MIGHTY GLAD TODAY IS BEHIND ME:))

SNAPPED A QUICK PHOTO ON THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS ON OUR WAY IN THIS MORNING

Well, I’m glad today is behind me.  I will deal with the medical day’s ahead as I get to each one, but for now I can cross today’s event’s off the list.  Aside from seeing Doc Robot in the operating for a few seconds before they sent me off to LaLa Land I never saw him again.  But, Kelly did.  Following the surgery or procedure (not sure which is the correct term) he did talk to Kelly in the waiting room.  Kelly sent my Aunt Jean an email this afternoon & in it she said…..“ Hi Jean.... it's 4:00 and we are home !
All went well,  Al is sleeping. ( ya darn tootin I was)
The urologist came out to talk to me... he said the stone was very large and imbedded , that he had a difficult time getting it broken up....and hopefully the tube has not been narrowed by it.   Said it must have been in there for a long time to be so imbedded.  Tried getting the other large one out of the same kidney.. but was not sure how successful as it was around a curve (corner ) and seemed to be imbedded in a cyst”.

OH NO, NOT ANOTHER WAITING ROOM PHOTO AGAIN

Rather than drag you through my whole day from start to finish, let me just give you some of the more colorful ‘pain’ parts.  For sure, I was expecting the intravenous to hurt because people have always had a problem getting that started in my hand.  Now, fully knowing that problem, you wouldn’t have thought I would make the following dumb mistake.  But, I did.  Nice Nurse person leaned over to me & said, “ would you mind if we have one of our paramedics do the IV because she is in training & part of her training program is doing IV’s.  I did remember seeing 2 Paramedic’s in the hall when I was being wheeled into a large room.  Because of my always, ‘eager to please personality’, I chirped out a meek, “Ok, that would be fine.”  What a mistake!!

WAITING FOR MY NUMBER TO BE CALLED

I didn’t feel the young blonde trainee was exactly exuding a lot of confidence, or was that just my foreboding misgivings taking over.  The Senior Paramedic was a hulking chrome domed guy who I felt for sure was there for the express purpose of keeping me pinned to the bed…..or the floor!!  I knew I was in trouble when neither one of them could find a vein. They kept me making a fist & tapped & thumped the back of my hand to make the vein ‘pop’ as they called it.  This probably went on for a full minute.  Oh dear, where did that nice Nurse go.  Couldn’t find a vein & the big guy appeared to be sweating a bit as they both worked at & discussed back & forth what to do.  Finally, the young trainee decided to go for it…… & my right arm went for the side bed rail.  The ordeal was on & I was on the losing end!!   She probed & twisted, pushed & pulled, with the Incredible Hulk beside her trying his best to help.  I swear I nearly tore the right side bed rail off.  The nice Nurse suddenly appeared out of nowhere & got right in on the action, but to no avail.  It was too late & the damage was done.  I heard these words exchanged, which medical people may understand….. “bubble”, “I think she hit a valve", & “at least it didn’t blow.”  That last one sure unleashed a whole heard of nasty fear Monsters in my head!!  After about a minute the very apologetic nice Nurse thankfully pulled the IV needle out of my hand.  IV mission aborted.  I was about ready to abort myself right out of the Hospital!!  The young blonde trainee & her Sumo Wrestler counterpart immediately turned & walked away.  No goodbye, no explanation, no ‘apology’ no acknowledgement that I had even been there.  Guess they just figured they were working on another rubber training Dummy.  Well, they probably had the Dummy part right.  The nice Nurse made up for all that & quietly leaned over, speaking softly, & told me what she thought about what had just happened.  And, I will keep that thought to myself.

TAKE OFF ALL YOUR CLOTHES THE NICE NURSE SAID >>>

But, I still had a problem.  An IV still had to be inserted & I was in no frame of mind to have to go through all that again!!  Nice Nurse to the rescue once more & reassured me the Anaesthesiologist himself, in the operating room, would do it.  I expressed concern & her words to me were, ‘not to worry, the 'big bucks guys’ in the operating room know what they were doing.  And, I was about to find out she was right.

I think the worse thing about an impending operation or procedure or whatever someone is having done, is laying in a pre-op room waiting!!  Just laying there totally helpless, waiting & waiting & waiting.  Staring at the brightly lit ceiling with hospital sounds going on around you & all kinds of gruesome thoughts about what was coming next.  For sure I was dreading the next IV attempt amongst other things.  And then a young operating room nurse appeared at the end of the bed with a big smile & cheery attitude.  I use the word ‘young’ a lot these days because I seem to be at that stage now where more people are appearing to be younger than me all the time.  Now, how in the hell did that happen.

My operating room Nurse was just a wisp of a thing who I would have thought would have had trouble manoeuvring a an empty grocery cart down a wide shopping aisle.  But there we went, lickety split, smokin right out of the room, cranked a left hand turn & down the hall we roared.  She deftly made a couple of right turns & at one point had to throw on the bed brakes for a wide closed door ahead.  Ya, I know, beds don’t have brakes but I think I heard her running shoes on the floor screeching us to a full stop.  For sure I smelled rubber burning.  Once through the doors we were in a long hall with big windows on the left & 4 or 5 operating rooms on the right.  We were now getting down to the nitty gritty.  She brought me a netted cap to put on then got me off the bed in my open backed hospital gown to walk into the operating room.  Wow, what a Neat-O place.

My photographic eye was immediately filled with colors & compositions.  This was a very new operating room with what I suspect was state of the art equipment.  And, what a great looking bunch of equipment it was too.  I was instantly drawn to two large light pods with multicolour bulbs.  Groovy.  Stepped up onto a stool & laid myself down on the operating table with those really cool futuristic space ship light pods arrayed over top me.  Remember, I once worked at the Stratford Art Gallery & lighting art exhibits was one of the things I enjoyed doing, so I am attracted to lighting.  Things happened very quickly now as I noticed what appeared to be a frenzied pace with operating room staff busily attending to various duties all around the room.  People definitely seemed to hustling.  Something placed under my head, something rolled up onto my upper left arm, heart monitors on my chest, the wispy OR Nurse checks to see if my bum is far enough down the table.  It isn’t, so I had to do a bit of squiggling.  My right arm is stretched out on a table or something & strapped down.  The Anaesthesiologist & a male nurse are hovering over my right hand & talking in muffled tones.  There goes that tapping & thumping on the back of my hand again.  Oh no!!  But, just a short prick, a slight grundge & the deed was done.  Yep, nice Nurse was right….those ‘big bucks guys’ know what they are doing.  Doc Robot’s face appears out of nowhere & hovers over me for a few seconds & mumbles something.  He looks all green in his get-up.  Aha, I knew it…..Doc Robot is a Martian!!  More faces seem to come & quickly go as I am transfixed by those beautiful multi-colored light pods over me.  And then………I am looking at the numbers 12:34 in bright red fuzzy letters.

It is a clock on the wall across from my bed…….I’m in the recovery room.  Voices & hospital sounds again.  Unhurried people going by.  Someone beside my bed asks if I would like something to drink.  Darn right I would.  Probably the best gulp of Ginger Ale I ever had.  Kelly appears at the side of the bed & within maybe 40 minutes I am dressed, on my feet & rarin to get out of there.  Not so fast Mister!!  They place me in a wheel chair while Kelly heads off to bring the car around.  I am wheeled down the hall & onto an elevator.  Short trip down one floor to the main level & out to the main entrance waiting area.  Kelly rolls up a minute later, I thank the Nurse for not crashing the wheelchair & make my way to the car.  Wow, was it ever hot & humid outside.  A record breaking weather day.  I no sooner closed the car door when I suddenly realized I was hungry.  Kelly whips back into the Hospital & grabs me an egg salad sandwich from the snack bar in the lobby.  We were home an hour later.

 

VIEW FROM MY WHEELCHAIR AS WE HEAD FOR THE HOSPITAL’S MAIN LOBBY

Aside from being dreadfully tired with a slightly heavy ache in my abdomen I didn’t feel too bad.  That ache soon began to worsen though so I popped a prescribed pain pill & twenty minutes later all was well, I was stretched out in my recliner & off to LaLa Land again.  No groovy lights this time though, just some wonderfully soothing ambient music.

MAIN ENTRANCE WAITING FOR KELLY…TODAY’S LAST PHOTO WAS TAKEN FROM HERE AS WELL

As I type this tonight about 8 o’clock I am feeling not too bad except of course for being tired.  Not much pain urinating yet (just some burning) but I am well aware there could be so we’ll just see how it goes.  As if I had a choice eh…………Oh, & for you medical folks, they did put a stent in me somewhere.  Don’t know where it is & I’m thinking I don’t really want to know anyway.    Thanks to everyone for all your well wishes.  Much appreciated:)))))))))))))))))))

KELLY ROLLS UP TO THE DOOR WITH THE BIG SANTA FE……….

Because this turned out to be a much longer post than I anticipated, I have foregone Groaners Corner………..

 

AND I EVEN MANAGED TO SNAP A PICTURE OF WHERE MY EGG SALAD SANDWICH CAME FROM:))