Page 129 - She's One Crazy Lady!

Margaret was so bubbly, so inspiring, and we clicked immediately. Her presence was so reassuring. We also discovered she lived just a few doors away from Mum and Dad.
My introduction to Margaret proved to be VERY significant. We became very close – ‘Bosom Pals’ in fact – and I was to see her often over the following years, as I did the other inmates, for we soon bonded and the banter between us, and the nurses, who were superb throughout, flowed.
It was a long day as there were tests to be had and explanations to be made as to what would happen, but it was a day that ended in much hilarity when Secretary Sue (one of many visitors that night) walked into the bay clutching a HUGE, and I mean, HUGE, house plant – a gift from everyone at school – it was over four feet in height! I think the nurses were beginning to think they had a lively time ahead of them. They were right. For not only did Sue bring the plant, Marilyn sneaked in a McDonald’s! My last food before nil by mouth.
Friday August 3rd – 6.00am
After being woken up very early and having had a restless night (the noises and disturbances on the ward, interesting) I was told I was first on the Theatre list. Mr Stewart came to see me, as did the anaesthetist, Margaret Paragreen and Shona, my assigned nurse for the day who told me I needed to wear support stockings. For those of you who have had surgery, you will know what a nightmare it is to get the ‘passion killer stockings’ on chunky legs and then came the paper pants and the gown. It was like dressing up for a performance at school! And then the moment I was dreading – having to admit to having four false front teeth, so could they PLEASE, PLEASE ensure, and PROMISE, they were back in my mouth before I woke up?
I simply went with it then and laid back in the bed before a porter came to ‘take me down’. This was it. My five ‘bed friends’ waved me off, wishing me luck. Oh, hang on, something mum told me to do before being taken down – go to the loo – “You never know if you’ll be stuck in a queue!”
In the anaesthetic room, tubes and stickers being applied, and a mask placed over my face; a syringe of cold fluid was slowly being administered into the back of my hand through a cannula. I was told to think of a lovely holiday on the beach... it was the strangest of feelings. ZZZZzzzzzzzz!! The next thing I knew was waking up back on the ward thinking how comfortable I felt but, gosh, was I hot. Very hot. Sleep kept taking over and a fan was switched on which was refreshing. I didn’t feel in pain but was told to lay still as they had fitted a drip and I had a drain in the wound to take away any excess blood and fluid. Looking down at my chest all I could see was a bandage and pink dye over my top half that had been used as an antiseptic.
“
For those of you
who have had
surgery, you
will know what a
nightmare it is to
get the ‘passion
killer stockings’
on chunky
legs and then
came the paper
pants and the
gown. It was like
dressing up for a
performance at
school! ”
“Welcome back” my bed friends chorused. It was over.
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