Glue and string

M

Margaret Pilkington

Beacon of light
Overlooker
Today was the day I was dreading.
The day when I was to go under the knife.
I took myself off for a bus ride yesterday in the hope that it would divert my attention....it did not.
I wandered round the shops with not an idea in my head of what I wanted.
My mind kept on returning to what would be on the cards for me today.
I slept badly last night and was just drifting off when it was time to get up.

I had to present myself at thebElective Surgery Unit by 7.30 this morning.
I could eat and drink normally, but my appetite deserted me.
I managed a slice of toast but it tasted a bit like a styrene tile.

I got to the unit early.
Goodness Burnley General is a nightmare to find your way around.
Initially, I was lost.
I saw two youn men delivering milk, so I asked them to point me in the right direction.
I was really lucky to find that that was where they were taking a trolley of milk...so I tagged along.

There were about 15 of us congregated in front of the ward doors.
We were allowed in on the dot of 7.30.

Men to the left, ladies to the right...into the waiting room.
Nurses came and called out the names...I was left with two othe ladies.
We felt like the last broken biscuits in the box.
Eventually we were called through as well.
I was shown to a chair...there was a lovely fetching theatre gown on the table...and of course a load of paperwork.

A nurse came and introduced herself...she was going to be looking after me.
I was weighed, my height was measured....and I have grown half an inch.
Then my observations were checked....temp was normal, oxygen stats were spot on, pulse was good but my blood pressure was sky high.
215/110.... crikey Moses. The nurse said she would leave me to settle down and recheck it again.

This did not help at all...it just gave me time to ratchet it up a bit more.
I told the nurse that I have 'white coat Syndrome'....she told me that the high BP might mean that the op could not go ahead.
I told her that if I had to go home and come back another day, it might be worse.

The consultant had not yet arrived, but she said he would make the decision...but not to bother getting into the theatre gown.

I sat there mentally chewing my nails down to my elbows.

Soon a very pleasant young man came to see me...it was my consultant.

He checked me over and went through what was to happen...so I was going to be operated on after all.
I hurriedly got into my posh frock(!) and a pair of white stockings....I was given paper knickers (oh the ignominy)....and I was walked up to theatre.

Once in there I could see trays of shiny sharp steel....needles and vials all set out.
I was connected to a machine the flashed and beeped.
A BP cuff was put on my right arm.
They covered me in sterile green towels, made into a sort of turban.
I was painted with antiseptic solution.

My temple and the side of my cheek was infiltrated with local....and a little time was left for it to take effect.
Playing in the background was one of Chopin 's Nocturnes....then the surgeon tested the area.
Ow, ow, ow...there were still places that had feeling ....so more local was given.

Then I am sure I heard someone sharpening the knife on the back step.

The surgery took a little over an hour.
The stitches were put in to repair the hole....and then just to be sure the area was glued as well.
It was done, all over with....my BCC has been removed and I was ready to go back to the ward.

I was given a brew and biscuits and then discharged home.
I was back in my own surroundings by midday.
I have to take it easy for the next 48 hours....I am feeling a bit bruised and tender and I am held together with string and glue.
Phew, I am glad that is over with...and though it wasn't exactly fun, it was not as bad as I thought.
 
Happy for you Margaret, my blood pressure always goes sky high when stressed...I will have to remember the answers you gave for this happening. It was true what you said,,,x
 
Paris is always high blood pressure when she even goes to see the doc never mind hospitals, exactly same as you, but she invested in a moniter which she uses at home, and shes always normal before going to the docs, which she told them, so they know the score,;)
 
I also have a BP machine....not electric as these can be very inaccurate.
I check my BP on a (roughly) monthly basis and it has always been 'normal'....but as soon as I go near a GP practice....or hospital then my pressure goes into space...and I can tell it is up.
The electronic monitor at BGH was recording my pulse rate at 117 but I took it manually and it was 72....now if the pulse rate was so far out, then why would I trust the BP reading.

Anyway, it is all done and dusted now and I just have to take time and recover....feeling a bit swollen and sore...and I might have a shiner by tomorrow.
 
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I am so pleased for you, Margaret, that it is all over with. Now you do as Aunty Dorothy tells you, take it easy for as long as you need to, relax, let yourself recover properly - and let others look after you for a change instead of the other way round. You have been told!!!!!
 
Thank you Dorothy...I do not think I will have a great deal of choice.
I felt very tired yesterday afternoon and had to give in at 9 pm, but had a bit of a disturbed night...every time I tried to lie on the side of the surgery it was painful and the stitches kept catching of the pillow case.
I have been ordered to stay in bed this morning...so I am going to do.
 
Thanks Jen.
I now know how you feel when you hit the deck....my right eye is all colours of the rainbow....and I have 30-40 stitches in my forehead.
Not pretty....in fact I look like a ripped quilt.
 
ive hit the deck too often ... even this year ive gone at least once a month .. January it was twice .. once in Scotland .. once in the bank in accy .. that one was ok .. but the one in feb really did give me a black eye could hardly see out of my eye .. and lasted a couple of weeks before the colour was out of it .. but learnt that arnica is good for bruising .. does make it go a bit sooner .. :D
 
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