See some photos below…
Yesterday was the day I was scheduled for the Achilles operation that would hopefully get me back on track and running sometime soon. The procedure was described as “left Achilles repair and debridement”, which I’d explained as being like an afternoon in the backyard to fix a few things and do a general clean-up. I’m a medical layman, after all!!
Check-in time to the Mercy private hospital was 10:30am, and I enjoyed the walk from the tram to the door – the last walking I’d be doing for a while. Entry criteria for the hospital was paying a private health fund excess, just one of the many bills for this adventure, but it was good to have my own room and great care. Having surgery on a Saturday was rather unusual, but nonetheless level 2 was busy with all range of patients being attended to. I was pleased to hear the surgeon was running ahead of time, and so after some pre-operation checks I was wheeled away to lower ground floor and the waiting room, which was also the post-op recovery room.
The Mercy has 10 operating theatres, but only 2 in use yesterday which meant the room was deserted…my me and an orderly and some nurses. The time passed with some good conversation with the nurses (an Irish ex-pat), a visit from the anesthetist (a keen soccer fan who is loving the World Cup), and the surgeon himself, Mark Blackney, who came to say hello and put a mark on my leg to be sure he did the correct one!!
Then it was my turn to be wheeled into the theatre, a room with bright lights, screens, machines, ad lots more besides. It was all a bit of whirlwind as I was shuffled onto the operating table and then had some drugs pumped into me via line into my left arm, and a gas mask put on. The anesthetist previously told me he’d do a nerve block from about my knee down that would numb everything…in 95% of cases at least. I asked how he’d know it I was one of the 5% and he said my heart rate would go up a bit!! Either way, I’d be oblivious to it all as I was soon out to it all from the gas…
Next thing I know I was back in the recovery room feeling very drowsy and peaceful, and my left leg wrapped from just below my knee. The consensus from the nurses was that the operation went well…not that I’d know since my leg was numb and very limp. The post-op procedure was straight-forward, and I was soon wheeled back to my room and popped up with pillows under my leg to keep it elevated. Then it got boring…
Hospitals must rate alongside airports as boring places to wait it out. I channel surfed, played with my iPad, talked to friends on the phone but was still bored. Being confined to bed is just really boring. The regular blood pressure tests were the only thing to break up the monotony a bit. The nerve block lasted until about 3am this morning, when some good drugs took over dulling the pain…happiness in a pill!!
The surgeon dropped in this morning to explain a little more about the operation, and what were the next steps, basically to keep my foot up for the next 2 weeks. A physio bought me some crutches, I got some drugs for the road, and then it was time to head out courtesy of Andrea who came to pick me up (thank-you!!). A 24 hour turn-around and I was starting down the road to recovery. Stay tuned.
The "before" photo, showing the scar from previous surgery 18 years ago.
About to go and be admitted to hospital.
Pre-op, about to be wheeled down to theatre.
Post-op back in my room, still quite drowsy.
Changing the dressing - it bled a bit overnight.
The "after" shot, neatly stictched up and not much swelling. A bit gruesome..
Going home. Love the run!!
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