Back on my trusty steed again
In this particular case...
It all started with a tooth...
It all started with a tooth...
After several years of procrastination, I finally decided
to have an impacted wisdom tooth removed.
What had kept me from having the procedure done?
The fact that my dentist said that he was not able to do it
"in the chair" and that is would need to be done under a general anesthetic
in a theatre at a local clinic.
I sought a second opinion which confirmed the original.
I really did NOT want to undergo such a procedure so I lived with the
pain and the inconvenience for several years...
until recently, when for a week, the pain became unbearable,
and I became a VERY GRUMPY old man.
Once again I sought advice from my dentist who gave me
the name of a maxillo-facial surgeon,
who after looking at my x-ray said the words I wanted to hear...
"I can do it in the chair under conscious sedation.
"Book me in" was my response.
And so began a journey that I was NOT expecting!
I HIGHLY recommend conscious-sedation.
I had looked up the procedure before having to tooth removed,
so I sort of knew that to expect.
I thought that I might be able to hear the crunch of the tooth
or at the very least some tugging as it was taken out.
NOTHING! I REMEMBER NOTHING!
I remember saying to the surgeon "Please do not fold my spectacles"
and after that NOTHING until I was woken up by the anesthesiologist
saying "All done time to head to the recovery room".
And off to the recovery room I dutifully went.
I was here for about 20 minutes and after a cup of tea
it was time to be taken home.
For medical reasons (and a hefty dose of a Schedule 7 drug)
I was not allowed to drive myself home.
Luckily my wife was waiting to take me home.
The whole procedure, including waiting, took under 2 hours.
I had expected to be in recovery for a while,
but having arrived at 07h30, I was on my way home by 09h30.
And that I thought would be the end of that...
but NO, the anesthesiologist had picked up a heart flutter
that he wanted me have have checked out.
And as soon as possible!
My wife wanted to take me to our specialist physician immediately,
I said that I wanted to get over the extraction first
and we could go the following day.
Cut to the following morning.
And this is the result of an ECG and my immediate admittance
to the ICU at a local clinic...
"I did not pass GO, I did not collect R200.00"
I thought that my physician was joking when he said
"I want you in ICU NOW"
I even looked at my wife, also a Doctor, for support
only to find a look on HER face that said this is not a joke.
I was gobsmacked...
The last time I was in hospital was more than 30 years ago
and I was in High Care for one night, post op.
No sooner was I in bed than a drip was inserted.
"Why", I asked
"In case" was the reply.
Vials of blood were drawn.
Finger pricked for glucose levels were done
And a BP cuff was attached to the
"machine that goes beep"
This was to automatically inflate every hour
for the duration of my stay
making sleep almost impossible
Many thanks to all those who sent me messages.
Little did I know how concerned folks were.
I have responded to some folks individually,
and I will try to get to the rest in due course.
Each and every message was read and appreciated.
Every staff member I interacted with asked me the same question
"Why are you here"?
My stock response became:
"Because I had nothing better to do"!
And the next question was always
"Do you have any allergies"?
And my stock response:
"Yes, stupidity "!
Luckily I was able to be discharged after just on night
and that was more that I actually wanted to be there.
But I was lucky, as I discovered a friend who had been there for two weeks!
I hope to be back in the bush in the not too distant future,
with a new out look on life and how to live it.
I now have to wait for 3 weeks while the new medication does its work
and then a short procedure to shock my heart back into the correct rhythm
So I am not totally out of the woods just yet.
And that is all I have to say...
Until the next time.
