What did YOU do New Year's Eve?

I spent New Year's Eve in the hospital with just one thing on my mind.

You have to understand that I had never been a patient in a hospital in my life (since being born). So when I went in to Brackenridge Hospital on December 28th for surgery on my spine, I was nervous. After suffering with lower back pain for a few years and having tried all the non-surgical options, I sought the advice of a neurosurgeon. He showed me that the condition of the L4-L5 disk was degenerating and would continue to do so. It could not be repaired, it needed to be removed and replaced with some material that would harden and fuse the L4 and L5 vertebrae together. This surgery is typically now done from the front on the body, involving the services of a vascular surgeon to make the opening and move the blood vessels away from the spine so the neurosurgeon can do the repair to the spine.

My surgery was scheduled for noon on the 28th. Janis and I arrived at the hospital as requested at 9 AM. There was mostly waiting before I was wheeled to the pre-op room. This is where you meet the anesthesiologist, get an IV started, and so on. When it was time to go I got a shot of something in the IV that took effect before we were 10 feet out of the pre-op room and I didn't remember a thing until I woke up in my room. I must have awakened a bit in the recovery room, but I don't remember it.

Janis stayed with me in the room Friday night -- besides that I don't remember much until Saturday morning. That's when PT came in to get me out of bed. I had no idea it was going to hurt THAT much to go from lying to sitting the first time. But that was the only time I experienced any serious pain in the hospital. We walked about 20 feet down the corridor -- I felt nauseated and weak. We went back. Lying back down wasn't as bad as getting up! I got up again Saturday afternoon with much less discomfort -- and walked farther.

To be released from the hospital I had to do several things. First, I had to show I could get out of bed by myself -- I did this on Monday. Second, I had to be able to get by on oral pain medications -- Sunday or Monday this happened. Third, had to get the catheter out -- Sunday, I think. The fourth and final sign of progress was to pass gas. This is medically necessary to show that the bowels are functioning following the surgery. By Monday evening, this still had not happened, though there were rumblings.

I was alone in the room on New Year's Eve--Monday night. I may have had the TV on. I don't remember. Then at 8:40 PM it happened -- the fourth sign! I immediately called Janis with the good news! She understood! I then called the nurses station and asked them to put this event into my chart. The next day, New Year's Day, 2008, I would be released to go home.

Perhaps there will be a new New Year's Eve tradition at Cook Acres!?!