So it was a Robotic Removal of Left Mediastinal Mass. Or rather an attempted total removal with an actual partial removal. Seems it is/was a mass of many cysts grown together around my vocal cords. They cut the top of it off and the side wall and compressed it. Im not even sure just what compressed it means. Its funny how they wanna tell you about your surgery right when you come out of it, I dont recall half of what they told me then, though I did discuss it a bit more with everyone later and I plan to discuss it in more detail at my follow up appointment on thrusday. I found a lovely picture of what it looks like when they insert ports? for them to insert the robotic instruments inside of you. Now this picture is obviously not of me since I dont have chest hair ;)
And here is a pic of the Da Vinci Robot in Use (again on someone other than me ;))
Its funny how you go into surgery, every one is all cheery and talking to you, showin you the robot their about to use on you, you look at the lights up above and think ohh cool, they look like flowers and then no one tells yah they are gonna put you under just yet but they do and then the next thing yah know, wham your awake and in major pain and its over....
When I first woke up from surgery I was in excruciating pain, I was jabbing the button on the hydromorophone alot more often than it would actually work ;), its a good thing you have to wait between doses to let it take effect (it takes 6 excruciating minutes to help ease the pain) cause I only actually needed two doses to feel better. And lemme tell yah at 10 times stronger than morophine, I was loving that stuff :D. When it (the pain) subsided due to self medication, I thought there was no way Id get to go home the next day as previously planned, but surprisingly robotic surgery pain subsided dramatically within 6 hours or so.
Over the next day I had to have help peeing once the decathed me :), fun to pee in portable toilet with people in the room waiting to measure your output, YUCK! I was also repeatedly checked out and prodded and annoyingly I was fed food with no sugar and no salt since I was in fact in a heart hospital with all these old people who were having serious life saving operations. I asked for salt once and they laughed and said I dont even think we have salt.
Eventually on friday afternoon they took my 3 IV's out- one in each arm and one in my neck, and lemme tell yah my wrists now look like dh and I are into some pretty kinky stuff ;). They removed my pain meds because I only needed them initally when I woke up and once more after, and eventually my blood pressure cuff and my drain. Any of you ever have a drain in your chest before? When they pull it out it feels like they are pulling a metal zip tie out of your body, very interesting feeling that, Ill never forget it I dont think.
Thank goodness I didn't wake up still intubated, though today is the first day I have all my vocal range back due to my very agrivated throat from the intubation. But after all that, I got to go home less than 24 hours after the end of my surgery :D. Im feeling better every day, though I can now feel odd "numb" areas around my left breast, the puncture channels feel almost like I have small tubes of foam inside of me, slightly swollen with some give yet some resistance. Odd to say the least.
And can you believe I have 4 puncture holes in me and NO stiches, they GLUED me shut :D.
A painful, strange and educational experience that I hope never to repeat again. Though they say it could regrow since some of its still in there wrapped around my vocal cords. If they had taken it all out its possible I would have never spoken again. I was looking forward to never having to worry about this again, its been nearly 18 months since I first found out and Im tired of thinking about it, glad to have the surgery out of the way. But it looks like Ill have to keep an eye on things, make sure its not growing, and if ever I start to have breathing issues or other "symptoms" Ill have to have surgery again. Let pray that isnt the case :)
