I went to the hospital for my pre-op, on Thursday and although I was taken to hospital via ambulance the week before, they did another EEG and took bloods and was confirmed I was fine for surgery.

On the Saturday, at the day surgical ward, I was told I couldn’t have family with me. My sister and took me and waited in the reception area until the surgeon team arrived, which wasn’t long. We then went into the TV sitting room, as I didn’t want my sister to leave me. I had the operation previously four times, so knew what to expect but I also know I am very good at coming round from anaesthetic and therefore was worried about the operation.

Although I had to be there for 7am, other people had gone down, come back drinking tea and eating biscuits and ready for discharge. At 12:30, I was the last one on the ward and 1pm was collected for theatre. The nurse came and pushed the bed into the theatre. The smell of anaesthetic hit me and I started shaking. They staff were great they spoke to me and made me laugh, although as it was lunchtime they were saying about the male nurse who came to get me, after saying my sister was my mother and offending her, turned into a zombie and would therefore eat me if I wasn’t careful. I laughed it off but they were all involved and saying lucky they’re not cutting me as the smell of blood makes him go crazy. Hmmm really not helping haha! Anyway quite soon the canula was in and strong painkiller was given which gave me a drugged effect and tingling in my face, then the general was given and I was asleep.

I woke up in recovery and taken back to the ward. I had my own room, but was on oxygen and was out of it for about 3 hours, the nurses were worried as they wanted to go home and I hadn’t come too, they expected me to be up and out. Haha! Me as if, never! I was admitted as needed the oxygen and hadn’t drunk or managed to urinate for them to let me go. My sister left and when I woke up I was in another part of the hospital and in a bed. I don’t remember being moved, or moving beds or even saying bye to my sister. The surgeon came the next morning and I told him, it usually happens, my bladder is so lazy and I don’t come round from anaesthetic very well and that normally after surgery, they put a catheter in for 12 / 24 hours, until I am under control with pain relief and then my bladder works again. So, he did a bladder scan and it was a bit full not much, drank more and couldn’t pee, so at 2pm another scan, it was over 600mls, he kept me until 9pm when the night staff were on hand, before doing another scan over 900mls, in pain and had to wait for the other patients to be discharged and new patients admitted before the nurse had change to relieve me. I was given morphine beforehand and she fitted the catheter, instant relief. My oxygen levels were low, so was on oxygen all day and throughout the night.

The next morning the doctor came to see me and told me he will be sending me home with the catheter in and to go back the following day to get it removed. I was happy with this, but said I will be back, they can’t leave it longer than that or I won’t pee on my own again.

There was a female around my age came in with tonsillitis on the Sunday night and she was a bit of a nightmare, she screamed oww when the nurse flushed her canula after she had iv antibiotics, the nurse jumped, she wasn’t even pressing. She was up speaking to the lady next to me most of the night and I struggled to sleep for her annoying voice and cackling. Then at 430, she screamed making us all jump because the nurse touched her to do obs, for gods sake. That morning I was getting discharged and phoned my sister to come and get me, when I felt light headed, really sick and when the nurse came to ask how I was I told her, next minute I am laid back on my bed with oxygen and the nurse rubbing my chest saying ‘Come on poppet, breathe, come on, that’s it breathe that in, good girl’ I was sick and head hurt so much. I came round when my sister arrived and she had a right go at me about being silly and to get ready to go home. In the end she left, knowing I will call her when I was ready to come home. I cried after she left, I didn’t know what the bloody hell was going on and having an ear full for being ill was tough. I still don’t know what her problem was.

It prob didn’t help I was starving and no energy, as the staff took our order for lunch and dinner on the Sunday and they lost our ladies forms, so we ended up with someone else’s, which we didn’t like and although the other three ladies swapped and changed amongst each other, it was all ham and cheese and baked beans and cakes I hate, they asked if I wanted a sandwich, but they hadn’t got any, so I ended up with a grapple bag. After I had the cathether inserted a really nice young Chinese guy asked if I wanted a hot chocolate and gave me chocolate chip cookie biscuits. I felt a bit human. There was another guy a lot older in his 40s, a nurse who kept walking past and smiling and when he took my obs, kept smiling and winking at me. I smiled back but can’t say I felt sexy with oxygen out my nose and a catheter in the other end, but blonde hair blue eyes, I guess he couldn’t resist. Haha!

Today, I went back and had to fight for the catheter to be removed as I hadn’t opened my bowels and were then more interested in that. I told her it was normal and they had to remove the catheter, I was in a lot of pain and bleeding from it. She did remove it and after 2 hours I managed to pee and was let out, with the advice to take laxatives. If I don’t go or have problems with my bladder, I had to go straight back to A&E. So far my bladder is fine and working in bowel, but not eaten a great deal. Not really in the mood for food, and I am so tired but so light headed all the time, I just hope it passes quite quickly.

Falling asleep, gotta go

Goodnight xxx