Cystectomy Surgery Recapped - The Cyst

continued from Surgery Recapped: The Pain

Sunday, 19th June 2011

I anxiously await the doctor’s round this morning as I can’t wait for her to give the go ahead for me to be discharge today. When she finally came, I was sitting upright on my bed eating breakfast and the first thing she said was “Ah good to see you with a healthy appetite. That must mean you are feeling better.” I gave her my biggest smile and told her that yes I was feeling better and I want to go home. lol!

She inspected my bandages and see that all is alright and give me the thumbs up and told me that I can be discharge that day. Yeay! She instructed the nurses to change my bandages and to teach me how to remove my bandages when the time  comes.. She wished me well and moved on the next bed.

Moments later, after I’ve taken my shower, the nurses came to change my bandages. They told me that they had place waterproofing layer to the bandages so that they will remain dry as they healed. I am to remove the bandages myself on Thursday, 23rd June. However if there was any rashes or pain prior to that, I can either go to the A&E of KK or the neighbourhood polyclinic to get treatment.

When mom came at 11am, I had already changed and was watching Boldie on my phone. A while later, the nurse came with my discharge papers, my meds, my medical leave form for 25days and a new appointment date which is for 7 July. We packed up the rest of my stuff and say goodbye to the nurses and the ward at noon.

That concludes my three day stay at Kandang Kerbau Hospital  for which I underwent Left Ovarian Cystectomy and Keloid Scar excision surgery. Check out my cyst below…lol!

ovarian cystectomy

Cheerio…

 

Cystectomy Surgery Recapped - The Next 48hrs

continued from Surgery Recapped: The Pain

Mommy came as early as 9.30am on Friday, the 17th.  When she arrived, I already had my sponge bath, had sat on the armchair for a while, as prescribed by the doctor, and was already on my second cup of Milo. She actually came with fried banana fritters and fruits and was upset that I still was not allowed to eat and to know that the doctors had only prescribed “FEEDS” meaning fluid only for the day.

A while later, the physiotherapist came by and explained that she was there as instructed by the doctor to teach me how to “move” about in bed. She said that most people because of the pain will restrict their movement and that is the last thing they should do. She taught me how to move about without putting pressure on the abdomen and how just by flexing the ankles, we can avoid blood clots in the legs while being temporarily immobile. She also help me put on a pair of  Mediven® thrombexin® 18 socks that can help in preventing blood clots.

My aunt and her husband came at around 4pm with “Murtabak”. By this time I had managed to convinced my doctor that I should be able to take semi hard food with Milo and I was so happy to see that “light” dish. Mommy opened the pack immediately and we began eating.. lol! Then at about 5pm, my official meal of bland porridge arrrived. My cousin with her daughter came by around 5.30pm or so with a basket of fruits.

serving meds

Throughout the day, nurses came by to take temperature and blood pressure and dispense medication. One of the doctors had told me earlier that if my condition was stable throughout the day, I would be allowed home the next day. Unfortunately around 4pm when the nurses did their rounds, they told me that I had a temperature of 37.8’degrees celcius which in their books mean fever. I was given a cold compress an hour later to place on my head. The funny thing was I was feeling fine and was having a nice time talking with my mom, aunt and cousin. It was probably a freak incident I thought.

After everyone left for the day at 9pm, the nurses went on their rounds again and this time although my temperature had dropped to 37.8’degress celcius, it is still recorded as fever and somehow I had a feeling I was going to have to stay another day at the hospital… sigh 🙁

The next morning, as I had expected, the doctor on duty told me that due to my fever last night, he needed to extend my stay for another 24hrs. He said that fever after a surgical procedure is normal and it could indicate a number of things namely a chest infection, blood clot on the legs or an infection of the surgical area. He told me that if my temperature, which at point had returned to normal, remained stable, I could go home the next day at 11am. Nothing eventful happened on Saturday and I was all ready to go home the next day 🙂

.. to be continued

Next Entry : The Cyst

Cheerio…

Cystectomy Surgery Recapped - The Pain

..continued from Cystectomy Surgery Recapped

I woke up to a nurse calling my name and telling me that the surgery was done and asking if I was in pain. Since I was in extreme pain I told her so and without me even realizing it I started to cry. The nurses were all very kind and understanding and didn’t scold me for crying at all. In fact they consoled me and asked me to slowly breath in and out as they more administered more painkiller. They also advised me to stop crying as it may cause disturbance to my breathing and cause me to choke. They then asked if I wanted them to call someone and I asked them to call my mom.

Once the painkiller (I believe must be morphin or something) kicked in, I was calm once again. I was high and I was smiling and I even managed to laugh. The nurses all laughed with me and even teased about my crying earlier saying that now they can see me with my dimples once again.. lol!

When I was wheeled into my ward, my mom, my aunt and her husband were there. Apparently mom stayed on after I was brought to the OT and my aunt and her hubby accompanied mommy all the while.

It was 9pm when the nurses wheeled me into my ward. I remembered hearing the announcement for visitors to leave as visiting hours was over and I remember my mom and my aunt kissing me on my forehead before they left for the day. I believed the surgery started at around 5pm and probably ended sometime at 8pm. The extra hour was spent in the recovery room while they waited for the anesthetic to wear off and for me to wake up.

I was woken up at 1am by a doctor checking to see how my condition was after the surgery.  She told me the surgery went fine and that the surgeons manage to keep the surgery limited to a keyhole one. I was so relieved for sure. She asked me if I was in pain and I told her no but that I’m starting to feel a little hearburn and that I suspect it was the onset of gastric. She told me that I would not be to take anything until there is a bowel or stomach movement and upon checking my tummy with her stethoscope she mentioned that there was only very limited movement and so she is prescribing only fluid in the morning. In the meantime, still nothing by mouth. She asked if I had peed and I said no. She counted the hours since the last time I peed which was at 4pm and said that if I didn’t pee in the next hour or so she would have to put in a pee tube.  She also increased my drip dosage to force me to pee.

At around 3am, a nurse came to my bedside and asked if I feel like peeing. I said I can try but I probably can’t do it in a bedpan. She told me she brought the portable commode and helped me up. Since I didn’t want the urine bag, I forced myself up and sat on the portable commode and push. It didn’t come immediately but after relaxing and breathing in and out, it eventually came. I felt so relieved that she didn’t need to put in any tube into me.

I was awaken at 5am by some nurses doing their blood pressure and temperature rounds. At 8am, a nurse woke me up and gave me a sponge bath, helped me changed my clothes and gave me glass of Milo. By this time my gastric pain was in full bloom.  When I tried to walk to go to the bathroom to pee, I had to lie back down immediately as the pain was shooting through each nerve and I almost collapse from the pain. When they brought a bedpan and ask me to try to pee lying down I cried out loud at the pain again. I again insisted I wanted to see the doctor as this pain is more me more distress than the actual surgical pain. While waiting for the doctor to come, the nurses gave me a miserly antacid and after I complained again, a doctor on duty came and gave me something for the pain via drip. That sort of made the pain subside a bit and I was able to relax again.

When the nurses switched shift at around 1pm, I insisted that I wanted to see the doctor again, any doctor for that matter. As I mentioned in my post here, I managed to convinced him to let me have biscuit or porridge with milo. Pheeww…

.. to be continued

Next Entry : The Next 48hrs

Cheerio…

 

Cystectomy Surgery Recapped

My Nametag

I can’t believe one week has passed since my surgery. Last week this time I was in ward 44 Bed 11 at the Women’s Tower of the Kandang Kerbau Hospital going through what is called a cystectomy surgery.

As instructed the day earlier, me and my mom arrived at the admission department at around 11.30am on 16th June. I was a bit peeved that I didn’t get the room I wanted but in the end it worked best for me. After all the paperwork, an orderly brought us to the ward but as my bed was not ready, me and mom waited at the waiting lounge for while. I finally settled down on my bed at the ward at around 1pm. After I changed, the nurse in charge took my temperature and blood pressure and swapped my nostril and my armpit. Then we wait.

I remember waiting in anticipation on my bed with mom sitting next to me waiting for 4.30pm. That is the the time the nurses from the operating theater will call on me and bring me downstairs to the 2nd floor. I remember all the tweets and smses of wishes of good luck from all my online and offline friends which I really appreciated. You guys made me feel at ease for sure 

my bed sign

4.30pm eventually came and so did the nurse. She reconfirmed with me again my particulars, helped me changed into my surgery outfit which was a pretty gown of pink and white (I wished I remembered to take a picture) and explained to me the whole process as I walked with her to the surgery floor. I was asked to wait in a very cold room, given socks for my cold feet and a head cover which looked very much like a shower cap.. lol!

Soon the anesthetist nurse came in and asked me details like whether I had jewelery or dentures on. She told me that they will be using electrical stuff for the surgery and those items would interfere with the procedure. She was very friendly and spoke candidly and I was totally at ease as we walked to the operating theater. Since I had requested to speak to the surgeon before the procedure, I was greeted by three surgeons who answered all my questions and explained what they will do. Basically I wanted to make sure that they will try their very best to NOT open me up and that they try to use the keyhole to bring out the cyst instead. They told me that they will try their best and for me not to worry. When they saw my keloids, they offered to remove it if I wanted to even if they didn’t need to open me up. I said “Yes Please”..

When they wheeled me into the OT, I had my glasses this time, so I absorb all that was going in around me. I saw the large overhead lights from there where I lie, the machines, the knives but to my surprise, I didn’t feel at all scared. The last time I was in the OT was in 2008 and I was blind as a bat coz they removed my glasses even before they wheeled me in.  As they prep me and got me ready to “go to sleep”, I remember saying my prayers one last time.

….. to be continued

Next entry.. The pain!!

Cheerio…