Milkshakes & Morphine

During our drive to Little Rock I tried to imagine what the surgery would be like. I had no idea what to expect. I guess I should have asked Dr.Kramer more questions during the pre-op visit. He had already told me they would take skin grafts from my butt. Guess that adds new meaning to the term "ass face". I never really got past that image. I was just so excited about getting this done that I really did not care how they did it.

  We got to admitting just before 7 AM. Mom filled out the paperwork while the nurse took some "before pictures" of my face. Then they put me in a wheel chair and took me to my "guest room". For real, that is what they called it...like it would fool someone into forgetting they were about to have their flesh cut open. The nurse slipped in an IV line so expertly that I  was not even aware of it and they rolled me into the operating room. By the time Dr. K got there I was anxious but ready. I barely  remember him saying "how are you feeling" before it was "lights out". Then the next thing I remember it was 10 hours later and I was back in the "guest room". I woke up with a full face bandage and drainage tubes coming out of my face. Mom was there smiling at me. I was a bit groggy, not really in touch with reality and feeling no pain. Then I spotted a nice little morphine pump attached to my IV. Always be thankful for some good drugs! They will put you in a happy place.

Did I mention the morphine pump? That could account for no memory of the rest of that day. By the next morning I was feeling awake and my hair felt like a soggy, matted mass under the bandages. I was glad when the nurse came in to remove the full face bandage. They left bandages only on the side of my where they had done the skin grafts. My face felt swollen and eating was a chore. I could only open my mouth a little and it was hard to swallow. My sweet Mom brought me milkshakes from McDonalds. McDonald's milkshakes and morphine...ambrosia of the gods!

That afternoon they took away the morphine and brought me some Vicodin as a going away present. I slept all the way home in the car and most of yesterday.