You're So "Vein"

I have had 5 pregnancies that delivered 5 totally wonderful children.  They are all adults and they are talented, smart, kind, loving, etc.  :)  So, the downside of these 5 pregnancies is weight gain, that never really went away completely, and varicose (or as my Grandpa Creer called them, "very close") veins.

Well, after having one of them pop open and spray the bathroom with blood, I figured it was time to do something about them.  I went to the Intermountain Vein Center in January for an ultrasound, then scheduled the surgery for my left leg (not the one with the spraying vein, but the one that ached the most) for
March 11.

That was Friday.  I was a little nervous so I asked Gene for a blessing that morning. Then I had him give me a ride to school so he could take me to my appointment at 1:30 that afternoon.  Everything went according to plan (for a change). When I got into the surgery room the nurse gave me some Advil and a Valium.  She told me to chew the Valium so that it would get into my system faster.  Nasty stuff!  Anyway, after donning the little disposable shorts, getting the veins marked with a pen, I was ready for the snipping.

The doctor came in and got down to business.  First he numbed the inside of my calf, then he shot the vein with some stuff that dissolves the vein.  No big deal.  Then he numbed the larger vein going across the front of my calf, under my knee and around to my thigh and started to make little cuts.  He thought I seemed a little tense and asked if I had taken a Valium.  Yep, I did, but I still felt normal.  They gave me another one with a piece of gum to kill the taste.  I asked if anyone ever wanted to watch and he said once in a while.  Well, I wanted to see what was going on, so they propped me up and I watched and asked lots of questions.  This is probably when the doctors wish they could knock the patient out.  Anyway, without grossing the reader out, it was pretty awesome.  I was reminded of taking the little tendon thing out of a piece of chicken before you cook it.  Only the veins aren't that tough and they break easily.  Sorry, that was probably gross for some of you.  He had to shoot the numbing stuff in a few more times and I had to roll over onto my stomach for the back of my thigh, which ended my observing.  Nineteen small incisions later it was all done and the nice young attendant used all of his muscles to put the compression stocking on.  Whew!

Now, I knew the Valium had worked because my eyesight was a little blurry and there was no way I could walk a straight line.  Gene had to hold on to me as we walked to the car.  But, by the time we got a prescription at Smith's, stopped at home and got to Sam's (Friday is grocery day) I felt like myself and was able to finish the shopping while Gene checked out computers.

So, the worst part of the entire thing has been wearing the stocking for 48 hours straight.  No showers.  Tight stocking squeezing my leg.  Some slight pain.

Monday morning couldn't get here soon enough!  When it did, the shower was wonderful!  But, then I had to use all of my muscles to get the blasted stocking on again!  (I have two of them so I had a clean one)  So hard!  So painful when it was rolled up and on the sore vein!  But, I'm surviving and planning to do the right leg as soon as this one is all healed up.

I had Gene take a picture on Monday morning, just to get sympathy from all of my family and friends.  It looks worse than it feels, unless I bump it!  But, so far, no swear words!