The Ultimate Makeover Part 2 | mommy makeover surgery

It’s the morning of the surgery. Not just any basic surgery, a surgery that is expected to take 8 hours. That was one of the most shocking things I was told in my pre op appointment. Naturally, I assumed I would die or be one of those rare cases that is paralyzed, yet awake, during anesthesia and feel the whole surgery. There was not enough Zoloft in Fort Worth to rid me of the jitters I was experiencing. I had even texted my plastic surgeon’s wife, who is also a friend, and told her to talk me off the ledge. Thankfully when it came time to actually wake up at the butt crack of dawn and get to the hospital, I had a peaceful feeling and was so relieved. 

After arriving at the hospital and filling out paperwork, they took me back, had me strip down and I got in a bed. My friend Arden took me to surgery so that was such a wonderful distraction. She is so fun and loves to joke and laugh like I do, which really made me feel relaxed and like it was just a normal day chillin in a shower cap and a hospital gown. 

The nurse started an IV, the anesthesiologist cruised by to ask me some questions and I was given the teeniest tiniest cup of water to take some pills which was referred to as a “hospital big gulp.” They got jokes! 

Dr. Camp marked my floppity body up in preparation for the big event, and it was almost go time! This man knows his stuff, I trust him, he is a fabulous surgeon and a great friend and I knew I was in the absolute best hands. Speaking of hands, his hands look a bit small here and mine look huge, but lets just assume that’s an optical illusion. Or could it be the key to precise and skillful surgery? We may never know. 

And y’all that’s basically it. They gave me some anti anxiety meds as they rolled me away to the O.R. and I remember chatting with the nurses as I got very very verrrrrrryyyyyy sleepy and dopey. I don’t remember what all I said, but I do remember asking the nurses if they thought it was ok that the anesthesiologist had a broken arm. Apparently that was a last minute concern of mine. 

It felt like no time had passed when the nurses were waking me up. My chest and tummy were feeling no pain. The inside of my elbows (reverse elbow? elbow pit? arm crack?) and the back of my head, however, holy pain management alert. When you are on the operating table for so long with your arms stretched out, a certain level of hideous pain comes along with that. Also, I felt as if I been through a traumatic head injury. I couldn’t believe how sore the back of my head was! They take precautions against this by moving your head around during surgery and keeping the pressure off of it, but my head did not seem to cooperate. Other than that, I was feeling nothing other than exhausted. 

I stayed in the hospital overnight and had two nurses all to myself! I just laid there perfectly still enjoying my pain meds until my mom came to pick me up the next morning. I did get very nauseous once I stood up and got ready to go. I was already unhooked from my IV and discharged so like a sweet southern grandma, they grabbed me some saltines and a ginger ale to go. My mom drove me home and I made sounds of ouch, and oh my gosh, and ok, ok, ok, if we hit any tiny bumps. Once I got to my house and got in my bed, the longest rest of my life began.

The surgery and hospital stay were the easy part, the recovery was a beast and that will be in part 3 next monday!