I had my operation last Friday. Luckily for me I was first on list for going in. Before I knew it it was almost 9am, I had to be there before 6:45am as I was told about being first the day before, and one of the theatre staff came for me and checked my details again. As we left the room to walk to the theatre she told Kara to go grab a cuppa as I wouldn’t be long and should be able to go home about lunchtime. It was strange getting asked my details at least 6 times as each person went through my notes, the final time as I lay on the bed in the room beside the operating theatre getting wired up and getting the canula fitted in my hand for the anaesthetic. As I lay there chatting to the anaesthetist about work etc he put the muscle relaxant in and the ceiling started to shake as my eyes started to go. The next thing I knew a nurse asked if I was OK and I was coming around in the recovery room. I asked if it was all over, I kind of knew it was as I had a dry mouth and throat and felt some pain. I remember looking at the clock which was opposite me and it was almost 10:10am. She said it was and asked how I was feeling. When I mentioned some pain she gave me a rather nice injection of fenylyn which made me a bit drowsy. I lay there slipping in and out of consciousness for a while before coming around a bit more. I then had to gently roll on each side as the nurse removed the sheet that they’d lofted me off the operating table with. They then moved me to the end of the recovery room where it was quieter. It was about 11 then. A different nurse said I’d soon be going to a ward but that they were waiting for a bed for me. They were told I’d have a space on the ward at about 1pm. As it got close to 1pm the nurse said there was space now but they were still really busy and didn’t have an extra person available to help wheel me around to the lift and then down to the ward. I got on the ward just before 2pm. As I lay there I overheard someone talking about there wife and it dawned on me that I’d not seen Kara yet so when I saw a nurse again I asked wher my belongings were and she helped me get my phone. It was now about 2:20pm. I texted Kara and she said she was on her way up. I saw I had had some texts. One was from my younger stepdaughter, sent to me instead of her older sister by mistake, saying that Kara had no idea where I was and couldn’t find anything out and I should of been finished in theatre ages ago. I realised that was about 10:30-11 that she sent that! When Kara arrived I realised how long I’d actually been off radar for. Almost 4 hours in recovery and by the time I reached the ward it was about the time I should of been arriving home! That’s operations etc for you I guess and I have to say I felt I had amazing care. I wasn’t allowed to leave hospital until about 7:30pm as they wanted me to eat and drink, which I’d already done but more importantly to pee. Which I’d only managed about 5pm. Once I started peeing it was hard to stop as I’d had well over 2 litres of fluids by then. At least I was given the OK. Recovery and healing at home has been quite fast even though it feels slow to me. My wounds look like they’re almost healed fully apart from the biggest incision near my belly button which is still a little swollen and painful. I’m finding it hard to not do anything or lift anything. I have been out for a few gentle walks but it’ll be at least another week before I think about work again. The longer I take off now the less chance of any issues cropping up that would mean more time off work and the stronger I’ll be when I do go back. Christmas will be tight this year that’s for sure as I’ll not earn much money now for the rest of the year. I still have a couple of bills to make out and and am still owed some money by some people. It’ll sort. Thank fuck I’m ok and alive. I just hope not being active doesn’t let my mind wander too far!
