Alot of this is from memory. I was laying in bed the night before surgery anxiously feeling scared. Why not? But I was kinda excited and happy the wait was finally going to be over and I can get somewhere. But more thoughts came and I couldn't sleep. I kept waking up my partner Jessica up in the night as I was fearful of what could happen. Kept pacing up and down. I remember a bible verse that came to me from when I was in College saying "Be still and know that I am God" as soon as this came to mind I prayed. I manage to get some sleep thank The Lord.
I had to be up by 5:45am and all cleaned up and ready to go. Alarm went off and Jessica and I got up. No food or drink and it hit me. This was the moment. 50/50 chance. I am having surgery the shocking moment of realization that I am having major surgery and I won't see my family for maybe 3 days or so and I will be in Intense Care Unit. As time went my mother and father who graciously stayed at a hotel next door came over at 6am. The nurse and orderly cane in at 6:40am and said "okay Thomas ready to go. First let me take your blood pressure. I was 196/200 extremely high and nervous. Gave my final goodbyes and hugs and the family followed me down to surgery as I was being travelled by a hilarious awesome Thai guy who took his orderly job very seriously.
The best way I cope with stress in the hospital was to make authentic conversations with the nurses and doctors. Take interest in them and have a laugh or too. Said goodbye to Jessica and my sister and mum and dad got to spend some private time with me at 7 before it all started at 8am as i was with mum and dad in the surgery waiting bay getting gowned up Dad received a text message from Sarah (my beautiful sister) "Tell Tom we just saw an Aston Martin drove past us, it's a good sign) it brought a smile to my face as its my dream car. Anyway spending my moments and then finally the Anaestic Doctor comes along and says "we are ready". He was a really cool Doctor. It gave me peace he was lovely and we spent time talking about the Hobbit and Doctor Who as I entered the first entrance to the surgery for receiving the sedation and Anaestic. However he only gave me sedation and then the Surgeon arrived to give me confidence and go through everything. Normally with past surgeries you get the needle and don't remember going into the operating room. This was different I was taken into the operating room and it was huge with about 8-13 nurses, docs and the surgeon. Machines and computers everywhere and I was awake but I could feel the drugs kicking in and finally I was asleep.
3.2.1 AWAKE! Everything was blury seeing shadows and hearing the sounds of machines and feeling wires all around me.
But I'm slowly starting to hear things and I'm so zonked out but I feel someone stroking my hand and saying
"Darling he got all of it out, It's all over the tumor is gone he got it all! It was Jessica I recognized her voice. After 5 hours of surgery and 8 still asleep afterwards. I smiled with little energy I had but the biggest happiness inside my heart and went back to sleep and woke up to Mun and Dad and I was so happy.
Hours passed on and I started to come together. I was in ICU and I've woken up properly. Wires around me, having a catheter inside my bladder, next to me was my tumor brain fluid which was a cord attached inside my head about 20cm deep, oxygen tubes deep into my nose, needles everywhere and constant bells and screams from other patients
ICU is hard for my family and I as our dear Nan spent 6 weeks fighting numerous infections in ICU and visited her everyday. So it's a place where no human should venture to as I'd thought but I realized there is success and good in here and people do survive.
To be continued.
I had to be up by 5:45am and all cleaned up and ready to go. Alarm went off and Jessica and I got up. No food or drink and it hit me. This was the moment. 50/50 chance. I am having surgery the shocking moment of realization that I am having major surgery and I won't see my family for maybe 3 days or so and I will be in Intense Care Unit. As time went my mother and father who graciously stayed at a hotel next door came over at 6am. The nurse and orderly cane in at 6:40am and said "okay Thomas ready to go. First let me take your blood pressure. I was 196/200 extremely high and nervous. Gave my final goodbyes and hugs and the family followed me down to surgery as I was being travelled by a hilarious awesome Thai guy who took his orderly job very seriously.
The best way I cope with stress in the hospital was to make authentic conversations with the nurses and doctors. Take interest in them and have a laugh or too. Said goodbye to Jessica and my sister and mum and dad got to spend some private time with me at 7 before it all started at 8am as i was with mum and dad in the surgery waiting bay getting gowned up Dad received a text message from Sarah (my beautiful sister) "Tell Tom we just saw an Aston Martin drove past us, it's a good sign) it brought a smile to my face as its my dream car. Anyway spending my moments and then finally the Anaestic Doctor comes along and says "we are ready". He was a really cool Doctor. It gave me peace he was lovely and we spent time talking about the Hobbit and Doctor Who as I entered the first entrance to the surgery for receiving the sedation and Anaestic. However he only gave me sedation and then the Surgeon arrived to give me confidence and go through everything. Normally with past surgeries you get the needle and don't remember going into the operating room. This was different I was taken into the operating room and it was huge with about 8-13 nurses, docs and the surgeon. Machines and computers everywhere and I was awake but I could feel the drugs kicking in and finally I was asleep.
CRANIOTOMY SURGERY - Removal of frontal lobe tumor.
Left Picture- Paitent's head is titled into a lock postion.
3.2.1 AWAKE! Everything was blury seeing shadows and hearing the sounds of machines and feeling wires all around me.
But I'm slowly starting to hear things and I'm so zonked out but I feel someone stroking my hand and saying
"Darling he got all of it out, It's all over the tumor is gone he got it all! It was Jessica I recognized her voice. After 5 hours of surgery and 8 still asleep afterwards. I smiled with little energy I had but the biggest happiness inside my heart and went back to sleep and woke up to Mun and Dad and I was so happy.
Hours passed on and I started to come together. I was in ICU and I've woken up properly. Wires around me, having a catheter inside my bladder, next to me was my tumor brain fluid which was a cord attached inside my head about 20cm deep, oxygen tubes deep into my nose, needles everywhere and constant bells and screams from other patients
ICU is hard for my family and I as our dear Nan spent 6 weeks fighting numerous infections in ICU and visited her everyday. So it's a place where no human should venture to as I'd thought but I realized there is success and good in here and people do survive.
To be continued.
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