My Personal Surgery Experiences

Lest anyone think I do not understand how a patient feels having surgery, I thought I would share my personal surgery experiences.

I've had 2 surgeries. When I was 22 years old, I was the passenger in a 2 car accident. I broke my right ankle (I think I must have been trying to put the brakes on!) and 5 ribs. I had surgery the next day on my broken ankle. They put a screw in my ankle to put it back together (I still have it 22 years later!) and I was in a cast for 6 weeks and miserable between that and the excruciating pain of the broken ribs. I really don't remember anything about this surgery because I was on so much pain medicine.

My second surgery was a cesearean section (aka C-section). I was 26 and was in labor. I was fully dilated and had pushed for 3 hours and was exhausted, but my precious dd would not come down, then she started getting in "distress" and the doctor decided I needed an emergency C-section in order to save her. Approximately 30 minutes later, she was out! I was awake during the procedure, but had an epidural. I was awake but had the medicine that gives you that "I don't care what you do to me" attitude! My husband watched from my head and my sister-in-law filmed it so we do have it recorded.....thank goodness she was very discrete and didn't show too much of me! By the way, my beautiful daughter was just fine and is now a thriving 17-year-old about to graduate from high school!

Anyway, those are my experiences from the perspective of a patient. I was scared in both and really don't ever want to have surgery again, but if it is required, I guess I'll have to. But these experiences have helped me in relating to our patients that I meet right before they are to have surgery.