Monday, January 14, 2008

I had to end my TV viewing abruptly, as the nurse came in the room calling out my name. I was to sign another form; a declaration form of my personal belongings. I knew that my surgery is coming up. I kept my specs and handed over my handphone and my wallet to the nurse.

I was shown to lie down on a trolley bed. The nurse brought me to the operating theatre (OT) on the trolley bed. I was handed over to the OT staff, and they prepared me with surgical preparations.

The room was very cold, as I was shivering from head to toe. The OT staff in the room could see my persistent shiver. I was hoping the surgery begin sooner than later, so I can forget about tolerating the cold temperature in the room.

Finally, I knew the surgery was about to begin when I was give general anesthesia (GA) to breathe in. In short, GA is sleeping pill. One can doze off immediately, with a few sniffs of this GA and leave you unconscious for the whole duration of your surgery.

A beeping sound kept ringing in my ears. I opened my eyes to find out where that beeping sound came from. I noticed a monitor in front of me that seems like monitoring my heartbeat. That was where the sound came from.

I looked around my surroundings; I am still on my trolley bed. But I am in another room. There were a few people in their trolley beds too getting their heartbeat and pulses checked, just like me. Only then did I realised that the surgery was over. I asked the nurse attendant, who was checking me up; about the duration it took for my surgery.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Date: Friday, 04/01/08

I register myself to Ward 63 at SGH in the morning; the ward I will be staying for my post-surgery treatment. And the ward staff was expecting my arrival. I found out from them that my surgery is due later today, not immediate.

I expected my surgery to be the 1st case, as arranged before my admission today. Usually 1st cases are expected to begin surgery at 8.00. But the night before my admission, I received a call from the ward nurse that my surgery is being ‘pushed’ to a later time.

That call calmed the nerves, even if it was just a little. I was to register to the ward at 8.00, Friday morning.

Back in my room, I was approached by the ward doctor. He briefed me about my surgery, and requested me to sign a consent form agreeing to the surgery.

I signed it, hoping for the best in the surgery and post-surgery treatment. The clock showed 8.20.

Soon after the doctor had left me, a few nurses came by to introduce themselves and inform me of my surgery. Tentatively, my surgery is at 11.00.

10.20.