Surgery Day - Wednesday 7th November

My bags are packed and I am experiencing a rush of adrenalin as I wake at about 5am. Cyril is taking me to the hospital at 6.30am for an 8am admission and a 10am appointment at the operating theatre. I don't feel too nervous, just keen to get this hurdle behind me after all the waiting (initial diagnosis of the problem had been in May 2006, so 19 months of anticipation!).

Everything goes smoothly until, undressed and gown on, I learn that there is a staff shortage and one of the theatres is not going to be working today. There is talk of postponing my op :-( until the following week, but then I am told that I can have surgery today but that it won't be until 6.30pm.....I kill time with reading and walking in the local park. As the hours slip away, any sense of nervousness disappears and by the time I finally go in for my op at 8pm, I am just relieved to be getting on with it.

I awake in the recovery room and am told that the op has gone like clockwork. I check to see if I have any sensation in my lower lip (the biggest risk with the op is permanent loss of sensation in the lower lip) - I do - but am completely out of it for the next few hours. I awake feeling nauseus and my jaw is very stiff. For the next few hours it is as if I have flu. My temperature goes up, I get increasingly uncomfortable and then vomit. The nausea is due to the amount of blood that has found its way to my stomach. I get round-the-clock nursing for this first stage. Something that I am incredibly grateful for. It would have been quite frightening to face those few hours on my own. My nurse, Rekka, is incredibly kind, encouraging but firm. A bit like having your Mum around!