Today is Friday, November 11, 2022. It is Veterans Day 2022. It is also the first day home after my hernia procedure that was performed on Thursday, November 10. That is why I was absent from this page yesterday. I was home yesterday icing my incisions all day. I was able to eat a light lunch that Elliot prepared. What has bedeviled me since I got home yesterday was a rather annoying side effect: an interminable bout of hiccuping that started sometime in the afternoon yesterday and has stayed with me all day today as well. In fact, I’m hiccuping as I’m typing this entry right now. It’s a real pain in the ass.

I even raised this side effect with the surgical coordinator whom I called this morning to schedule a follow-up appointment with my physician about two weeks out. She couldn’t understand why such a side effect would occur since my surgeon did not operate laparoscopically which could result in a bout of hiccuping. But I Googled the phenomenon and articles state that this could be the outcome of coming out of anesthesia. I don’t know if this is a common side effect; I just know that I’m experiencing this at the moment and it’s very troublesome. I couldn’t sleep very well last night because of it. So tonight I intend to take an Oxycodone to help me sleep. I’m not a fan of taking drugs, believe me, but this situation warrants it if I’m still experiencing this strange side effect.

So on the day of my procedure, I was scheduled to get to Syosset Hospital at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. I was hoping that I would be asked to report in early, but I didn’t bank on having to get there that early! I was expecting to hear to get to the hospital at 8 or even 9 a.m., but that was not meant to be. But when the hospital called me the day before, on November 9, they told me to get to the facility at 6. So we woke up at 4 on Thursday; I haven’t woken up this early in many years. I had to fast the night before at 11p.m., not at 12, which was originally written in my operation booklet. That didn’t matter since I went to bed at the extremely early hour – for me – of 10 or so, so that I would get enough sleep under my belt. Of course, I couldn’t sleep very much as a result of my being nervous about my upcoming surgical procedure.

We left Forest Hills in the dark, around 4:45 a.m., and got to the hospital at 5:23 a.m. Elliot dropped me off at the entrance and I sleepily walked into the lobby and signed in. The time was 5:24 a.m. I was escorted to a waiting area with no magazines or any other material to read. I was forced to listen to despicable Fox News for over a half hour as I watched more and more people walk into the large room. I wished I had taken a book or a paper to read, but I didn’t. Instructions in the booklet mentioned not to take any valuables to the hospital. So I took off all my rings, wedding band, and even my Star of David necklace. I felt positively naked.

Eventually, my name was called by a hospital representative and I was brought up to a dressing room, where I was given a bag for my belongings. I had forgotten to take off my Seiko watch and I had to drop it off with security. I also had my new cell phone that was given to security as well. I was given a hospital gown that was open at the back; I almost couldn’t get into it correctly, but I persevered. It was so big on me that I was coming out of it. Then several nurses came in to take my vitals. One gave me a hospital bracelet with my name and birthdate on it. Another came in to shave my chest in order to give me an EKG. Eventually, the surgeon did come in and I almost failed to recognize her because of her wearing her mask. I forgot what she told me. She shaved me down there and penciled in where she was going to do the surgery. There were so many personnel swirling around me that I couldn’t determine what they were doing there.

At some point, the affable anesthesiologist came into the room to ask me if I had allergies to anesthesia and to anything else and asked me a few other questions. Like when was the date of my last surgery; I mentioned it was about 50 years ago. We joked about his first name being the same as mine: Ron. I said that was a good sign for my surgery.

It was time to haul me into the operating room. The anesthesiologist took my bed and wheeled me down a very long corridor to a small OR where I was shifted onto the operating table. After this, I have no recollection of what transpired during the next hour or so. I don’t even remember getting the anesthesia; I did have an IV in my arm. The procedure was performed as I slept the sleep of Morpheus. I was out like a light, as they say. This happened even faster than my going through a colonoscopy.

When I woke up, I was in another bed and another nurse was getting me ready to be discharged. I was given some water to drink, I believe. My bags with my cell phone and watch and clothes were returned to me. I was then placed into a wheelchair and taken to the lobby where Elliot was waiting for me.

My stay at Syosset Hospital was finally over. Elliot drove home and parked the car and I was able to hobble upstairs as he parked the car.

It is now the next day and I am still experiencing those annoying hiccups. I hope this will fade by itself as time wears on. I will take that Oxycodone tonight so that I might be able to sleep without that interruption.

On the political front, great news was just delivered on MSNBC on Lawrence O’Donnell’s show, in which Steve Kornacki stated that Mark Kelly, a Democrat, won a 6-year term over his Republican contender. We also heard that a Democratic Secretary of State won over his repugnican challenger, who was an election denier and a far-right kook. Thank God for that win! We are still awaiting news on Nevada and then Georgia. So we might actually lead in the Senate. Let’s truly hope so. This is wonderful news for democracy. Now it’s time to dump Dumpf, since many of his hand-picked candidates lost on Tuesday. He’s more of a damn loser than ever.

There is reason to celebrate now.

Have a good weekend.

Stay safe and be well.