Surgery and all

I was more than a little nervous. As a recovering alcoholic, I have some oddities with some medications. I have some oddities with other meds and with juices, just being me. As I said in a previous post, I had had a pre-operative interview with a nurse (who was a little ditzy) and with a anesthesiologist (who was not ditzy). The nurse insisted that my allergic responses to citrus/tropical fruits and scents was not an allergy, but a sensitivity, and didn't need to be written down (the anesthesiologist wrote it in BIG letters, and highlighted it in red). The nurse insisted that reglan, an anti-nausea medication could not make me sick to my stomach (the anesthesiologist agreed that it could.) The nurse also told me that since I had never been to rehab and diagnosed as an alcoholic, I wasn't one and CROSSED IT OFF my chart.
So, going to the hospital was making me a little apprehensive.
I shouldn't have worried. The first nurse did offer reglan, but looked at the anesthesiologist's report and said no. Everyone who looked at my chart was told that the fruit allergy was the most important. The doctor did reassure me that he had done dozens of these surgeries. In the 'holding area' I met the OR nurse, whose from the city in which I work, and whose DIL teaches in the same district as I do. I have met the DIL at several conferences. The best part was the fact that the OR nurse had known my mom, who had been the head of medical records at that hospital for years. So even though Mama retired in the 1980s, and died in 2001, this woman was able to tell me how much she had liked Mama. The anesthesiologist (also not from the city where the hospital is located, but from the city in which I work) for the surgery was late. Her 4 year old twins had hidden each other's shoes. She came into the holding area, and we said at the same time "I know you." Her twins, and my Magpie, go to dance class together. She was interested to know that I had been in recovery for 18 years, and was not thrilled that it wasn't on my chart. (I thought she might want to know). The oddest part was that the anesthesiologist gave the pre-op sedation and then she and the OR nurse wheeled me into the OR. Not an orderly. It was a really personal touch that I appreciated. They did note to me that I wasn't as affected by the pre-op as most people.
I was able to go home by 2:30. The nurses were concerned that there was next to nothing they could give me but water. They didn't want to give me the fruit pops they had, since there was no ingredient list on the floor. So, since I wasn't sick, and had used the facilities, I was home by 3:30.
Yesterday I was able to spend most of the day with an icepack and Tylenol, but today I did have to take the pain medication. I know now why I didn't do drugs.