I survived - I made it in and out of the O.R. Wednesday I got up, got dressed and by 6:15am was at NYU Medical, 400 E. 34th Street - K elevator to the 6th fl. and up there I signed in, paid the standard $250 copay and headed to the prep room where you sit and they prep you for the slicing. Off all clothes, on the dingy hospital gowns and wait, tick tock, wait, tick tock - wait. My mother, husband and mother & father-in-law all came in to pray and wait with me, vital signs were taken, assurance that no breakfast was had and in came the nurse to acertain what was going to be done, then next up was the Anesthesiologist. He carefully and skillfully explained his role and that was that. I waited some more and then my number was called, the little Philippino nurse walked me down what seemed like that galley way, past surgeons and various sorts just a scrubbing away. Into the chamber I went - it was cold and I was afriad so I started to shake. I climbed up onto the table, layed out and my legs were soon strapped in with the white velcro straps. They were all a buzz, an assistant surgeon came and smiled, said who he was and by that time the sedative shot began to take effect and it gave me a shaky and almost dizzying effect. I trembled and I gradually faded. Next I remember I was in the recovery room, people staring down at me and weird nasal packing inserted. I faded in and out and remember being moved to the ICU and laying there just in and out and the searing pain in my throat, the weakness, the fogginess. I layed there with my throat on fire until I was able to cough out 2 clots of blood. I also slowly came to the realization that I had 3 IVs and a catheter.
I ate a dinner of glorious ice and went off to bed, in and out of sleep until the morning. The nose horns just made the dryness to the back of my throat more aggravated. I vaguley remember Kleinberg slipping by to visit his enlarged blue eyes behind those glasses and Dr. Golfinos who positively proclaimed that he got most of the inflammed tissue, he was smiling and I felt so great! His major concern was not getting enough tissue but he got it and its with the pathologist who is "working" to identify what the hell invaded my head and caused such a ruckus. The time came and went the nurses drew blood and took urine, I made it without acquiring the standard Diabetes Insipitus. They pulled out the nasal packing and that brough tears to my eyes, aweful. Then my nose dripped and became clogged. 3 of my co-workers came to see me and they brought me a huge card. I guess it didn't really hit home that I was really down for the count. They brought me a little Ty beanie baby cat too. My other friend and running mate Joan came by too and it was a pleasure to see her.
After they left I entered the torturous world of clogged nose and severly dry mouth. Oh how aweful, the not being able to breath oh God - is all I could think lying there in the ICU. At about 3am they got me up to change and take a wash up and all that. They removed one of the lines in me and finally took out that creepy catheter. The nose clog continued and I just wanted to die. But all the docs that came by just said that I did great and it only gets better from here on. I was able to walk by Saturday took a look at myself which was not that pleasant - but hey. My upper gum where the icision was made is numb and I guess just healing and boy am I glad. Face is somewhat swollen - as expected. However I feel determined to beat this, I feel like a survivor and I know that I've faced down something bad and was able to see it thru to see another day. I kept thinking that the best Xmas gift would be health and knowing what my mysterious ailment was. I try not to think to deeply about what the surgery involved, too grusome. So I just concentrate on getting better, day by day and slowly. I've been sent home with my pain killers, hydrocortisone (not to be taken until I see Kleinberg) and nasal spray and I hope to recover and be back to work when I feel good and ready and if that takes 3 weeks so be it! Signing off from the recovery bed.