I have returned home from the hospital!



My left forearm is in a cast up to my elbow, I can still taste anesthetic on my breath. And I have a plain, white, round band-aid with Lisa Simpson drawn on it where the drip used to be attached on my right hand.

Got up at 6am, showered and prepared everything, left the house at 6:30am, arrived at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne shortly after 7am, then waited in the Day Ward waiting room till a nurse called me into a consultation room. There she checked my blood pressure and my heart-rate, evaluated my medical history and we waited for the all clear for me to go in to surgery. After I had changed into an already-warmed hospital gown (with a funky red Bouffant cap to keep my hair neat ) and sat on my wheeled stretcher/bed, the anesthetist introduced himself to me and filled me in on what his role involves before the operation can begin. By that time I'd developed a slight temp from the heating system, so my body temperature had to be tested TWICE by the nurses and have a last-minute health assessment. When my condition was given the all clear the anesthetist soon came back with a drip syringe --and I got a little nervous as he tried to find a vein to stick the needle in. In the end he, mum and I all agreed that putting me under the inhalation mask was the quickest way to put me to sleep. A nice male African nurse wheeled me into the operating theater, the staff awaiting my arrival heaved me onto the metal table from my bed... then I was (happily) sent to LALA LAND under the gas. The first breath to 5 was a bit full-on, through by the third breath my ears started buzzing like crazy and I was suddenly out like a light!

When I came to, my left forearm was in a hard bandage and held vertically in a leather, foam-filled box case. I remembered what happened in the moment before falling asleep... and felt a little sleepy after it was all done. Mum came in to visit me after 10 minutes with a surprise; a gorgeous small grey teddy bear with little plasters on its head and a white, pink sleeved t-shirt with the words 'GET WELL SOON' printed on the front. That really cheered me up. I named the girl bear 'Beary'.



Mother told me that the operation didn't take long at all; only 27 minutes, and my surgeon said everything went well with no setbacks. My sisters and dad all sent their love to my surgery's success/recovery via text mesg, since they were all out and about. Once I was back in my normal clothes and felt up to eating/drinking something (since I didn't have anything all morning :/), a nurse walked me into the recovery ward where I had ham-and-cheese/chicken-and-lettuce sandwiches and a glass of apple juice at 3:15pm. Mum had to assist me a bit with the food and drink because I couldn't do it on my own. My stomach felt much better after that meal.

The female staff were all nice and attended to my post-op medication needs; Meloxicam & Panadeine Forte in cute little pill form to take home with me, and an instruction pamphlet on what to do at home after everything calms down. Once I was fed and well-rested, the IV drip in my right hand was taken out in less then a second, then I was free to go home again.



The bone structure in my left wrist feels okay but it's still a little numb from the Local injection. That --and the General anaesthetic still in my system-- will wear off after 48 hours. My throat, sternum and chest walls are still feeling "hollow" and sore from having the breathing tube down my airway, but that sensation will pass after some deep breathing exercises and a day of rest.

Tootles~!

- Rue-chan

17th May 2013 - 5:32PM in the afternoon
P.S.: A funny thing happened while I was coming out of my deep sleep in the ward. I had imagined Chloe was sitting at my feet, Muffin was cuddled up around my right side... and I could've sworn I heard Sebastian from Black Butler humming the song 'London Bridge Is Falling Down'. WHOA was I out of it!