You need to fast from midnight the night before your surgery. I didn't have any problems doing this because I ate dinner around 7pm and I typically go to sleep before midnight anyhow. My surgery was scheduled for check-in at 11:15am so I knew I wouldn't have too much time to be hungry or want to drink anything that morning. It also made it easier because I got a call that my surgery moved up in time to 10:45am.
I've read two different approaches to what you eat the week before the surgery, some opt to eat a ton of food you won't be able to eat anymore, and others say practice eating little food so you won't be starving when you can't open your mouth. I don't know what I did, other than I was eating junk food like no other because I knew that I would lose weight. Sounds bad, but what I think I was trying to combine things I couldn't eat after surgery like crunchy things with unhealthy foods that I don't typically allow myself to eat, like chips. I don't think I was stuffing myself, but I definitely wasn't practicing a liquid diet. An advice I can definitely give about this is, make sure that leading up to the surgery you pick out liquids that you want to drink/eat. I thought going in that I would just drink Ensure (Vanilla) all the time, but I found out the hard way that I do not like Ensure and it's way too sweet. It's comical, I know. I would take the time a week before, finding liquids and recipes that you actually like, so you don't end up starving like me.
I went in about 20 minutes before 10:45am and checked in. I got called back to the pre-op nurse in a few minutes. I signed some waivers and the nurse asked me typical questions. One thing I wasn't expecting was a pregnancy test. I had gone to the bathroom downstairs a few minutes before so that took extra time it shouldn't have. They gave me an IV in my hand, which hurt a ton, and I got a little fainty. Luckily the nurses were so nice, they just laid me back and gave me some cool air. They give you a gown to wear and spiffy socks. They let you keep your underwear on. You put your belongings in a bag, but it might be a good idea to leave your valuables like your jewelry at home. I forgot to take mine off so I left them with my mom. They will also ask you to take off your contact lenses so make sure you bring your glasses. They will give you a nasal decongestant spray for your nose. After I successfully proved I wasn't pregnant, they called me back into the surgery room. Make sure you say good bye and hug your loved one before you go!
Once in the surgery room, they ask you if you've ever had a nose job or any major surgery. They also asked me if I breathe better through one nose over the other. I laughed, but I think they were serious. Once in the room, they ask you to get on top of the surgery bed. They strap you in, and put a automatic blood pressure thing on your arm and a heart beat thing on your index finger. Real scientific, I know. They place an oxygen mask on your face too, and at some point I must have stopped breathing because they were like "BREATHE!" I didn't feel too nervous though... or so I thought. They also put foam things around your legs to massage them during the surgery. You'll end up having your knees bent a little and elevated during the surgery. They briefed a little bit with the staff, and before I knew it, the anesthesiologist, or who I think was him, told me to breathe in very deeply, and then lights out.
The surgery took about an hour. I was in the recovery ward when the nurse woke me up. If you've ever been under, you know that you wake up really groggy and confused. My jaw was in so much pain, I couldn't really believe I was feeling anything because I thought I would be very drugged up. They gave me extra hydrocodone to ease the pain. They also supposedly gave me anti-nausea medicine because I told the anesthesiologist before the surgery that I got nauseous the last time I went under. The flavored hydrocodone is disgusting. My throat was so dry, I wanted to throw up. They asked if I wanted anything to drink, and what I thought was really weird was they only offered different sodas, no water. I'm not sure if that's a thing in the hospital? I just wanted water. I was in and out of sleep for an hour or so. Oh, besides the facial ice pack head wrap thing around your face, you also wake up with two little plastic tubes in your mouth. This "helps you breathe". I wanted them out, because I could breathe through my nose just fine. They also use these tubes to plastic syringe liquids and medicine into your mouth. It really felt like the nurses just wanted me to leave as soon as possible, so when I felt like I could actually stand and change, I asked the nurse to be discharged. They wheel-chaired me out of the hospital and my mom drove me home. (Photos below are from internet, not mine)
1) Find liquids you like.
2) Keep belongings at home - jewelry, purse, contact lenses, etc.
3) Do not use the restroom before surgery - females only.
4) IV will hurt.
5) You cannot fully prepare for how you will feel after surgery. It's going to be terrible.
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