10 minutes before I finally got transferred to a room. Those were some long 10 minutes, one of the worst memory during this whole hospital endeavour. It was nice that someone pushed my wheelchair from the ICU to the room though.

Thanks King and Kev. Also thank you for the wonderful card, even though the table tennis part didn't make much sense. haha.

I guess I'll also put up thanks to all those who asked about my condition either through msn or phone. I'm proud to say that I'm feeling pretty good now. Although I still can't put much strength into my arms (Trouble opening medicine bottles, the ones where you push in, and then turn), I can walk up and down stairs without problems now. Walking doesn't seem to hurt me anymore either. I can breathe properly too.

Right now my main concern is keeping an eye on the incision and the 3 holes to make sure they heal and patch up properly. I wouldn't want to bleed if I could avoid it.

In about 6 months, I will be totally recovered ! (Thats what I've been told). I have had my visit to my family doctor, everything seems to be healing smoothly with no signs of problems. My visit with my cardiologist is on July 10th, 09. I'll get more information then. Finally a meeting with the surgeon 8 weeks after leaving the hospital. Then I'm home free !

I should be more energetic than ever when I get better... I can't wait >w< !

Gallery:
Day 1: (First 10 pictures were taken before I went for surgery,11th is my mom, 12th is my bro, 13th is my dad, last 3 pictures are of the ICU)