My Journey to Surgery
7/23/21: MRI
When I found out I needed surgery, I did not expect there to be so many things to do beforehand. The first test I had was an MRI. When I got to the MRI location, I was told to change into a gown and take off any metals I was wearing. Then I was directed to a room like the one pictured below and told to lay down on the table. I remember the room being very cold, but once I laid down the nurse gave me a blanket and made sure I was warm. Then she asked me which music I wanted to listen to (which I was so thankful for) and I went into the machine. The only instruction given was not to move at all for the duration of the test (which was about 90 minutes). At first I was pretty bored, but eventually I fell asleep, and when I woke up we were done. The thought of going into the machine sounded worse than it actually was, but while I was inside I found it to be calming.
10/12/21: Blood Donation Preparation
Next, I had to donate blood. Unfortunately for me, right before I went to give blood I had eaten an entire meal of McDonalds (McFlurry included). Since my blood sugar was pretty high, I had to wait a few minutes before giving blood and signed forms in the meantime. Then I went into a room and sat on a bed while a nurse sterilized my arm and accessed the vein with a needle. I then waited about 8 minutes until they had collected 1 unit of blood. This was done in order to have my own blood available in case I needed it during or after the surgery. After they removed the needle and the blood collection was finished, the nurse put a gauze wrap around my arm. The highlight of this experience was the choice between juice, ginger ale, or water, and chips or cookies. My arm was a little sore afterwards, but nothing unmanageable.
10/15/21: Acne
About a month prior to my surgery my doctor reminded me that all acne on my back had to be removed, as a way of preventing any risk of infection during surgery. One of the main recommendations of doing so was keeping my hair off of my back, yet this method was not foolproof. So, I saw a dermatologist and she recommended that I use a cleanser, twice a day until my surgery. This didn't clear up everything so the week before my surgery I sent pictures of my back to my dermatologist, who recommended I also use clindamycin phosphate topical solution in the form of cleansing pads. On the day of my surgery there were a few small patches of acne which I was a little concerned about, but luckily they weren't too close to the incision area and my orthopedist confirmed that I would be cleared for surgery. That said, I would highly recommend clearing up any acne a month beforehand to eliminate any stress during the week of surgery.
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| Lingering patch of acne pre-surgery |
11/1/21: Pulmonary Function Test
The blood, urine, and chest x-ray were all minor tests that were easy and quick. The pulmonary function test, however, was something I had never done before. For this test, you sit in a clear box that looks similar to a telephone booth. Then you breathe in and out of a mouthpiece that measures lung volume. From there, the technician assesses the amount of air that you are able to use inside of your lungs. This test wasn't painful, and was pretty quick as well.
11/2/21: Surgery Week
A few days before my surgery I was required to take a Covid test and keep my distance from others so I didn't catch Covid. My surgeon had a full schedule of patients needing surgery, so I didn't want to do anything that would cause a delay and require a redo of all the pre-op procedures. While Covid-19 isn't as rampant right now, during fall of 2021 it was still very prevalent. Unfortunately for me, I had decided to get my surgery done the Monday after homecoming week, so while my friends were at the homecoming dance and all my band friends were performing at the football game, I was in the stands with my KN-95 mask trying to stay close- yet also far from my friends. My isolation from others worked out because I did not end up catching Covid and I was able to successfully go through my surgery.
I was also required to use Hibiclens about 9 days before my surgery. Hibiclens is a skin cleanser which prevents surgical site infections. I applied it each time I showered.
Additionally, I was tasked with meeting with my primary doctor to review my medical history and obtain a physical to ensure I was generally healthy before going into surgery. After I met with my primary doctor, I met with my surgeon. We reviewed surgical procedures and addressed any last minute questions or concerns.
I then contacted my school to alert them of my upcoming surgery and created a plan with my teachers to makeup the missed work. This allowed me to catch up with the rest of my class throughout my recovery at home.
On the day of my surgery, I remember waking up pretty early (since my surgery was in the morning) and heading over to the hospital. I then checked into admissions. From there I was asked to change into a gown and wait in a pre-op room. Here are some notable things that occurred:
- Nurses performed a full body check to ensure my skin was fully intact (no acne, no cuts, anything that could potentially cause infection)
- Many people who were there during the surgery came in to greet me (including the anesthesiologist, who asked a few questions)
- A pulse oximeter was fastened to my finger (remember to remove any nail polish) to measure oxygen saturation
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