Things Denis Can't Do

Since my little operation, cough and laugh are high on the list! Both require movement of the diaphragm and stomach, and both cause me considerable discomfort!

Getting a general anesthetic is an odd sensation. I went in around 3pm, Thursday. I remember talking to the nice nurse and anesthesiologist, and joking about various bits and pieces. I was told that they were first giving me medicine to just make me feel "good", and I might feel a prickly sensation on the back of my arm where the drip was. I felt the sensation, but pointed out that I didn't feel any different. The anesthesiologist told me that one of the doctors had a theory that the medicine takes longer to affect people who can hold their drink better, but I pointed out I don't drink. He said something about throwing that theory out the window. The nurse explained that it can come on quiet fast, and she had seen lots of people saying "This isn't wooooooooooorkinnnnnnng........" and they were gone!

And that's it! That's all I remember. I was fine. I was looking up at the big lights, trying to see if things would start to change, or swim, or blur, listening to the staff chatting around me and suddenly I was waking up in recovery! Someone asked me if I was alright, and I tried to ask for the time, but my mouth was all dry and scratchy. It was 7:30! One second it was somewhere around 3pm, and the very next second it was 7:30! My groggy mind swam trying to understand what had just happened, then I remembered why I was there and felt the surgical dressing. After spending an indeterminate time in recovery, I was wheeled back down to my bed, where Claire had been waiting all that time.

Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly in the mood for talking, so I told her everything was alright, and sent her home. Then I lay on my back, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.