Core Muscle Surgery Day

Hi Everyone,

Tuesday, February 27th was surgery day with Dr. Meyers @ The Vincera Institute. We are staying at a Courtyard Marriott right in the Navy Yard of Philadelphia, PA. The hotel is literally a 2 minute drive to Vincera, which is super convenient since I need to spend a lot of time there. 

A fun fact of the Navy Yard?! It’s the home of the Urban Outfitters-Anthropologie-Free People company world headquarters!!

I have to say... The Vincera Institute is quite amazing! Everything is housed in an old navy barrack brick building.  On the bottom floor, you have the doctor’s offices, an imaging company (ultrasounds, X-rays, Ct-scans, MRIs, etc.), a cafe with amazing green juices and smoothies, the surgical/operating rooms, and treatment rooms for acupuncture/massage/yoga/nutrition. Upstairs is an entire floor dedicated to physical therapy for all patients. 

It seems that many people I met while getting evaluated the day before surgery are staying at my same hotel. I have a feeling I’ll be making some “walking wounded” friends over the next week. Haha!!

For anyone wondering, I kept a timeline of my surgical day schedule:

6:00: Wake up and shower

6:30: Arrive at Vincera to check-in and sign my life away

7:45: Called into prep room to get my IV hooked up and ready for operation

8:00: Dr. Coleman stopped by to wish me luck

8:15: anesthesiologist came by to talk about the risks/drugs I would be receiving

8:35: Dr. Meyers came by to create beautiful artwork on both groin/pelvic areas, just to make sure we both knew he had to operate on both sides haha

9:15: Taken to operating room

9:30-10:30: Bilateral core muscle surgery with Dr. Myers

11:30: Woke up in recovery room and ate a bunch of snacks I packed - almonds and an RxBar

12:30: Walked around the PT facility and iced. 

1:30: Back at the hotel to rest and walk every hour. 

This first afternoon/night was interesting. I felt pain, itching from Percocet, sore throat from a tube they inserted, and general soreness. It was extremely hard for me to walk “upright,” as my body wanted to hunch forward. I couldn’t get on/off the toilet by myself. I couldn’t sit down or stand up from a chair by myself. I couldn’t get in or out of bed by myself. I couldn’t change my clothes by myself. The pain was dull and sore, but also sharp at times. The pain was horrible in my inner thighs and in my lower abdomen (near my pelvic bone); my low back wasn’t feeling too hot either. 

Some tips? Have stool softeners with you. Have "carb" snacks like plantain chips and ginger ale to help calm your stomach and the side effects of anesthesia (i.e. dizzy, nausea, bloating, swollen, temperature control issues, restless body, etc.). Be prepared for your body temperature to be “off” after surgery. I go from freezing to sweating in a matter of moments. And always wear comfy and loose clothes that are easy to get in and out of. 

This night I did not sleep well at all! My body was so tired, but my brain wouldn’t shut down. It was super hard to get comfortable and I felt very shaky all over. 

With Love, 

A "Walking Wounded" Girl xx