This is part two of my journey so far with my GRS surgery with Dr. Ramineni. If you haven’t seen my previous post here it is!

Day before surgery:

Me and my sister and her boyfriend and my girlfriend all headed up to DC on the 23rd to get everything set for when I came back. I ate and enjoyed all that I could before the next day because that was going to be prep day. So on the 24th I started doing the bowel cleansing. It sucked watching everyone eat and enjoy food when all I could eat was jello and all I could drink was water or broth or coffee. But I reminded myself that it was for the surgery coming on the next day and it would be worth it.

I had to get my prescriptions filled for the surgery before hand and was able to collect 2 before even coming up but had to pick up Codeine from a pharmacy near the hospital since it’s a controlled substance and couldn’t get it filled with any pharmacy near me since I was in another state. I went to try and pick it up and it was so overwhelming even getting there as the traffic was complete hell but we managed to get there in one piece though our mental state said different!

I got up to the front counter and told them I was picking up my last prescription and that’s when they said they didn’t get anything and to call my doctor. Their hours were closed so with nothing really do about it I broke down crying. We all got back to the AirBnB and I was drained in all aspects. I curled up on the bed me and my girlfriend were in and that’s when my sister and my girlfriend comforted me and I just said I should just get ready to get some sleep in to get ready for the surgery.

The day of surgery:

I barely slept that night being full of anxiety and excitement. I knew I didn’t have to worry too much about it since I’ll be under a lot of pain meds after the surgery anyways and would get a lot of sleep then. So I gave up after sleeping on and off for 30 minutes or so at a time until I had to get ready for my surgery. My appointment with Ramineni was at 8:30 but I had to get checked in by 6:30 which meant in order for everyone to get ready and over to the hospital that we had to leave at 5:30. I got everything gathered together that I would be needing for recovering from the surgery and we all headed out.

Getting there even at that time was pretty busy as the hospital is right by a lot of really important places, for example, the White House being a 22 minute walk from it. But we got to a parking garage since the designated one for the hospital didn’t open until 6:30 and we were already there around 5:50 and weren’t going to just camp out and wait for it to open when it would be the same price anyways in another parking garage. We found one a couple of blocks from the hospital and got parked. Walking there wasn’t that much of an issue though we ran into one lady who was coocoo for coco puffs yelling her lungs out about missing the bus and it being a conspiracy and I instantly didn’t want to cross her path so I ducked into a random building and asked if there was a bathroom to which they said no and I just accepted my fate. We got by without any altercations and finally made it into the hospital. My sister and her boyfriend and my girlfriend checked in and I went to the front desk to get checked in myself. They gave me a band and told me to head upstairs and head to the admissions desk. I got settled there and got all the paperwork squared away and that’s when everyone else met me in the visitors area. I only sat down for a couple of minutes with them until they called me up to get started. They said one person could accompany me inside so I grabbed my girlfriend and gave my sister one last hug before heading in.

Once we got into what looked like a surgery prep room they got me settled into one little area with curtains and instructed me to get undressed and take off all my jewelry and stuff and get into my gown and surgery cap. I saw the pack of grippy socks as well and laughed with my girlfriend about a meme me and her saw referring to it and then I got myself mentally prepared for the no turning back and here it goes moment. Dr. Ramineni came by and told me he was excited for my surgery and ensured me that everything would go well and then headed back into what I assumed was the operating room. I looked at my girlfriend full of tears as she was too and we both said I love you and that’s when they came over to get me set up. They got her to sit off to the side and that’s when they got the IV’s hooked into me for the anesthesia and they gave me the steps of what was going to happen next. I was terrified of how the epidural would go but they assured me it wouldn’t be that bad. I remember my sisters sister-in-law telling me in conversation about it that it would only feel like a bit of pressure and then like if someone were to just lightly tap me but on the inside of me and we both laughed as that was the only way she could describe it.

They told me to expose the lower part of my back with my arms pushed in front of me kind of like I was imitating having a hunchback. I finally got the right posture they needed for them to get started and I already was breathing heavy out of anxiety. One of the nurses tried to keep a conversation with me while they did it to keep my mind off of it. I remember they first put the numbing solution in which felt like a little sting but not much since I was used to injections for my hormones already. Then came the epidural catheter, I didn’t feel it pierce through my skin but DID feel it start to go into my spine. It almost felt like there was a little bit of pressure but then came the “tap” and I instantly looked up at the nurse I was talking to and said “oh she was NOT joking!” After they got the epidural tube feeder through and took out everything but that we both kinda laughed a little. I was having cold sweats and honestly almost felt like I was going to pass out but she reassured me that’s normal and it would fade soon and it did. That’s when they got me laid down on the bed and started to wheel me into the operating room. I remember seeing glimpses of the room and I saw Ramineni and he said hey again and once again ensured me everything would be alright. And that’s when a few seconds later I started to notice spots appearing in my vision and then I closed my eyes and went under.

I know, I know! SUCH A CLIFFHANGER! But I want to keep things a little fragmented so it’s easier to digest everything in bits. So part 3 is coming right after this one!