Day of the Surgery - 10 Aug 2009

So I was due into the hospital at noon for a surgery sometime from 130. I was told I was first on the list of three so to chill out until the doctor came in for a chat. I was told to fast from 730am so I had breakfast at 7 and didn’t eat anything else. However, I didn’t realise that fasting also included water and I had the well thought out idea to have two glasses of water at 10am so I wouldn’t be thirsty all day and I would really need to pee just before I went into surgery. That all went to plan but the anaesthetists was worried about the water still being in my stomach (it was definitely in my bladder) so I got bumped to second, so I just watched videos to pass the time.

Once I was up they wheeled me down to the waiting bay in my bed and the assistant surgeon came for a chat. After about 30 minutes into the operating room we went. I was only in there about 1 minute and they had an IV in my arm. After another minute they turned the anaesthetic on and I felt my arm get cold, 2 seconds later I tasted it in my mouth, 2 more seconds my head got tingly and that was it, I have a 2 minute and 5 second memory of the operating room...

I went in at 330 and when I woke up the first thing I did was look at the clock, 5 on the dot. I then was greeted by a very friendly nurse who helped my recover from the anaesthetic. I was speaking very loudly about the anaesthetic until I heard the nurse of another recovering patient say “sometimes when people wake up they yell and carry on”. I knew she was talking about me so I did manage to pipe down. I finally thought to look at my knee. It was in a black brace with an ice pack attached underneath but sticking out the top.

I didn’t really have any pain in my leg as I am sure I was drugged up on pain killers. I eventually went back to my room around 545.

The goal for the night was to stay comfortable in the bed. My knee didn’t seem to hurt for any reason except I was uncomfortable because the brace didn’t allow me to bend it. I felt like all my pain would go away if I could bend my knee, even just once! I didn’t sleep very well and woke up a lot. I got up to use the toilet twice and both times slightly lost my balance and naughtily put small amount of weight on my left leg, but it didn’t cause any pain to my surprise.