The day of my operation arrived, March 4th. I didn't have to be at hospital until 12.00 although obviously I was nil by mouth from 8.00am. I had made a doctor's appointment for Abbie at 9.00 to check that her recurrent ear infection was actually going and that she was not going for the hat trick of antibiotics courses as she has achieved in the past. Thankfully on this occasion it turned out that the recent double whammy of amoxicillin did the trick.
So the GP asks me how I'm getting on and I say ok. He tells me I've done "remarkably well". Praise indeed. I tell him that incidentally, I'm having a risk reducing hysterectomy too. That afternoon. I like to keep them on their toes.
Took the kids and their stuff to mum's, collected my Dad who now customarily accompanies my husband on various window shopping excursions (B&Q, Bensons for Beds - they know how to live) whilst I am under anaesthetic, and headed to Surgical Admissions. I did have a letter telling me I should phone the hospital at 10.45 to check there was a bed for me but I figured by the time I spoke to the right person and got the answer to that question I might as well just have travelled there anyway so I didn't bother with that.
Upon arrival things move forward in the usual way. I see my Consultant's Registrar and the the anaesthetist. They give me 1,000mg of paracetamol and 1,600mg (like, four tablets' worth!) of pre op ibuprofen. That doesn't normally happen. It's usually just a couple paracetamol to get the drug party started.
I am the only one on the afternoon list and I should be taken down by 2.00. I am pleased not to have to wait ages for once. I am asked to get changed and I do so and then have a dilemma about my pants. They are going to be putting in a catheter, which I haven't had before. I therefore surmise out loud to Dad and Dan that I should probably take my pants off. At which point Dad reminds me that given the nature of a Laparascopic hysterectomy and the route by which the redundant organs will be leaving the body, the catheter is just one of several reasons not to wear pants! For the record, I liked him better when he was cowed in to silence by the seriousness of the situation at my previous ops, he was now veering dangerously in to mickey taking territory.
I walked down to Theatre feeling pretty nonchalant really. I briefly saw my Consultant before they put me under. I didn't get to meet the robot, though.
I awoke again in Recovery just before 5pm. I felt as if I was in advanced 10cm dilated labour but with no real gauge of how and when it might ever end. Now I got through my second labour with no pain relief but psychologically this was very different and there was no room for heroes here folks! So I gleefully allowed the nurse to siphon Fentanyl through my cannula whilst at the same time syringing oramorph in to my mouth. As usual I couldn't stop shaking so they plugged me in to the bear hug blanket or whatever it's called.
Then I went up on to the ward. I nearly caused a division in the team during the first hour. The ward sister didn't want me to get out of bed to go to the toilet, she sent her nurse with a bedpan which I said I didn't want and that whilst I was physically able to get up then I would do so! Another nurse heard this happening and said she remembered me from last time and she was sure I would be able to walk (I'm flattered, I think) and she would help me. I did walk.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen didn't touch the pain but one Tramadol brought it down to 5cm dilated labour equivalent. Two more Tramadol at bedtime kicked the pain in to touch and also helped me sleep for the first time ever after an op, bonus.
There were three of us in the bay at bedtime and the due to A&E gynae admissions the bay filled up overnight until all six beds were occupied. Not seen that before, found it quite interesting to observe between periods of sleeping.
The next day the Registrar came in again. She said I could go home that day. To cut a very long and frustrating story short, I collected my things and we went home without any of my prescribed meds after 2.5 hours of unproductive waiting in the day room following a cock up in sending the pharmacy order down. I knew I had stacks of co-codamol at home still, which turned out to be a good thing as I did need them a couple days after.
Now I am recovering slowly, got some bruising and feel lightheaded quite often but no real pain as such. I'm taking it easy for the time being and hoping I won't get an infection like last time.
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