Op Day!

So today is D-Day!  I live very close to the hospital which is a good job because I do not appreciate getting up at ungodly hour on a supposedly day off work. I put the good old Ametop (numbing cream) for those not medically minded on my hands ready, grabbed my bag and my weary eyed mother and virtually skipped out the door with excitement. Not forgetting a quick hug and good luck from my house mate :)



This is a funky impression of what my jaws look like now before surgery, this secretly reminded me of the multi-coloured sand bottles I use to make as a child on holidays. :)


This is me all ready in my gown and sexy DVT stockings (I swear they use to be white) now they are a hideous green colour clashing terribly with the blue gowns! Do they not understand you are trying to look your best in these :)

I saw numerous amount of people, my surgeons, the poor surgical nurse who was going to need DVT stockings as she had to stand for my entire op (no kidding they got her some) anaethestists, nurses and health care assistants. Did all my vitals of which once again discovered my low blood pressure and then informed me there had been a change of theatre list order meaning I was second. How dare they do that quick tooth extraction before me I could have had a lie in! Bur all in all I said goodbye to mum (why do mum's always get emotional?) and then headed on down by 09:30.

I remember having the cannula put in, by the way Ametop actually works! I can now give a first hand experience for work, the anaethestists laughing at the fact I had used the cream and then I think took approximately 5 seconds for me to go to sleep.

Next bit I remember was waking up in recovery to somebody saying:

'Harriet, you need to go for a wee' 

This was news to me, I thought after 23 years of knowing my own body I would know when I would need to wee or not! However she was right! Then wheeled up to my own room right by the nurses station (obviously I am the naughty one) and my mum coming to see me. Hooked up to IV fluids, IV paracetamol, IV antibiotics and steroids (that make you sick).

Pain: At this moment in time I don't remember having any I was numb from my eyes down to my chin however this caused one major problem... dribbling! Although my face didn't hurt the rest of my body felt like I had done an epic workout at the gym... the worst part was my right arm could hardly bend it. I was given other drugs codeine etc. I remember being told I have to sleep upright at a 45 degree angle however for someone who likes to be on their side flat this is very difficult and remember every 1/2 hour a lovely male student nurse telling me to sit up... in the end he gave up and just bent the end of my bed up and pushed it shorter so I couldn't keep sliding down :p