Personal Laparotomy Stories
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Megan's Story:
I went to the hospital early in the morning for my laparotomy. I was taken to a room by myself where they had me take off my clothes and put them in a bag that they provided and I changed into a hospital gown. They started my IV and started me on some antibiotics and also gave me a shot of heprin in my belly. Then they allowed my parents to come back with me.
When they were close to being ready for me in the OR they took me back to waiting area. The anesthesiologist came to talk to me and then my doctor came to talk to me. When everything was ready I was rolled into the OR. I gave them a CD that I had wanted to listen to and they put it in to listen to during the surgery. I was moved onto a bed and had my arms spread out horizontally. I was hooked up to monitors while nurses were walking around doing things around me. I was given some relaxing medicine and an oxygen mask. Then they told me I was going to go to sleep...
I woke up in the recovery room with pretty intense pain. I had a nurse by my side most of the time who would inject morphine into my IV when I needed it. There was an old man across the room moaning and whining that I had to listen to (grrr). She also took my CD and put it in the CD player I had brought so I could listen to it. After a while I was rolled to my room. I had a catheter in b/c I couldn't yet get up to go to the bathroom. I had my vitals checked periodically and was given pain medications as I needed them which was often for the first day.
My Mom was allowed to stay in the hospital with me and since I had ordered a private room she was given her own fold out bed to sleep on. I had two times when the medication made me sick to my stomach and they gave me phenergan to counteract that. My IV and catheter was taken out the next morning after my doctor came to see me and cleared me to leave whenever I was ready.
I was scheduled to leave two days after my surgery but I felt good enough by the next day and he let me leave a day early. They got me up to walk a little down the hall and also to try to go to the bathroom. I left the hospital that afternoon after I got up the courage to take the ride home. I was wheeled out and helped up into my mom's van.
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