Surgery #1

I was 14 weeks pregnant and was having the tumour removed from the bottom of my left foot.  Dr Puloski was unsure of the nerve damage I would have and said my foot would probably never feel the same.  I was nervous I'd never had surgery before besides a c-section and I was scared.


Dallas took me to Calgary the night before and then we checked in for surgery early the next morning.  I then had my blood pressure, temperature and weight checked.  I was nervous for me but especially for my little baby, which no one but Dallas and I knew about.


Dallas and I waited for my name to be called and then I was taken alone to wait in the surgery waiting room all alone.  It was horrible.  I was sitting all alone as my surgeon and then the anaesthetist spoke to me about the surgery.  Dr Puloski explained that if the the pathology on the tumour came back as cancer that another surgery would have to be done.  And the anesthesiologist explained that he would use a spinal and an epidural so I would be awake for my entire 3 and a half hour surgery.


I was led down the hall by a nurse to the surgical suite.  I climbed up on a stiff hard table and was then given and iv and and epidural.  The surgery took forever.  I was uncomfortable I felt as though me legs were aching and not lying flat on the table.  I was restless.  When they finally removed the tumour I asked to see it I remember the surgical resident bringing it to my face in his gloved hands.  It was so big it filled both of his cupped hands and was a yellowy white colour.


I was then taken to recovery where I remained for about 4 or 5 hours due to some complications with pain control and the epidural moving up into my face.


Dr. Puloski came in the next morning and explained that the tumour was extremely difficult to remove it was wrapped around every major tendon and nerve and he had not got a large margin around it so it would be likely to come back.  I thought I am never doing this again!


Day 2 in the Foothills Hospital

Day 3 Post Surgery