Nurse Flo breezed in, at ten past two in the morning, wheeling the apparatus of her trade before her! Blood pressure monitor, pulse monitor, stuff like that. Actually I don’t really know what her name was. The light she switched on was dazzling and I’d just been woken up. Then she said “ah you haven’t had your operation yet. I don’t need to do you until the morning”. She switched the light off and left. I took a swig of water and went back to sleep.
Six thirty and I’m listening, ish, to the wireless. Had me shower. Gowned up and ready.
Under the knife at 9.45. 2nd on. Nurse has been around. Anaethetist has been round. I now have two hours to kill. Guess it could have been worse. Could have been on later this afternoon.
I have to say I am a little apprehensive, as much as anything about the post operative recovery process but I am in the hands of the best in the business and the hip does badly need doing (as opposed to needs doing badly). The surgeon, Mr Manktelow, is very clinical, excuse the pun so it should be ok.He has been round. Put an arrow on my right thigh. Says the ink will disappear in between a year and eighteen months!
Outside it is a grey February day. The sloping rooftop I see through the window has multiple aerials silhouetted against the sky. They certainly aren’t all TV aerials. Who uses a TV aerial these days. Mind you we have one inside our roofspace. A legacy from the days of dial up internet access. A time where websites would sometimes take minutes to load.
A window cleaner has just rocked up and brushed my window with one of those long brushes that squirt water. All the drips now need wiping off. I wonder if they bother.
This morning is a time for calmness and relaxation to get mentally prepared.
BLT ordered for when I get out of theatre btw. With a sachet of brown sauce.
Apaz the injection makes you numb from just below the breast plate down. The process is a needle in the wrist to relax you. Then a local anasthetic at the base of the spine before injecting the main anaesthetic. At some stage they also give you something to make you drowsy so that you are only half awake
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Well I know this is boring mundane stuff to most of you but there is an update. Have stopped taking tea and bourbons – don’t want to spend half the night going to the loo and my blood sugars rocketed albeit temporarily. It isn’t something I normally look at. In fact I don’t normally look at anything except the occasional inspection of the bathroom scales.
My second postoperative wee was performed in the bathroom. Progress. Still into the cardboard flask so they can measure it. I assume they chuck the flask away afterwards! Wossgoinon I hear you say? Bathroom? Where else would it be, apart from the hedge when camping n simlar. You already know about this afternoon sat on the bed.
So far I just walked to the wall outside the door so going to the bog is therefore big news. Not that it’s any further. Just different. More progress.
Then Mr M came in for a quick chat and to say tata for the day. Asked me if I’d been doing the exercises and I informed him that’s what I was doing when he came in. I showed him. More he said, more. So I did more and after he’d left continued on a fairly regular basis even during phone calls.
Wow what a difference. I can already bend that knee far more than at anytime during the last few months. Yet more progress. I am pretty bullish that this op is going to make a mahoosive difference. It’s only when you lose it that you realise how important mobility is.
Now sat in the armchair watching Man City v Real Madrid. Sort of. Really I’m writing this. Occasionally a nurse will pop in for something. Keep having to remember new names. They do wear a badge. Badges. Man City just scored. Unlike some I support UK based teams when they play in Europe whereas others might do otherwise especially if the club is a rival back home.
So it’s been a fairly momentous first day at the Park Hospital. Second if you count the complimentary stay last night. Momentous day in my life really. The next challenge is to get fully fit again and make sure I take advantage of the regained mobility. And I’m not just talking about walking to the pub.
The other near term challenge is to get through tonight. I’m supposed to sleep only on my back. Ole Mr M doesn’t want to stress the joint for the first few days. I normally sleep on my side as apaz, and I totes dispute this, I have a tendency to snore when lying on my back. Huh. Anyway, see how it goze. I’ll let you know obvs. If I remember.
Typing in hospital does present some challenges. The plastic name band on my right wrist keeps catching on the edge of the macbook. My left hand has a cannula sticking out of the back with loose tubes that move about in a mildly irritating dangly fashion as the hand traverses the keyboard. First world problems. They’ve taken the band off my left ankle. Can’t remember its purpose but something important obvs. Probably just said “left”. Even top surgeons can get mixed up sometimes yanow. Maybs.
Gonna be another busy day tomorrow. More physio n stuff unknown. Have ordered a full English to start the day. Set meself up for the activity that will naturally follow. I am given to understand that I will also be able to take a shower as the covering to the stitches is waterproof. We will see how that one goes.
I guess I’m going to have to learn to dress myself at some point and tomorrow seems like a good time to start. Not allowed to bend the hip yet so no bending down but have one of those grabbers so that might do the job. Unsure whether it is a pyjama day or tracksuit. I look pretty chavvy in the tracky bots but hey who cares. It’s all about comfort right now, man.
Thassenough for now. Ciao amigos.