#70. Before and after - October 2012


The anaesthetist was by my head with a mask coming towards my face and the nurse was saying to me, “The operation is over.”  Something must have happened in between the first and last part of that last sentence, but it didn’t seem like any time had passed.

I felt very awake, but then I knew I must be sleeping again, and then I opened my eyes and realized I wasn’t in the operating room anymore and the surgery was over.  I was in the recovery room.  I tried to gather my mind, which took some gathering, and I took stock.  How do I feel?

I felt nothing except a tightness in my abdomen.  No pain or anything.  My mouth felt dry, that was about the extent of the discomfort I had.  I let myself fall back to sleep.

When I was mostly awake they took me to the room where I was going to be recuperating.  I dozed away there till my husband came in, and he sat with me.  I was feeling pretty good.  Still no pain, I felt very clear and mostly just surprised that I had actually done this, I had actually donated a kidney.  The only sensation was tightness.

That day is a bit of a blur to me.  I felt very awake but every time I blinked I seemed to forget to open my eyes and I would sleep for a while.  Apparently my husband tells me I wasn’t making all that much sense that day. 

Later in the evening, I was able to sit up at the edge of the bed, and the nurse was able to walk me into the hallway and back.  I was not comfortable, but I wasn’t in massive pain or anything, I  rated it at 3 out of 10 on the pain scale when she asked me.  The worst was feeling nauseous, which I absolutely hate, but they were able to give me some gravol in my IV.  I remember thinking to myself, “This isn’t that bad.  This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be!”

I had a little button I could press that would give me pain medication as I needed it.   It would light up when it was available to be pressed, and it was always lit when I needed it.   I pressed it a couple of times, but not incessantly.  They gave me a shot to prevent blood clots.

That night I slept really well, even though it was interrupted sleep.  I felt the bed I was in was so cozy and warm, and people were taking care of me, and it was such a relief to have the operation over, I could just relax.  I felt very happy all night.  It was a good night.