CJ's First "Surgery"

CJ has been having some stomach problems, of which I finally convinced him to see the doctor about. The doctor scheduled a scope "surgery", where they put him into a "twilight" sleep and insert a lighted tube with a camera down his throat and into his stomach and so forth. This procedure was scheduled at the Same Day Surgery Center and took all of 15 minutes! Because he was being sedated, I had to go along to be his designated driver since he wouldn't be able to drive afterwards!

We first arrived to the surgery center at 8:00 AM, where paperwork was filled out and the nurse took us back to a room. CJ was freaking out because everyone kept calling it a "surgery", when he didn't think it was a surgery, just a procedure!! He wouldn't admit it, but he was nervous! He has never been hospitalized or had any "procedures" done, so he didn't know what to expect. The funniest part of the morning was when the anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself and tell CJ what he was going to be doing. Then he asked CJ if the nurses had done the "bowel prep" yet!!! CJ's mouth dropped open and his eyes opened so wide!!! Then the anesthesiologist said, "Oh, never mind, they only need to do that if they were going into the other end!"(Meaning a colonoscopy!) CJ probably would have jumped up and put his clothes back on and left if he was going to be doing that!!!

We had to wait awhile before they came to take him for the procedure. We sat around watching TV and I took a couple pictures of him in his gown and cap! Once they took him, I was escorted to the lobby where I proceeded to make a cup of hot chocolate. I didn't even get time to drink it before they were calling and taking me to the consultation room to talk to the doctor. The doctor showed me a picture they took from the base of CJ's stomach and showed me that he had a couple of ulcers, so they would prescribe some medication to fix this and he will be as good as new. Glad it was just something simple and easy to fix!!! Then I was taking back to the original room we started out in. CJ was already back in there and the nurse woke him up when we walked in and asked if he wanted anything to eat or drink. She went to get him a Coke and some snacks, and he proceeds to tell me that he was awake through the whole thing!! So I asked him if he remembers the tube going down his throat, etc. He wasn't awake... he just didn't realize he was asleep!!! He doesn't remember anything from them putting sticky pads all over him to read his vitals to waking up back in the room! He didn't even realize the nurse had to wake him up when we came in there!!

After he ate his snack, the nurse went over his "discharge orders" and then he was able to get dressed and we were free to go. We were home before noon!