Surgery and post op

I want to be able to look back and remember everything so i decided to post about my surgery and post op adventures. I  had to be at the hospital for surgery at 5:30am-ew. It was all pretty quick, I got called to my pre op room right away. I got registered and changed into my fancy gown and booties. Nurses and doctors and anesthesia came in to ask me the same questions over and over-what allergies, name, birth date, and the most famous-which hip. Casey and my mom were in the room before I went back. I had a spinal, which i have actually never had before because my platelets are always too low and I have to have general anesthesia. My counts have been good lately and my platelets were 130 when I came in. I was a little worried about the spinal because I really really did not want to hear them sawing off my bone. They said the would give me medicine so I wouldnt remember anything, it must have worked because the last thing I remember is them putting in the urine catheter. I woke up and apparently said the same things over and over.  who knows what I said in the operating room. Maybe its best I don't know.  I got back to my room and visited with family. Brennan came to see me and brought me flowers:) I really wanted to get out of bed after a while. They said they would be getting me up soon anyway and I was ready. I was just tired of laying in the same spot and I couldnt move my leg:( It felt like it weighed about 1000 lbs because of the major muscles they had to cut through. Now it feels like about 50 lbs-much better:) Physical therapy came in and sat me on the side of the bed. She took my blood pressure and it was good. Much higher than before. In PACU it was 80's/40's. So we proceeded to standing and I had the walker. I took 2 steps amd felt nauseated and lightheaded. I took one step back toward the bedand the next thing I knew I was laying in thr bed looking up at the physical therapist. I was so bummed!! All I wanted was to get out of bed and I passed out! Luckily the PT instructor was there and she grabbed my legs and put them up on the bed as I fell. Casey saw the whole thing. I was getting IV tylenol and toradol (like ibuprofen through the IV) so i didnt take any other narcotics that day. It must have been from the meds they gave me in surgery.  I got up again later and  did well and then got up 2 other times through the night. My scheduled tylenol and toradol ended at 9pm so at 3am I started taking vicodin. I took one pill and it didnt do a whole lot so next time I took 2 pills. about two hours after that I was up with occupational therapy to show her I could go to the bathroom on my own (with the walker) and then I had to sit in the chair and she taught me how to dress myself using the go gi gadget arm. I have a feeling I will be getting a lot of use out that thing! I cant bend over 90 degrees for 3 months, i also cant twist my body, turn my right leg in or cross my legs for that amoint of time either. That is what i have been worried about most i think! Anyway,. I stayed in the chair after occupational therapy left and all of a sudden I started feeling nauseated, lightheaded and like I was going to pass out. Luckily my nurse was in the room. She got me nausea medicine and cold wash cloths. I was dripping with sweat from my entire body. My blood pressure was 73/40. She was afraid to get me up because I was basically blacking out sitting up in the chair. Finally another Occupational Therapist was in the room with my room mate and she helped my nurse help me back to bed. I felt so sick and I kept getting these stomachs cramps-it was so miserable, just like the day before. I couldn't wait for Casey to get there. The nurse also gave me extra IV fluids to get my blood pressure up. My doctor had already been in and said I could go home once I passed the physical therapy tests (walking up stairs, getting to the bathroom on my own) My nurse called him and he said I should stay and see how I do . I decided it was the narcotic pain medicine that was making my blood pressure drop lower than i already was in combination with getting up..We discussed different medications and there werent a lot of options that weren't narcotic so extra strength tylenol it was. I am also using an ice pack on my incision which really helps. I got up again yesterday and did well. I also went to the bathroom, washed up and ate dinner sitting up in a chair and did well. My blood loss was 500ml so my hemoglobin went from 12 on admission to 9.6 and today it dropped to 8.2. I am not having symptoms of low hgb and its probably partly my body causing it to drop so i am hoping for no blood transfusion. of course platelets cant be left out, they were 130 on admission which is fabulous for me and dropped to 103 by the end of the day of surgery. Today they are down to 82, 000. This is usually what they go down to when my body is under stress so I am hoping they don't go any lower. My white blood cell count has stayed good-in the 3's which is average for me. I got up today (and through the night) to use the bathroom and walk in the halls and so far so good. Hoping to go home today. Wish me luck!!