The Simple Life of a Baghag

Last saturday was my scheduled "shockwave" procedure at the Medical City. If you have read my post here and here, you know why I have to go through this procedure. Anyhow, let me share with you how it went:

11:00 - We left the house to fetch my sister who lives in West Ave. as she will be coming with us. I was quite in panic mode already cause my appointment is at 11:30 and we're still nowhere near the hospital. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I was calm the whole time ad when we reached the hospital, i'm still in pretty high spirits.

11:25 - Arrrived at The Medical City Ambulatory O.R. where the procedure will be held. Good thing we still beat the time as it would be too "dyahe" to my doctors if i'll be late. The doctors weren't there yet so I had time to fill-up pages and pages of forms the nurse handed over to me. You know, the usual personal data forms, waiver agrrement (in case anything happens to you), etc. It's quite a lot I tell you and I was in a hurry because the doctors may come in any minute and i'm still not prepared! So after finally accomplishing all the required forms, I was ushered to the dressing room to change into the standard hospital robe. Afterwhich, I was led to the Stone Unit room.

12:00 - The Guy Nurse Aide/Tachnician ushered me in the Stone Unit and to my mind it's just like an xray room. There's a bed and a big machine beside it (later on I found out it's the ESWL machine pala, lol), monitoring equipments for BP(Sphygmo), Heart (ECG), Pulse (the one they clip on your finger), etc. There's also an ultrasound machine for proper identification and location of the stones to be lasered. I was instructed to lie down immediately on the bed and the Nurse (he's very polite by the way) started "localizing" me and all. It's what they call when the patient is being prepared for the procedure, wherein he/she will be asked to lie down with the side where the kidney stones are situated (keft or right) exposed. Meaning there's an "uka" in the bed so that the concerned area will be accesible from beneath the bed. Later on, I found out that it has to be like that because a water spongy thing will be the one supporting my exposed "tagiliran" apparently to protect this side from the shocks. After the nurse finally positioned me in the bed, he started locating the stones with the help of the ultrasound and when he did, he asked me not to move anymore as this will now be the basis of my doctor in the procedure. So, this is critical, I mean I cannot move so much as we have to find the stones again if i did. So, i just lie still even if the room is becoming colder (grabe ang lamig). The nurse also started attaching the monitoring equipments to my body such as the Sphygmo (to monitor my BP every 5 minutes! as in parang may pumipiga ng arms ko every 5 mins!), the ECG for my heart, and pulse. I was told to wait as my doctors including my anesthesiologist were still in the main O.R. doing a very critical operation. In other words, delayed kami! Hay! I was so hungry pa naman as i was told to go fasting and did not take anything since I woke up that morning. So, I waited and waited and waited. Gutom na ako giniginaw pa! But the nurse was very apologetic and told me to be patient as he did'nt want me stand up na so that I won't be localized again. Wala naman akong magagawa. Eh sa wala pa yung mga doctors eh. The bad thing though is that there's another schedule at 1:30 after me pero since I was delayed, ganun na rin sya. Mas gutom pa sya sa akin, lol. Kawawa naman my hubby and sister waiting for me outside kasi baka magutom sila so I asked the nurse to advise them of the delayed schedule so that they can eat first muna. We thought kasi this procedure will last only a few hours (including recovery period).

1:45 - Yes, After almost two hours of lying, waiting in that cold room, the doctors finally arrived! Nakatulog na nga ako eh! First came the anesthesiologist, he apologizes and then asked the routinary questions. I told him I have Ashtma so he asked the nurse to give me an oxygen mask to be safe. Hay, ang dami na ng nakakabit sakin! He explained the procedure and why I have to be put to sleep (sedated lng naman). I said ok para matapos na rin kasi gutom na ako. Then, after a while my urologist entered the room na rin. He said to me " O, go na tyo ha?" I said yes Doc! in my mind, I was saying " ang tagal nyo po!" But, sige na lang. Nandito na eh. Siguro lang, dapat when he scheduled me two weeks ago for this procedure, di na sya dapat nag-sked ng major operation prior to that kasi he'll never know the outcome of that kung matatapos agad or what di ba? Anyway, maybe he has his reasons kaya ok na lang din. I prayed hard na sana di pa sila masyado pagod hehehe. Ako kaya yung nakasalang :)

2:00 - Finally, the anesthesia was finally administered and in a few seconds after, I dozzed off to tralaland. I don't remember anything na. As in!

3:45 - The whole thing is finished. The first thing I remember is that someone was talking in the background and someone has put something on my hand. Di ko alam what it was as I was so groggy. I realized that I was being transferred from another bed and dozzed off again. After a while (i don't have much recollection of the time), I was awakened by a slight pain in my left side and when I opened my eyes, i was already in a different room na. I was in the recovery room na pala. Di ko maalala how I got there. Tapos there are plenty of empty beds so I said, "nasa recovery room na ako". I slept a little pa pero medyo masakit talaga yung left side ko kaya di na rin ako nakatulog ng matagal. And then finally, nung medyo nararamdam ko na rin na gutom na ako, I called the attention of the nurse and she checked on me. If I don't feel dizzy na raw, etc. I said no na kasi i feel so hungry na. Mahihilo na ako sa gutom! Imagine wala pa akong kinakain since morning not even a drop of water! Kaya pinilit ko na talaga tumayo, I swear! She then led me to the waiting area where my hubby is already waiting na. My sister is downstairs pala filing my Philhealth. So, when she arrived I already asked to be brought to the fastfood area to eat. So, in a wheelchair, we then proceeded to Max's and grab my first meal of the day. At 4 in the afternoon! Oh by the way, the thing that was on my hand pala is my hair clip hehehe. I was wearing one pala siguro natanggal na kaya inipit sa kamay ko :)

6:00 PM - Arrived home. I was too tired from the whole procedure plus my back is really masakit na. There's a swelling and some bruises because of the shocks siguro and when I complained it pala sa hospital, normal daw yun after the procedure. I was given lots of medicines including a pain reliever. Hubby immediately rushed to Mercury before we left the hospital so that I can take na the pain reliever kasi unbearable na yung sakit sakin. I slept for about two hours when I got home dahil na rin sa pain. When I woke up my mother-in-law put some hot compress para mawala daw yung swelling.

I took a day-off yesterday to have some more rest. I'm back in the office now. The swelling is gone already pero may konting bruises pa. Other than that, no noticeable side effects naman. I am also noticing "sandy" particles in my urine na hopefully eto na yung mga nadurog na kidney stones ko. I will still experience this daw in the next coming days. I hope that they were able to make "durog" all the stones. I will find out in my next ultrasound scheduled next week.

P.S. Thanks to all who gave their warm wishes pala :)