It’s 5:30 a.m. The sun hasn’t risen yet and a taxi is called in order to get to the hospital. You are somewhat drowsy from the night before given the lack of sleep due to your mind rushing all night about the surgery.
Blood clots, fat embolism, pulmonary embolism, non-union, no more legs, death?, what the fxck am I doing here…
You arrive at the hospital after a 25 minute taxi drive, hand over the driver 20 Euros and proceed to make your way into the hospital. The nurses take you into a room and ask you supplementary questions. Then they take room you will be staying in after surgery, which is shared by two other local patients who are at the hospital for various reasons. Possibly orthopedic related but unsure.
You look at your watch and it is 6:05 and you eagerly wait. The room is feels colder now. Your hands and feet start getting colder and the desperate attempt to warm them up is failing. Now you are sitting there changed in the hospital gown, getting colder by the second just wishing someone will take you to the operating room. You are now freezing and shivering, and the thoughts rush back.
What am I about to do? Am I going to be cold forever? Is this how it will feel for the next 3 months? Can I opt out now? NO, am I crazy… what happens if there is an infection? What about blood clots? At least it’ll be a painless death… wait no, the legs will probably be in pain. Man, this is crazy…
You come back to reality as you faintly hear a nurse calling your name multiple times to get you into a roller to take you to the operating room. You get up and onto the roller and are taken down to the operating room while the cold is still penetrating your feet and hands. It’s painful almost like a stinging pain. You try and speak to the nurse to cover your feet with the blanket for comfort but words don’t come out of your mouth. As you enter the room, you are met with Dr.Giotikas and the anesthesiologist who immediately reassure you that everything is going to be okay. The mask goes on your face and you are comforted with the hand of the anesthesiologist…
You wake up and you see Dr.Giotikas standing over you. He pats you on the shoulder telling you everything went well. Still fatigued from the anesthesia, your eyes struggle to stay open as you are rolled down to your room. You get transferred on to your bed and lay there breathing ever so slowly. Your eyes become too heavy and you sink deeper into the bed. Your mind fades away into emptiness as you fall into a deep sleep.
Emotional, Physical, Pain