The Ward

I was wheeled up to the ward after my shivers had subsided and found myself in a bay surrounded by OAPs - I was apparently on the stomach ward due to the need for extra women to fill the beds?!

I was fortunate enough to be awake in time for Jay and my dad to come and visit they seemed surprised to find me as my usual upbeat self and I think went home feeling quite reassured that I was going to be ok. (which of course I was.

I struggled to locate anything in my bags as I had had to chuck everything in so quickly after being relocated - previously it had been painstakingly packed so I knew exactly where to find everything when I needed it (obviously).

I proceeded to eat nearly a whole pack of caramel chocolate biscuits (delicious) and an alpen bar (so so).

I played on the ds for a bit listened to some music, read my book etc etc and decided to try and get some sleep.

My bladder had other ideas however and every hour it decided it was full and I needed to empty it - quickly!

The first time I was given a comode (a chair with a toilet in) but when I got out of bed and sat on it I fainted and after this I wasn't allowed to get out of bed and had to use a bed pan.

This is not a glamourous manouevre and I have a shy bladder so the nurse would help me up then would leave me until I buzzed again. (A very poor thought out strategy in my mind as I was left uncomfortably perched on a cardboard bowl until they got round to coming back for me).

Every hour until about 4am this carried on.

At about 1am I called the nurse for some sleeping tablets as the OAP opposite - I think her name was Avril? was snoring her head off and the lady next to her was punctuating every 5th snore of Avril's with an enormous grunt of her own.

I am a very light sleeper at home and even with my earplugs in and Jay's headphones over the top I could still hear the symphony of snores which brought me close to tears.

I managed about 1h30 sleep at about 1.30pm but at 3am they came round to check everyones blood pressure and I couldn't get back to sleep again after that.

Needless to say by the time morning finally came around I was exhausted. I wanted to get out of bed and swing for Avril when she quite boldly said "That's the best night sleep I've had since I've been in here". (A bit later that morning I did tell her that she had been snoring really loudly after she moaned at the lady next to her for doing the same!).

The doctors came round at about 10am and he said I could possibly go home that afternoon or at the latest the following morning as my drains were quite empty. I must have had a desperate look in my eye when he said there might be another night in hospital as by 12pm I'd been told I could go home as soon as my drains were taken out.

This procedure was very sore and they had to give me some Morphine to get through it. Along with the codine I was taking I became rather sleepy and managed to get another 90 minutes sleep before Jay came to collect me.

I walked out of the QEII at 3.30pm exactly 24 hours from the time I was anaesthetised for the operation.