Surgery day is here, and reality is knocking at my door! I set my alarm to get up super early because in my mind I need extra time to put on the finishing touches before going under the knife. Surprisingly, I wake up before the alarm goes off at 5:00 A.M. I feel rested but there is no time to waste. Time will fly by fast.

I like to get organized the night before if I have a big day planned! This is certainly a major day for me, so I am happy my home is in order. My thyroid medicine is the first action on the list. The nurse told me the day before that I could have a little black coffee in the morning. Perfect, I can sip on coffee now and take my time getting a bath.

No need for fussing with hair and make-up because that is a no no on the list! I just want to take my time because I will have to stay overnight in the hospital. So, it is important to me that I feel calm, and my affairs are in order before leaving my home. Trust me, I am starting to get extremely nervous. There is no turning back now!

In other posts, I mention how I suffer from tremors, shaky hands, and heart palpitations. My body is handling things for the most part. I save some of my delicious coffee for after my bath, and boy was I lucky to be on my toes. As I get out of the tub the phone rings and there is a big surprise!

A nurse is on the phone asking me if I can be there as soon as possible. Now, I have about two more hours before my ride is coming to pick me up. I try and explain this to the nurse. She tells me to call and see if my ride can come early.

Reality is knocking at my door, and now I am shaking all over. A wonderful friend of mine is willing to take me to the hospital and bring me home the next day. She is calm with a tone of reassurance that everything thing will be fine. Yes, she is ready and will come to the rescue. I guess there is a change in the surgeon’s schedule so there is no time to waste.

My heart is racing as I try to dry my hair, get dressed, and make sure things are unplugged while filling the backpack with my essentials. The horn is blowing, and out the door, I go heading to the hospital. We arrive with masks on because of COVID-19. I must answer a few questions before heading to the registration desk. Simply do I have a fever, cough, and have I had a COVID-19 test.

Here comes the wheelchair and up the elevator, I go to begin preparations for surgery. Things are moving quickly to my surprise. I begin changing into a gown, the nurse is asking more questions, and they begin putting an IV into me for surgery. The anesthesiologist comes into the room to make sure I followed instructions with medications to take and not take. He also wants to make sure I am honest about what I consumed in the morning.

The surgeon arrives to see if I have any final questions. Reality is knocking at my door now as I lay in the bed ready to be transported to the operating room. I feel that I am in good hands but hopefully, it will all be over soon. My mind is frozen as they wheel the bed up against the operating room bed. One, two, three, and on the table I go.

Let me tell you, the operating table is so narrow! A mask is placed over my mouth and nose because off to sleep land is where I am going! I wake up in recovery with an oxygen mask on. An awesome nurse is telling me it is all over. I realize I am still alive!

Apparently, they use a special breathing tube that helps to sensor vessels they need to stay clear of. The surgeon must be careful not to damage the vocal cords. I am told that they had to give me more of the good stuff because my arms started swinging when they put the breathing tube down my throat.

The only complication in all of this is that my blood pressure went low during surgery. They kept me on oxygen for a little while and moved me to a room. My thyroid is gone now, and a new health journey begins for me! Replacement medication is the new realm for the rest of my life. Time will tell how my body handles the change.

Graves’ Disease will always be there. However, with the thyroid removed, the symptoms the thyroid was producing should be gone. We need to get the correct dosage of Synthroid which can take some time. The endocrinologist will keep an eye on me over the weeks to come. Right now, I just want to get back home!