Treatment
On July 27th, 2010 I started my treatment by fasting and doing the colon cleansing thing. I really wasn't that hungry anyway. The drive to Duke on the 28th took about 2 1/2 hours. I was to be there at 6:30a.m. We left at 3:30 in the morning (my wife and I) and arrived at about 6 a.m. Checked in and went to the pre-op lobby to wait. They called me back around 6:45 and started all the pre-op things, shaving, IV lines, etc. The doctor came by and spoke as well as some of the residents that were going to be in my surgery with him. The operating room nurse stopped and spoke. She assured me that the surgeon was highly skilled and she would recommend him to her father. My wife was with me at this time and I didn't know until later just what the nurses statement meant. Next the anesthesiaologists arrived and started talking. I heard them mention a jugular iv line in case...In case what I asked? In case I started bleeding out. At that point the little voice in my head screamed "It's not too late to run!" I was seriously contemplating getting up and walking out when someone gave me the "happy shot". A minute later I didn't really care what they did. Rolled me back into the O.R. around 8:30 and I was thinking this is Duke Hosp.? The room was basically a cement block. Was I in the basement? Where's all the hi-tech stuff? Those big steel pans full of all kinds of medieval looking clamps and such, are they going to do that to me? A mask went over my face and I was told " breathe deep" three times. Next thing I remember was someone stuffing ice chips in my mouth saying wake up.