I woke up from my surgery on Saturday around 11 am or noon. My wife was there at my bedside.
My ileostomy closure surgery was scheduled at 7 am that morning. The surgeon had told my wife that everything had gone well. Having little body fat made things easier for surgeons apparently.
I was now being monitored in the Intensive Care Unit. Blood pressure was low (in the 80s) but stable. Pain was tolerable as I was still under the effects of the anesthesia.
During the course of the day, nurses and doctors passed by very regularly. Blood pressure was still low and stable. No fever.
A nurse asked me if I could stand up. I managed to do it 6 weeks ago after my first surgery. I thought to myself that I would be able to do it again.
I remember going slowly to sit on the side of my bed, my legs touching the floor. The next thing I see are 6 or 7 faces scrambling around me, asking me if I’m ok and how am I feeling, while playing with my IVs, my blood pressure and measuring my temperature.
I couldn’t understand why all these people were around me. I said “Yes, of course, I’m ok”, irritated that they question what I had answered a few moments ago. It took me a few more seconds to understand that I was lying on my bed now. I had fainted. The interruption of my stream of consciousness for a few seconds is one of the weirdest experiences.
They put me back to bed, still under constant observation. My blood pressure was still low. I was not feeling well, like if I was bloated.
I raised my bed to sit up in a straighter position. That feeling rose up in my chest and made me feel nauseous. I called the nurse telling her I was not feeling well.
She rushed and measured my blood pressure. 72. She called the doctor who was on guard. They checked my belly. Nothing visible from the outside. I had some fever now 38.5. Blood pressure dropped again to 53.
The doctor decided to give me a blood transfusion and told me that I would need surgery again. They called my surgeon back to the hospital.
Thanks to the transfusion my blood pressure increased back to the 80s. My surgeon passed by and reassured me.
At midnight I entered the operation room. I woke up at 3 am on Sunday. My blood pressure was normal. I had no more fever.
My body was beaten up, but I was alright. My life was ahead of me.
With love,
Laurent