Heart Stopping

Good morning

One week ago, I was walking down to the operating theatre to have a routine operation to finally remove my pesky gall-bladder. I'd arrived at the hospital in plenty of time and had been checked in and confirmed to be in good health and ready for my op. Even my blood pressure was perfectly normal - no 'white-coat' panic this time. I hopped up onto the bed and was happily chatting to the medical staff whilst wires and needles were attached to me. I started to count to 20 and then I must have dozed off.

I was woken a few hours later in recovery - surrounded by rather alot of wires and machines - all which seemed perfectly normal to me. I had been assigned a lovely young nurse who was chatting to me and making sure I was comfortable - again it all seemed perfectly normal.

Then the bed got surround by a few others - they asked if I was feeling ok - I said yes and then they told me. During the first part of the operation they needed to inflate my abdomen with gas so they could get to my gall-bladder. During this part my heart stopped - nothing - no output!! They said they'd given me drugs and CPR to get it going - and obviously it had worked!! They had decided to carry on with the op and I was no longer in possession of a gall-bladder nor a little triple family of stones.

To be honest it didn't really sink in then. I then happily lay there texting my family (well the best I could considering I was still high as a kite and unable to wear my specs as I'd an oxygen mask on!!) to tell them the op was over and what had been said. Only when my Dad text back with a hint of panic in the text it started to dawn on me what had happened and what it could have meant!!

Instead of going home the same day, I was being admitted to hospital - some talk of sending me to ITU but that was deemed not necessary. Instead I spent a very long time in recovery with my own nurse at my beck and call. Eventually a space in a lovely ward was found - I needed to be by myself and very close to the nurses station so they could keep a careful watch over me. I was not allowed out of bed unless someone was with me - oh yes 43 years old and not allowed to the loo without a grown up! I was monitored very closely as my blood pressure was pretty pathetic.

Anyhow staying one night lead into another then another - in total 5 nights were spent in hospital. Thank goodness for family and friends - who visited, phoned and text me. Now I am not a big TV watcher but having access to my own tv over the weekend meant I had some entertainment. I love Glastonbury festival and watch every year (one year I will get there for real). I knew the line up was good and watched many hours of it over the weekend. One of my highlights was Sunday afternoon - lying in bed, watching Kenny Rogers and singing along to my hearts content - I loved his set and yes I managed to sing out loud much to the amusement of the cleaner who came into my room!!

I was eventually allowed home on Tuesday afternoon. I got home before the boys got in from school and there were plenty of hugs when they got in. Its the longest I've ever spent apart from them and I really missed them so much. Whilst they visited its not the same. It was lovely Tuesday evening to sit down together to have dinner and a good chat.

I have got to go back to hospital for various follow up appointments to check that there is no lasting problems. The surgeon is confident it was just an extremely rare reaction and I should be 100% very soon. At the moment I am a bit battered - lots of bruising from the op and one cracked rib from the CPR process!

However they have given me permission to go camping with my Morris friends this weekend providing I don't dance and don't drink too much cider! I can agree to this - after all who'd turn down the chance of camping with friends at the seaside and getting to eat ice-cream too!

If you've got this far then thank you for reading. I needed to write this all down as after all this blog is mostly used as my online diary and this is a big event in my already eventful life this year!!

I shall leave you with a happy picture - these gorgeous yellow roses - a get well pressie;

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx