Hello!

I’m writing this on my phone from the couch of my air bnb. I got out of surgery for hours ago, and I’m feeling pretty great! I want to try and get this done before I take the next round of drugs.

I got to the surgery at 7:30 this morning, and had to fill out a few consent forms (you’ll need a photo i.d. and they don’t tell you that in advance). The nurses weighed me, and dressed me up in a very snazzy surgical gown and hat combo. Advice for folks: don’t pee when you get there because they’ll insist on a urine sample. The anesthesia started an i.v. of saline solution, and then my friend was allowed in with me.

I met Dr. Medalie, who asked me even MORE medical history questions, and then drew in purple marker all over my chest. He was… not very good about consent at this point – he kind of puked me around without saying anything and it was all a little awkward, so be prepared for that. I didn’t feel creeper out, more that he was only thinking about the surgery, not so much me.

At that point everything went very fast. They put a shot of versed in my I.V. line, the world started to go floaty, I said “Oooh, I can feel it!” I closed my eyes for a second, opened them up to apologise and ask what would happen next. .. and I had dressings on my chest! Apparently the surgery took under two hours, and I slept for 45 minutes.

Straight after surgery my chest felt fine, but the drain sites under each armpit were throbbing and I asked for some pain relief for that, which turned out to be a tiny tab of methadone. I wanted to drink water and pee pretty fast, and I started taking a laxative right away. The nurse cane back to repeat the talk about drains and medication, and my friend took lots of notes for me to make sure I had everything down. All in all I felt pretty chipper.

One thing that’s less than ideal: I had to go to CVS to pick up my prescription for percocet for pain and zofran for nausea ($7 with insurance). I was VERY groggy and wandering round CVS was not ideal, but it did let me get gatorade and soup and noodles, which were what I wanted but didn’t know I wanted in advance.

Back at the air bnb we changed my drains (the paperwork says 2-3 times a day, but the nurses recommended 4). I ate a whole soup, and have been half watching movies and half dowsing ever since. In the last hour or so my chest had started to hurt, but it’s the pain of a binder or a hard workout, and I’m due for more drugs now anyway. The nurses told me NOT to use any kind of heat or cold treatment, and I’m following that. All in all I’m really amazed how coherent I feel.

Which turned out to be really good luck… because halfway through movie number one I got a surprise phone call from the head of a college search committee to tell me that they were super impressed with me and could I come to a campus visit!!! What an amazing day!

More from me tomorrow probably, but for now I’m doing really well. I have some pictures below, but one does show my drains quite clearly, so I’ll put that one last. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent love and support – it means a lot to me.