Reality Check #1

Well surgery went well with the catheter placement. No phone call came to save me from this procedure. While lying in the operating room waiting for them to get started, the phone rang and I heard through my groggy state "Yes, we have her here now". I immediately asked if that was a kidney for me which made the OR team laugh. Then I hear a voice above my shoulder saying breath deep and next thing I know I'm waking up with my stomach burning and needing to vomit. The oxy-cotin drugs make me extremely nauseous so they were unsure of what to give me. They tried asking my sweet hubby but he had no idea what didn't make me sick Eventually Tylenol #3 was decided on and I was sent home with prescription in hand and enough injected into me for the 2 hour ride home. The rest of that day and Saturday are a blur to me. Sunday evening I made it out of the house to attend our home fellowship church. Today I had to go and have the catheter "flushed". I've decided to name my catheter "Herman" after Herman Muenster. My hubby and I watched an episode of the Muensters just before they wheeled me back into the OR. Not knowing what to expect, I was pretty nervous. As we drove around trying to locate the place, I saw a sign that said Dialysis Center. Seeing that word "dialysis" hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I thought the worst was behind me with the surgery. Now, I was brought up short by the fact that I gotten through one stage of this journey but there are still many more stages to get through physically and emotionally. The PD nurse was wonderful and explained everything that was being done and why and there was no pain involved. But the emotions running through me as I sat there amidst others going through dialysis was very daunting. I'll have to go again next week and run through the same procedure as well as visit the transplant office. Driving down there I was going over how blessed that I'm doing this now instead of 22 years ago. The medical technology and drugs are so much better now. Even that I have the option of doing dialysis at home is a big thing. I'm a pretty upbeat person usually but there are times when a reality check hits me and I have to focus on the good and get my bearings back. Today was definetely one of those times.