Monday 13 April 2009

5th Post Thursday 2nd April - After the surgery

I have now had the op! Was in hospital for 5 days., but shoudl have been 14 days. The day of the operation me and Danny were waiting in the hospital room which would become my home for the 5 days I was in there. I didn’t have any reservations about going ahead with it, I think all that anxiety was out of the way from the weekend before. The anaesthetist came to see me to explain the procedure and said that I was the first patient of the day. I then had my blood pressure taken and was introduced to several different nurses, it then started to feel quite real that in an hour or so I would be having the surgery but cleared of this awful condition, there was no option I had to have it and that was that.

When I came round I was in Intensive Care, I remember Danny being there and saying my name as I was still in and out of consciousness, I was hooked up to drips and had a cafiter tube attached to me, I had a morphine tab in case the pain was too bad. I then remember my Mum & Dad being there and my sisters. I remember my Mum and my eldest sister crying and me saying that it was alright. I have heard and was told that when you are first in the icu you don’t remember a thing, but I remember quite a bit really. I remember my sisters sat at either side of me and they both kissing my hand and telling me I looked like I had colour in me, (I had fake tanned the day before) I don’t remember feeling in too much pain at that point probably because I had morphine and was extremely drowsy. My eldest sister phoned me at 3.00am in the morning, she couldn’t sleep so I was laid down talking to her for a good 15 minutes, that conversation I don’t remember but i’m glad it put her mind at rest I was okay, because it is also traumatic for your family to go through this too.

I was in the best place to be looked after and one of the Doctors who was looking after me was brilliant. I remember I couldn’t drink any water only allowed swabs to refresh my mouth. Then came the dreading sitting up the next morning, that was pretty horrendous the Dr said that I went green but did well not to faint because people usually do. I just remember being so hot and clammy and longing for my family a familiar face to be there. I then had to move from the bed to the chair beside the bed which I did and had a fan on me the whole time which helped...loads. I fell asleep on the chair and then I remember Danny walking in. I then I had to get from the chair into the wheel chair, this makes me cringe even now, I coughed without any notice I didn’t know I was going too oh my god the pain, the tears just rolled down my eyes. Anyway don’t remember too much about this day apart from being wheeled down to my room I remember trying to straighten my hair feeling full of energy which quickly went. I got into bed and I don’t really remember too much more.apart from my mum and dad and my sisters coming with some beautiful flowers for me.


The 2nd night in hospital was awful, I hadn’t had a particular great day mainly with the pain in my shoulder. Through the night I was very uncomfortable the bed wasn’t very comfortable and everytime I moved my shoulder it was giving me pain. The nurse came in through the night and tried to make me comfy, she was lovely all the nurses were lovely. I sat up and was in agony and crying, she called for another nurse to hold me up whilst I was being sick and was having hot flushes, I still am for some reason if anybody knows why please let me know. I know that after the surgery hot and cold flushes are normal, but nearly 3 weeks later and I’m still the same.

On the 5th day in hospital I was getting restless been confined to my room, which I know I was very lucky to have my own room, but I am not the best with stagnant air and was longing for some fresh air. My sister and one of the Nurses suggested me and Danny to go out in the wheel chair as I was doing much better. By this time I was rid of all the tubes and just having paracetomol for the pain, so walking around was much easier.

We went out for something to eat close to the hospital, it was gorgeous weather and the fresh air felt amazing on my skin. We didnt manage to stay out too long as my back started to hurt quite badly. A classic case of trying to run before I could walk, but I am still glad we went out because it was starting to really get to me being stuck in the hospital.

1 comment:

  1. Hannah - Nats' Sisiter7 May 2009 at 10:21

    This doesn't seem two minutes ago! seeing you in hospital as you were coming round from the anesthetic in intensive care all dozy drifting in and out from the anesthetic, that was awful! you never want to see someone you care about and love so so much in any kind of pain, and i suppose i wasn't expecting to see you like that with your drips etc, i was looking at you and had to turn away because i was crying and i didn't want you to know because you were the one who had the operation and was been so so strong, we were...and still are so proud of you, we never heard you moan once!
    i remember you couldn't drink after your operation and you were dieing for a big drink and you could only have swobs, and i was trying to do it and was pouring water all down your neck, the hospital were great they had 2-3 nurses on you that night so that put all our minds ease.
    The next day going to see you in your room, you had so much more colour in your face and looked more like our Nats! but we still felt sad to leave you and to see you in pain. One thing that shocked all of us was your two comments which will stick in my mind, the nurse came in and said, "can you tell me how much pain you are in from 1-10" and you replied "3", and this was the day after the operation! And your second comment which was "this is nothing (as in the op) compared to how bad i was on Sunday", as you were so bad with your stomach from lamb! so there we all were worried about how much pain you are in after the operation and we never realised just how much pain you had for all them years before! also that day was the first time i had seen you cry since you was in hospital, we had got you some flowers and a card, and i remember writing the card and my eyes filling up and i gave it to you and that was the once and only time i saw you cry!
    You kept telling us all to stop making you laugh because you had to hold you stomach and do a little wimper for a laugh, and you could tell you were really laughing it was so cute!
    You have been a complete star through this, you have been so brave and strong its unbelievebale where you always seem to find that strength! Here's to a new you and the start of a new chapter! I'm so proud to call you my sister! i'll love you forever and eternity all my love always Hannah xXx

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