Sit Rep
Dermott the Dermoid Cyst was even larger than the MRI indicated - a bit bigger than my fist and roughly oval, so maybe 12x9 cm. I've seen pictures, though they only printed one set and wouldn't let me keep it or even borrow it to scan it; I'll try photographing it next time I see the consultant. It looked very much like many of the images you get if you google for "dermoid cyst" (but, really, unless you're completely non-squeamish, DON'T look!) and was a very typical example in that it was filled with hair - yuck! It's gone off to be tested, but nobody expects anything sinister.
The operation lasted a little longer than planned (about an hour and a half rather than an hour) and I'm perhaps a bit more bruised than expected because there was more cutting and dissecting to do to get the thing out through the (really remarkably small) hole in my tummy. It went well, though my heart rate dropped rather low so I had a very interesting cocktail of drugs and spent quite a long time in recovery hooked up to a monitor before they wheeled me back to the ward.
I discharged myself on Wednesday night, which in retrospect maybe wasn't the most sensible thing to do. They were all very nice to me at Jimmy's, but the physical environment is so depressing that I just wanted out. I felt a whole lot better on Wednesday night than I did the next day (or today), which had I waited might have swayed me to stay in a bit longer. On the whole though I still think I'd rather be at home.
They don't tell you how hard it is to wee after an operation! They had to empty my bladder and it takes an age to drink enough to fill it back up to the point where the body registers it. On top of that either the drugs or the catheter suppress the ability to just relax and let go, so you have to actively push and actually work quite hard to have a widdle. Most disconcerting, not to mention something I'd rather not have to do given all the bruising and damage to my inner bits, and I was awfully pleased when it wore off yesterday.
I'm in a fair old bit of pain, both from the surgery itself (which is obviously concentrated in my lower abdomen) and from the gas they used to distend my abdomen to make room to work (which makes my chest and shoulders hurt). I went to the GP yesterday to get a new dressing for one of the wounds, which is still oozing a bit; it was an ... interesting drive, with Greg trying to avoid the potholes and drain covers, and me screaming every time he couldn't! The painkillers are just about doing the job now, and I'm getting a lot of benefit from pacing up and down in that happy time between one dose wearing off and being able to take the next one. It's generally more comfortable to mooch around than to sit or lie still, but sooooo tiring.
I've no idea how long I'm going to be off work. I'm self-certificating until Wednesday next week, when I go back to the GP to have my stitches out. I'll get a sick note on Wednesday, which I hope will only be for another week but it could be longer; I'm not going to second-guess how I'm going to be feeling in a week's time. In the meantime I've started watching all our saved episodes of Bones, Numb3rs, The Fringe and House; that should keep me busy until I feel well enough to tackle Tomb Raider Underworld. I may even get some online Christmas shopping done.
The operation lasted a little longer than planned (about an hour and a half rather than an hour) and I'm perhaps a bit more bruised than expected because there was more cutting and dissecting to do to get the thing out through the (really remarkably small) hole in my tummy. It went well, though my heart rate dropped rather low so I had a very interesting cocktail of drugs and spent quite a long time in recovery hooked up to a monitor before they wheeled me back to the ward.
I discharged myself on Wednesday night, which in retrospect maybe wasn't the most sensible thing to do. They were all very nice to me at Jimmy's, but the physical environment is so depressing that I just wanted out. I felt a whole lot better on Wednesday night than I did the next day (or today), which had I waited might have swayed me to stay in a bit longer. On the whole though I still think I'd rather be at home.
They don't tell you how hard it is to wee after an operation! They had to empty my bladder and it takes an age to drink enough to fill it back up to the point where the body registers it. On top of that either the drugs or the catheter suppress the ability to just relax and let go, so you have to actively push and actually work quite hard to have a widdle. Most disconcerting, not to mention something I'd rather not have to do given all the bruising and damage to my inner bits, and I was awfully pleased when it wore off yesterday.
I'm in a fair old bit of pain, both from the surgery itself (which is obviously concentrated in my lower abdomen) and from the gas they used to distend my abdomen to make room to work (which makes my chest and shoulders hurt). I went to the GP yesterday to get a new dressing for one of the wounds, which is still oozing a bit; it was an ... interesting drive, with Greg trying to avoid the potholes and drain covers, and me screaming every time he couldn't! The painkillers are just about doing the job now, and I'm getting a lot of benefit from pacing up and down in that happy time between one dose wearing off and being able to take the next one. It's generally more comfortable to mooch around than to sit or lie still, but sooooo tiring.
I've no idea how long I'm going to be off work. I'm self-certificating until Wednesday next week, when I go back to the GP to have my stitches out. I'll get a sick note on Wednesday, which I hope will only be for another week but it could be longer; I'm not going to second-guess how I'm going to be feeling in a week's time. In the meantime I've started watching all our saved episodes of Bones, Numb3rs, The Fringe and House; that should keep me busy until I feel well enough to tackle Tomb Raider Underworld. I may even get some online Christmas shopping done.