Day 28 – D Day

Tuesday 6th October 2009

Today was D Day for the woodshed. I had decided to call theatre ‘the woodshed’ as it seemed less clinical.

Somehow I had developed a habit of waking up between 1.30am - 2am and 4am wanting a bedpan. Marie, one of the auxiliary nightshift nurses, picked up on it straight away so whenever I buzzed during those times she came into my room already with a pan.

Sister Charlton came into my room to take away my wash bowl and asked if I’d seen the handsome young pharmacist who was working on the ward for a couple of days.
I replied that I’d seen him sitting on at the computer on the nurses station but had only seen the back of him.
“You’ve got to see him”, she said, “he’s gorgeous”.
Tracey, one of the staff nurses, overheard our conversation and came into my room.
“Where’ve you been”, she said, “he’s lovely”.
The young pharmacist was sitting at the computer so would have heard everything.
“Come here”, Tracey asked him.
He came into my room.
“Marie hasn’t seen how good looking you are”, said Sister Charlton.
He smiled and said hello. I didn’t want to upset him or the nurses but he wasn’t my type…

Sister Charlton came back a little later to take some blood. As usually it took her a couple of goes to find a vein.
“They love to hide, don’t they”, she said.
“I don’t do it on purpose”, I replied.
She though it was probably because I had been poked and prodded so many times that subconsciously my brain was telling my veins to hide.

I asked when Kermit was due on the ward. She replied he had been just before breakfast but had to dash to attend a meeting so would come back to see me later that afternoon. No rush I thought….

Lisa, one of the staff nurses, came to take me into the dressing room.
“We’ve been told that Mr Green is on his way to see you”, she said.
I asked if she could remove the dressing before he came as I didn’t want to appear a wimp by shouting ‘ow’ everything she pulled at the dressing. She thought that was a good idea.

Kermit had a good prod and poke at my wound and said what I had been expecting. A trip to the woodshed for a washout tomorrow. He was going to try and fit me in last as he had two big ops before me. Knowing my luck I would be ‘nil by mouth’ all day then find the op would be cancelled. I would be allowed breakfast at 6am, then no more food after that. I could have water up to 10am then again nothing after that.

I knew it was selfish but why couldn’t they fit me in first seeing as it wasn’t going to take very long.

Shortly after Kermit left, the Russian doctor (I still didn’t know his name) came and asked what Kermit had said. He saw my tiger cub cross stitch and asked how I was getting on with it. He was really sweet.

Doctor Richard, who I saw when I was first admitted on to ward 44, popped in to have a quick chat tomorrow’s trip to the woodshed. Apparently I was on last because of my infection. That made me feel like I was a leper… The op would take between ½ hour and 45 minutes. I explained that I was worried about the anaesthetic. He replied that he thought the anaesthetist would be the same as last time, so I was happy with that as he knew about me throwing up.

Just after lunch I was really tired. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Young Natalie, the student nurse, came to do my ops but said she would do them later and told me to get some sleep as I looked really tired. Thanks Natalie !!!!

The dietitian called into see me while my mam was there and she asked me how I was managing with the food. I reiterated that I didn’t like ‘dinners’ and as that was all they seemed to be serving, there wasn’t anything else I could eat. She said she would go away and have a think as to what to give me. Edible food came to mind….

The two Mary’s from side rooms 1 and 3 called in for a quick chat. They’re going to pray for me regarding the trip to the woodshed tomorrow.

Not sure if it’s the antibiotics, the iron tablets I’m taking or a combination of them both, but my number two’s smell like turnips !!!!