She’s back

I thought it just easier to do my update on here so people have the choice of reading it or not and it serves as a record for me. 

feel free to skip. As always the blog is for me primarily. Surface to say I’m home and ok. 

 Well that was quite a day. Operation number two began well. Bournemouth have a very different system than Poole Hospital and Nigel was able to write with me until my actual admission which was lovely. He didn’t have to leave until about 7:30 am. As soon as he left I did the admission process with a lovely nurse who stayed with me for each step. You don’t ever see other patients as you are in a little lounge type room on your own with the nurse. I met my new surgeon who was absolutely lovely and very reassuring. He described exactly what he was going to do, why and how. He gave me the option of seeing him for the results as my primary surgeon would be away on holiday and I was delighted with that option. I then met the anaesthetist and I think that was the most reassuring part of the day. Compared to the anaesthetist I met at my bedside in pool This man who was wonderfully friendly actually looked like a doctor not somebody working on a market stall. He talked me through the process and was so reassuring. He was horrified when I described my previous experience with an anaesthetist and the dislocated jaw, black throat the fact that he reduced me to tears before he left my bedside. His exact words were, “Karen I’ve got this and you’re going to sail through with me no problems.“

All of this happened before 8:15 am at 9:15 I was taken into theatre and that, as they say, is that.

I had been expecting to be home by shortly after lunchtime based on previous timings and so Nigel arrived at the hospital by 11 thinking he’d have maybe an hour or so wait to take me home. This seems awfully early but the traffic across the two towns is dreadful and parking is iffy at best. Unfortunately I didn’t have such a swift recovery this time. I was in the recovery room for about 3/ quarters of an hour and the pain was quite strong. I think what did me was they gave me two doses of morphine. By the time they moved me back to the ward in the day centre I felt dreadful. I don’t think I ever want to feel quite as nauseous dizzy and disorientated as I did. I couldn’t focus on anything and felt so desperately sick. They gave me anti sickness injections. They bought me a cup of tea and a sandwich neither of which I could have more than a mouthful of. They fetched me water and ginger biscuits and I managed half of a biscuit and some water. Never felt  so sick and woozy and was watching people come in from recovery, eat their sandwiches and get dressed and go. Eventually I managed to get up and go to the loo (they warn you your wee will be bright bright turquoise because of the dye but it’s quite spectacular) and then the sickness really hit. Thankfully I made it back to bed where my bowls were before I was the sickest I’ve been in years. And I immediately felt so much better. I wish they had just let me go home then. But they give me another sickness injection and made me wait another hour before I could go. By which time I had started to feel bad. However I left hospital at about 3.30 in a wheelchair … they insisted as I was so shaky. The journey home was dire, with heavy traffic and lots of speed bumps each of which hurt, and clutching a sick bowl. Plus I looked dreadful. The dye makes you look bluish pale plus I was pale. Nigel got me into bed in a comfy position, thank goodness for an adjustable bed, and Jakki came and sat with me whilst Nigel dropped letters into the doctor. 

It was a shock seeing the bright turquoise booby and the two big dressings and it was reasonably painful but I was determined not to take morphine convinced it would make me sicker. I think it’s safe to say we had a bad night but a new day has dawned. I’m up, pain is under control, and I have done my first round of arm exercises. 

I have no idea if they found the right nodes, what they removed and if they got it all, but I am so grateful it’s over for now, so grateful  I was seen earlier, so grateful for the kindness of everyone involved and all my family and friends, for the cards and messages and flowers, and for my truly wonderful husband. 

Comments

[Barb in AK]

I am so sorry you had that reaction in recovery. Some people are allergic to to certain kinds of anesthesia. Find out the name of the one you had and ask that it goes into your records about the reaction.
Yes, the main thing is YOU ARE HOME! Blessings on Jakki for her help. How wonderful for her care.
Need I remind you to rest and not overdo? Drink plenty of fluids and hopefully you’ll be back “in the pink” quick as a wink. And I do mean PINK— not turquoise.

[Jackey]

I hope you soon feel better morphine a very strange drug some can tolerate others it makes them very sick or go off on very strange dreams. Thanks for posting I had thought of you on you op 2 day. Rest do as you are told take each day as it comes.
Jackey