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A week's worth of diary
Wednesday 8 May 2002
Took the train into Box Hill station and rode the bike to the hospital. Was so nervous I nearly forgot to take my helmet off - how's that for a good look? Waited for a bit in pre-admission office with the other lemmings until we filed in to give names and addresses and other stuff. Got me a white bracelet and then we all filed upstais to urology. The nice nurse gave us all a little bottle and pointed us toward the bathrooms. We all came back and tried to put our little bottles in the basket without anyone else seeing. While some of the others went in to see doctors I got sent to get a ECG (that was cool ) and get all my brain waves put on paper. Got my results and lemminged my wayback to the nurse and sat like a good little girl to wait for the ream of people I had to see. Saw the Anesthetist first. He explained all about the operation and told me he'd be going my breathing for me. He also did a health check (I got 9/10. He only took a point off because of the sleep apnea). Went from there to see the physio - talk about cute!! woof woof! He told me all about post op exercises and other arcane physio stuff. Then I got sent down to have the vampires in pathology take some blood. Sent home without seeing the doctor. Bit annoyed with that.
Spent the rest of the day, when I got home, alternately cleaning and eating - mostly not cleaning. Did some stitching. All my important stuff (read: stitching stuff) got packed Monday - left the clothes and toiletries until tonight. I didn't have anything to carry my stitching stuff in so I made a bag on Monday. Set the alarm for 5am and snoozed.
Thursday 9 May 2002
Elain picked my up at 5.30am. Still dark. She dropped me at the hospital front doors with my CPAP machine, nighty and books. Waited in pre-admission for the nurse and we did our pied piper routine to urology again. We all sat nervously in the waiting room, waiting, sort of hoping, but not hoping we were next. Hardly seemed any time at all until I was up - I think I was 2nd. Followed the nurse into a little curtained room and got into their little peekaboo gown, filled in lots of forms, had my white bracelet changed to a couple of red ones (I'm allergic to Tamezapam) and bagged up all my clothes. Managed to be able to keep my glasses until the last minute - so she tagged them with my name and number too. Rob the orderly (nummy, nummy) wheeled me down to the recovery room to await the surgeon. Chatted to everyone that walked past. They bought over my hat and booties and wheeled me into the room of torture!. Finally got to see the surgeon - just as they were putting me under. At about 8.30am - usually I'm not even awake by then!
Woke up about 11am. Hurt. A lot. Had a huge rubber straw hanging out my nose. Must have had at least 2 cups of ice in little chips over the next couple of hours. My throat hurt like a sunuvabitch. Was still woozy from the anesthetic so snoozed and sipped, snoozed and sipped - and tried not to move. Also had the 'bedpan pleasure' of finding out I can''t 'go' lying down - or in bed at all. That's what 30 years of toilet training will do for you. Ended up having two nursing sisters help me onto a commode chair and wheel me to the loo. Success!! Both mum and Nicole phoned in, but I couldn't speak to them. Nicole because she wasn't family, and mum because the phone was stationary, and so was I. Whined to myself a lot, played with the bed buttons and generally made a nuisance of myself.
Friday 10 May 2002
Toiletting was even more fun today. Hurt more today than yesterday. At least I was sort of mobile. Dragging the drip, my drainage handbags and my tummy. The constant queries about the state of my bowels started to get a bit mindnumbing though. Still - I finally got to eat something at lunchtime. 1 teaspoon each of green stuff, orange stuff, white stuff and grey stuff. And a bit spoon ful of thick gloopy stuff. The peas and carrots were nice, so I ate those. However the mashed potatoes and chicken - not in ths lifetime! That went for the pureed fruit too. The torturers - sorry, nurses - made me get up and walk around too. Horrible, horrible stuff. Must have been a wonderful picture, me creeping along holding the drip in one hand, my two handbags and my stomach in the other, moaning the entire time. Got to know my three neighbours, Joanne, Phyllis and ****. Luckily we were in a same sex room, some weren't so lucky. Also tried to read a bit. Finished Terry Pratchett's Pyramids and started LKH's Bloody Bones. Didn't even start my stitching. Nurses were all jab happy today - my legs look like pincushions.. Unfortunately they didn't belive me when I said painkillers didn't work so they dtried to drug me up with panadol, tramadol and morphine. Morphine helped a tiny bit. Finally tolds them I was fine, just so they'd stop the needles. Whined about the nasal drip but they said it couldn't come out. So I whined about the normal drip. That coudn't come out until I was drinking a lot - water was foul so I decided the drip wasn't so bad. I must have looked great while I was dragging myself out of bed and about the ward. The moaning and groaning were pathetic. I don't take pain well. Called mum and said hello - suggested she call back at 8pm and I could talk to her then. She did. I did. Yapped for a while, then got shuffled off to bed again. Night nurses with torches. How fun. I nearly knocked one of them flying when they surprised me. Asked them to warn me first since I have a 'hit now, find out who they are later' attitude to people sneaking up on me.
Saturday 11 May 2002
Breakfast was truly awful today. A tablespoon of cold semolina and 100ml of pureed fruit. Tried mixing the two to see if something palatable would miraculously appear, but no go. Decided I'd rather starve. My drip started to leak, then stopped alogether. I wouldn't start again so they sent for the canula nurse. She poked and prodded, then resite the drip entirely. It hurt. A lot. She finally decided to put it in my inner wrist??!! Huh?? I couldn't move my arm at all. Half an hour later, when they rehooked up my drip it wouldn't go at all. Then it leaked too. They decided if I was a good little girl and drank lots, it could stay oout. I drank lots. Almost a free woman!!! Only the handbags to go :) So I started complaining about those of course. They said Sunday. I shut up (believe it or not). *** had some family come and visit. Lots of sombodies. I locked myself in my little fabric prison and tried to block out the kids screaming. Read a bit of Bloody Bones. Tried some stitching. The nurses said I could have my nose drip out today!!!!! Hmm, didn't realise exactly what that meant. I had to lay there a swallow repeatedly while they pulled it out via my nose. Hmmmmmm. OK. Gag, gag, swallow, swallow (Lisa and woo - minds out of the gutter). Nice to be one step closer to freedom. I can breathe. Yay! Peed a lot - ate nothing. Same for lunch as yesterday, except the grey stuff was fish. And awful fish it was too. I mean - just what did this poor, innocent little fishie do to anyone to deserve pureeing? Not to mention the poor, innocent chickens. At least the deep breathing is getting easier. As is sitting up and just normal breathing. Handy. Still have to hold my tummy when I walk though - how embarrasing. Mum called - she, Nic and Grizz are coming to see me tomorrow. Walking around is a bit easier too.
Sunday May 12 2002
Yum! hot semolina with hot low fat milk! What more could a girl ask for? she shudders. Eeeeeeeeeeeeew. You'd think, since my stomach can now hold about a tablespoon of food, that I'd be encouraged to have proper food, but no, they are still pushing low fat, low sugar, no taste on me. Whined aout the last handbag - I think the nurses are avoiding me. Getting grumpy. Stitched alittle on the kitty towel, only to discover I fubar'd it early on. Oh well, fudged it - no one will know, unless they read this. Not keen on the colour. Will make next kitties lighter in colour. Had lunch - felt sick, just as the nurse came around to take my handbag out. Had to wait. Bummer. Didn't want to shower until I was a free woman. Laura came around to take out the handbag an hour or so later. Again - didn't know what this entailed - otherwise I may have just taken it home with me, still attached. She said it would be a bit uncomfortable, but I should just breathe normally. Huh?? Pain, pain, pain. That thing must have been at least 3 feet long, just coiled in my stomach. She twisted it one way, twisted it the other, then put one hand on my tummy and the other pulled the tube out. Wierdest sensation with that thing coming out, just uncoiling. It absolutely wiped me out though. Had to wait until my breathing was back to normal before I could have a shower. Free at last!!! Mum turned up after my shower while my hair was still wet. No energy to dry it turned up. Nic and Grizz couldn't make it. Bummer. Did some stitching and everyone wanted a look. Passed it around, as well as my web page and BB addy. We all chatted for awhile. Mum stayed until they kicked her out at 8pm. She went home to my place so she could pick me up in the morning. More needles.
Monday 14 May 2002
Got woken up at 6, I'm starting to get used to it. Sigh. Didn't bother having a shower, since I'm going home. Saw the registrar and he said I could go home. Had my wound unwrapped, cleaned up, then wrapped agina. Wow - it ponged. eeeeew. Packed all my stuff and stitched. Tried to ring mum but there was no answer. Saw the dietician about food tips. - gravy or sauce with everything, no eating anad drinking at the same time,, multi vitamins, etc. Got a lift via wheelchair to the transit lounge. and went outside to call mum's mobile. No answer. Went back to the lounge and read a magazine. Mum arrived and we left. Stopped in at work and saw Marg. Came home and collapsed for a while. I didn't realise just how draining sitting in a moving car was. Checked my email and BB'd for a little while. Priya came over and took my big blue cabinet and we left for Traralgon. Stopped in at the Darnum pub for tea. I had soup. Got home to Traralgon (nearly 2 hours in the car). I was absolutely wrecked. My bed was in teh lounge room so I couldn't even go to sleep. Cam and the kids and David were there. Was grumpy at them. Shrug. Waited for them to leave. Watched TV. Ate yoghurt. Slept., Watched Buffy - the invisible girl episode. Spike was fun. Sttiched some, then slept.
Tuesday 15 May 2002
Stayed in bed most of the day. Well, dad woke me at 5.30 so i got to see the news. Jimmy came and paited. The dishwasher man came and fixed the dishwasher. Did I mention mum and dad are remodelling? Slept most of the day away in mum's bed. I guess the anesthetic is still hanging around. Ate lots of yoghurt., Mum, dad and Cam went out to tea. Bliss. Solitude. I am forced to watch daytime telvision because mum is addicted. eeeeeeeew Petted the dogs a lot. Mum and dad told both dogs to guard me, so they haven't left my side since I got here.
Wednesday 16 May 2002
Had to watch the news again. I think someone needs to remind dad forcefull that he is retired now and doesn' need to be awake until 8.30am. At 11 mum and I went to Centrelink in Morwell. Stupid woman had no idea what I wanted. All I wanted was to hand in my medical certificate. She got the idea I wanted to change my address permanently. I stasrted to get a bit wonky in the legs so I got just a tad cranky. She printed me another copy of my form to hand in next week. Went to Midvalley and watched Ice Age. Was funny Not enough squirrely thing though. Came home and read some stuff. I feel like I'm living on tablets. Had my Cipramil, my Vioxx , my painkillers, my nausea tablets and my Myadec. Found out I can eat hot potato chips, hamburger, lollies and toast - not all at the same time though.
I stood it at my parents house until the next Monday. Mum and I came back to my place, since I had an appointment Tuesday to see the surgeon. I bought all my stuff home with me and decided to stay. We went in Tuesday morning, saw the surgeon for about 2 minutes, then went back home to my place with mum. We got lost coming and going.
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