Monday, September 17, 2012

Of Blogging Breaks and Surgery

Before surgery
It's hard to think that it's been nearly two weeks since I last wrote a post. My unannounced blogging break was due mainly to the fact that I had wisdom teeth surgery a week and a half ago, and I've spent the time recovering from that.

Having surgery and being in the hospital for the first time ever was exceedingly interesting, and very different to anything I could have imagined before. The hospital gown was frankly comical. It was like wearing a sack, kept closed with ties. And the hospital staff were nice, talking to me the whole way to theatre, explaining the process to me, and generally keeping me very calm.

Coming out of the anaesthetic was more like waking up from a sleep than anything else. In fact, I'd even been dreaming before that. And then I had to spend the next quarter of an hour reminding myself how to swallow, and how to tell the nurses that I was in fact perfectly alright. Though the constant taking of my blood pressure was annoying.
After surgery

And after that, I proudly dressed myself, even down to tying my shoe laces, which felt like such an achievement, and headed to the lounge to dribble custard down myself as I battled with a numb face. And then it was off home  for a week and a half of soft food, and armchair rest. Which included impersonating a pumpkin as my face swelled, wearing an ice helmet to combat the swelling, and talking non stop from the moment I left the hospital.

Now, the stitches are coming out, and I'm back to normal.While I can't say I enjoyed the experience too much, it's certainly been interesting. And I am now very thankful for the power of chewing. How I miss solid food!

Photos thanks to my Mum.