MVD Diary - Phyliss Paone
Monday January 10, 2005:
I got up this morning about 6:30 to get my 17-year-old daughter up for school. I showered and put some last minute items in my suitcase. My oldest daughter took my husband, Bob and I to the airport in Wilkes Barre for our 10:00 flight to Pittsburgh. Saying my goodbyes to my family last night and this morning was one of the hardest thinks I had to do. For some reason my emotions are on overload and I can cry if you look at me the wrong way.A friend picked us up at the airport and we stopped for lunch before being dropped off at our hotel, The Shadyside Inn. The UPMC Presbyterian is only a little over a mile away. There are lots of shops and restaurants only about two blocks away also. We checked out the area after we unpacked.
Tuesday January 11, 2005:
I set my alarm for 5:30 so I would have plenty of time to get ready and get our shuttle to UPMC by 7:45. My first test (EMG) was scheduled for 8:30. I got there early so I went to find Lois, Dr. Kassam’s nurse coordinator. I brought her a small gift and she immediately made me feel like I couldn’t be in better hands than Dr. Kassams. I went back for my EMG with Dr. Soso. His nurse Carol took me into a pretty small room and asked me some questions. Dr. Soso performed the test and when he was done he explained what the test revealed and drew a diagram to help me understand. My next test was scheduled for 10:30 at Dr. Kassam’s office for a BSER. I checked in with Cindy and sat in the waiting room until it was my turn. It was as this time that I met a woman, Fran who had HFS too. She was scheduled for all the same tests as me and also for an MVD with Dr. Kassam tomorrow. She had HFS for about nine years and had quite a bit of Botox® treatments. We compared stories and discovered that we were staying in the same hotel and right next door to each other. We saw each other all day since our appointments were right after each other. My name was called and Josh took me in a room to conduct the test. I asked him what this test would tell him and he explained that he would be in the operating room tomorrow with me monitoring while Dr. Kassam looked for the compression. This test would give him a baseline of my brain activity so he would know what was normal for tomorrow. After he completed the test I was placed in another room to wait and see Dr. Kassam. A nurse came in and took quite a bit of information and did an exam. Next Lois came in to talk to us and explained that Dr. Kassam would be in shortly to explain the procedure. As soon as Dr. Kassam walked into the room he introduced himself and I felt an amazingly calm feeling come over me. I knew he was the perfect doctor to perform my MVD. He explained the procedure, drew a diagram, told me about the risks and answered any questions. He is one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. I felt very comfortable with my decision after my meeting him.
We had a little time before my next test so we had some lunch in the cafeteria. After lunch we headed for the hearing center. I had a hearing test done and I was told that my hearing was excellent. I hope it is the same after the MVD. Next I was scheduled for preadmission testing. I had a chest x-ray, blood work and urine test. I spoke with two nurses that took a history and gave me instructions and a time for my surgery the next day. Of course I finished up about the same time as Fran and they gave us a ride back to our hotel after we were done. We found out we were both scheduled for surgery with Dr. Kassam at 8:00 the next morning. We couldn’t imagine why we were both at the same time but we were. My husband and I ordered some dinner and turned in early since we had such a big day tomorrow and it had been quite a long day today. We had been at the hospital all day.
January 12, 2005 - “MVD Day”:
I set my alarm for 3:30 AM as I had to be at the hospital by 5:15 AM. I don’t know why I got up so early since all I had to do was shower and go. You can’t believe how much extra time you have when you don’t put make up on or do your hair. I also found out how much I depend on hair products. We met our new friends Bob and Fran and drove to the hospital with them. We signed in together and we were taken to a pre-op floor with quite a bit of other people who were scheduled for surgery. We wished each other luck and promised to find each other after surgery so we could see each other spasm free.I was put in a room where I was asked to put a hospital gown on and then I waited to be prepped for surgery. My anesthesiologist came into meet me at about 7:30 AM. He was so intelligent and confident I felt at ease. A few minutes later someone from the OR came in to start my I.V. She told me that I had the best surgeon and anesthesiologist so I could relax because I was in very good hands. I was very nervous so she put something in my IV, which made me totally relaxed. They came to take me to the OR so I said my good bye to my wonderful husband. I remember talking to people in the operating room but the next thing I knew I was being woken up in the recovery room. It seemed busy but I was still very tired. A nurse washed my face and went to get my husband. I remember him giving me a kiss and telling me Dr. Kassam told him that I did well but there was a little bit of concern with my hearing. Dr. Kassam came into the recovery room shortly after and whispered for me to stick out my tongue. I did and he said “Good Job”. Since I responded to him he knew my hearing was ok. He told me that he expected my hearing to return to normal within four to six weeks. I felt a lot of fullness in my ear. The hospital was very busy so my husband said I was in recovery about three hours. I was then taken to a neurological floor. I had a catheter so I didn’t get up at all that night. I was very nauseous and dizzy. I took pain medication so I slept most of the night. I had some ice chips but that was just about all I could keep down. My husband and sister left the hospital about 8:00 that night and I just slept. The nurses checked me every two hours. I had no spasms since I woke up after surgery.
January 13, 2005 - Day 1 Post Op:
I was moved to a regular room today. They removed my catheter and I was able to walk to the bathroom. I was still very nauseous so I tried to drink gingerale and eat some jello. I felt better once I started walking. My husband and I took a walk to the other side of the floor to find Fran. She was doing well and also spasm free. I continued to take medication for the nausea and headaches.
January 14, 2005 - Day 2 Post Op:
I was checked in the morning and told I could go home. They removed my IV’s and I got dressed. They gave me a prescription for pain and we took the shuttle back to the hotel. I had some nasty headaches and my ear was still very full. I didn’t do much but nap when I got to the hotel. I was able to eat some soup.
January 15, 2005 - Day 3 Post-Op:
I was able to go walking a little bit today. I ate better and took naps throughout the day. I am having trouble sleeping.
Day 4 - 9 Post-Op:
I basically have some headaches and a stabbing pain in my ear. No spasms but still have trouble sleeping. Dr. Kassam says all this is normal and will go away.
Day 10 Post-Op:
I have a 9:00 appointment at the hospital for a hearing test. I could not hear as well as before the surgery but hearing is expected to return within four to six weeks. Next appointment is at Dr. Kassam’s office to have stitches removed before going home. Lois gave me instructions and told me to call her weekly with my progress. I was worried about the fullness in my ear with the plane ride home. I am now taking Actifed and Tylenol only. Off all the pain medication. We said our goodbyes to Lois and called a taxi to get to the airport. Of course with the snow our flight got cancelled and we couldn’t get out of Pittsburgh until the next morning. We had to get a hotel room after eight hours in the airport but finally got home the next day. It’s been a long haul away from home but worth every minute to be "SPASM FREE".