May 2013 - The operation day

So, Tuesday 28th May turned out to be the day. I didn't know when during the day I would be 'done' but I knew today was the day. I had the dreaded 'nil by mouth' sign by my bed which meant I could only sip a bit of water until my time came. As the day wore on, I became quite dehydrated, which would prove difficult because as everyone knows, when you are dehydrated blood veins become very hard to find, and mine were on the run.

Inevitably after so much waiting at around 3pm, suddenly a pair of anesthetist's appeared ready to wheel my bed away. I hurriedly changed into my gown, had a pee, and that was it I said goodbye to my wife and was being wheeled in my bed through the hospital. The next bit of the story will remain in my head forever.

They wheeled me into the anesthetists room and they immediately began work on trying to get canulas into my veins to get the anesthetic into me. I was starting to panic and my body was shaking, they failed to get the first canula in and switched hands to try the other. Clearly they were struggling, and I carried on panicking. Bizarrely they started asking me about where I worked and what I did, between my shaking I tried to explain and as I was doing so, my world short cut to this head looking down at me saying my name.....it was about 4 hours later and I was in the recovery room after the operation. I still struggle to believe the instant feeling of being transported from the panicked state I was in whilst they were trying to prepare me, to "that all folks". I'll never forget the face of the woman who was staring down at me saying my name [to wake me up] although I never knew her name. 

Strangely I was still shaking, and they asked me if I was cold - I didn't think I was but they put this air blanket on me and warmed me up and it did help. It felt like I was in the recovery room for about 20 minutes but in all I was there nearly 2 hours. Finally they wheeled my bed back to the D-Neuro ward and back to my wife who was waiting for me after all those hours. I don't remember saying this, but she assures me as I was being wheeled to where my bed would rest I said "that's my wife over there", in a rather soppy and slurry state.

So I'd made it through the operation, as it turns out the surgeon was sure he got pretty much all of the tumour although that won't be clear for a few months until I have another MRI scan. So operation over, but journey only just beginning!