Saturday, March 17, 2007

It's over

I seem to have spent most of the last week either in hospital or waiting for calls to say whether there was a bed for me or not.

Having not eaten anything since midnight on Monday night I called to see if there was a bed for me at 8am on Tuesday, nothing I had to wait for them to call me, they called me back at 2 to say still no bed, try again tomorrow.

Try again on Wednesday, nothing at 8, wait again, put the munchkin down for a nap at 10, was called at 10:30 to say we have a bed, will you come now please. We got to the hospital at 11, spent an hour waiting in a waiting room before seeing a nurse who gave me a gown and some oh so attractive surgical stockings. mum (who arrived at lunchtime on Tuesday) took the munchkin home at this point for lunch and another attempt at a nap. At about 12:30 we (there was another lady waiting for an ERPC) were taken down to a ward (surprisingly nice, individual en suite rooms).

I wasn’t seen by a doctor until about 3, all she did was put a canula in to give me some fluids (having not eaten since 10 the night before) and tell me that I had to wait and see the anaesthetist before I’d be able to go to theatre. For some reason she couldn’t get the cannula into the back of my hand, she gave up and used my elbow instead (trying to sleep when you usually curl up into a ball but you’ve got a cannula in your elbow is a challenge!). Eventually saw the anaesthetist at 6ish, he was the first person to ask me about any allergies. I’m allergic to most adhesives (even the supposedly hypoallergenic micropore gives me an itchy rash) and also mildly allergic to latex (only a mild dermal reaction). He asked me a bit about the latex, but didn’t seem too concerned.

Mr H, Mum and the munchkin appeared to say hello during evening visiting at 6:30, but couldn’t stay long as they needed to get the munchkin to bed.

However, at around 7:30 the surgeon appeared to say that I’d be put at the top of Thursday’s list for surgery so they could have a completely clean theatre for me due to not wanting to take any chances with the latex. I’ve never had that much of a reaction so I was rather surprised but glad to be given more of an idea rather than just sitting waiting.

After 21 hours of not eating the Heinz tomato soup I was given for dinner (all there was on the ward at 8pm) was one of the nicest things ever! It was frustrating though, having sat on a bed all afternoon waiting to be sent to theatre only to be told actually it’ll be tomorrow.

I was woken at 6 on Thursday by the nurse doing her observation round (I can’t understand why they need to do it quite so early, especially when the evening round is between 10 and 11pm!) and was given another bag of fluids through the cannula. They didn’t start prepping me for theatre until 9 so the morning seemed to drag. I was taken down to theatre at 10 and got back to the ward at about 11:45. I was told at this point that hopefully I’d be able to go home at 4….

After a lunch of very soggy tuna sandwiches, which I somehow managed to keep down (the first time I’ve ever had a general anaesthetic and been able to eat afterwards with out being sick and needing a nice injection of anti-emetics in my bottom!), Mum and the munchkin came into afternoon visiting hoping to be able to take me home with them. However, that was not to be, the doctor came in a said that because of the possible latex risk I’d need to stay in overnight. I was not particularly happy having been told one thing, and then another. I could understand in a way why they said it, but still, after all the delays I just wanted to get home and sleep in my own bed.

I was finally discharged at 9:30 yesterday after a very short nights sleep. The nurses didn’t do the evening drug round and observations until 11pm and then woke me at 6 for the morning obs, even on a good day I’m a person who needs 8 hours sleep and I was very tired after the anaesthetic.

I’m really glad I’ve had the surgery now and that the pregnancy is over. We can now try and move ourselves on from it. We’ve been advised to wait 3 months before trying for another baby, but at the moment it’s a long way from my mind. It’s going to take a bit for me to feel better after all this. I’m still a bit emotional at times, and am very tired. Maybe in 3 months we’ll want to try again, but maybe a bit longer, it’s too early to say really.