I tried to plan ahead so that we could be as independent as possible following my surgery. First I made 2 weeks worth of meals and put them in the freezer. I also planned for every conceivable thing that might come up. I was as prepared as I could be, but I was still nervous about those post-surgery weeks. I had surgeries in the past, and recovery wasn't fun. I am allergic to many of the common pain medications, so I knew that things could be tough when trying to manage pain. I was a little nervous to be sure.
On the day of the surgery, as I was waiting in pre-op, a nurse came in and asked if I would like a sedative. At first I didn't understand why she was asking. She had to explain to me that many patients get nervous before surgery, and need a sedative to calm them down. I almost laughed at the thought. I had total confidence in my surgeon, and wasn't concerned at all. Later, after the surgery was over, it occurred to me that the reason I wasn't nervous about the surgery was because I was focused completely on the recovery! I was more nervous about how I would feel after surgery, that I didn't even think about being nervous during it. It just goes to show that it's all in the mind.
I actually had a very nice hospital stay. My nurses were very nice, and I had a lot of visitors. But it wasn't until I was put in a wheelchair to go home, and came out in to the fresh air that I realized what I had been missing! Even though it was a little cool outside, I rolled down my window in the car and sat enjoying breathing in the fresh air. As nice as the hospital was, and even though they met all my needs, they can't give you fresh air and sunshine! But I'm grateful for the care I received.
Now go and see what the other Consortium members have to say about hospitals and doctors! :)
On the day of the surgery, as I was waiting in pre-op, a nurse came in and asked if I would like a sedative. At first I didn't understand why she was asking. She had to explain to me that many patients get nervous before surgery, and need a sedative to calm them down. I almost laughed at the thought. I had total confidence in my surgeon, and wasn't concerned at all. Later, after the surgery was over, it occurred to me that the reason I wasn't nervous about the surgery was because I was focused completely on the recovery! I was more nervous about how I would feel after surgery, that I didn't even think about being nervous during it. It just goes to show that it's all in the mind.
I actually had a very nice hospital stay. My nurses were very nice, and I had a lot of visitors. But it wasn't until I was put in a wheelchair to go home, and came out in to the fresh air that I realized what I had been missing! Even though it was a little cool outside, I rolled down my window in the car and sat enjoying breathing in the fresh air. As nice as the hospital was, and even though they met all my needs, they can't give you fresh air and sunshine! But I'm grateful for the care I received.
Now go and see what the other Consortium members have to say about hospitals and doctors! :)
8 comments:
You brought back a memory of that fresh air feeling. Elly was born in early May and up until the day I went into hospital the weather was cold. As soon as we left the hospital one week later the sun shone and Elly was out doors from 7.30 am until bedtime, right through to the end of October.
Yes, that release from the hospital and driving back home is an undefinable euphoria that only can be experienced to be appreciated.
Your realization that you weren't nervous about the surgery itself because you were so focused on the recovery really sparked some realizations in me. What we focus on really changes the way we respond to so many things, doesn't it?
I accidentally hit the at the end of the last comment, LOL. C is short for Conrad now, I guess.
A lesson learnt--focus on the post operative things. I was petrified the first time I had surgery--I was on a stretcher , alone in the Theatre corridors and just went into tremors...I scolded muyself for having read COMA, Robin Cook's horror story just before entering hospital. Later on I found that my tremors were due to my allergy for Pethidine!!
I had to spend the last few months in bed with some of my pregnancies, and I experienced that same feeling getting out into fresh air.
The power of distraction.
Your experience at the hospital should alleviate my own aversion to the doc's lair :)
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