Welcome to the first “Blog only” post. I normally post these on my Facebook page as well as here, but for ease for me, I will now just post here and put a link from Facebook. I hope that does not upset too many people, but will keep things easier for me. 

Today, I am one day post neck surgery from the “Marvel”-ous “Dr Strange”. Yesterday went to time and plan, even for us mere mortals who use a watch to manage our time. My operation was at the scheduled time that the anaesthetist told me it would be and “Dr Strange” was there to perform the operation at that same time, amazing!!

Quick Version:

• Surgery went well/as expected – all nodes in neck on Levels 3,4 and 5 were removed – two nodes “looked nasty” but rest looked good.
• Will be in hospital for a few days as have a “drain” to take away “stuff” from neck.
• Am up, Showered, dressed and free to walk around hospital, even to cafe to get real coffee – so all going well.
• No pain (in fact no feeling in some parts but this should come back!!).
• Full movement on my arm/shoulder.  Everyone happy with surgery including Dr Strange.
• Random fact – not related to this surgery – I went from 138% lung capacity when I had all my lungs – now at 108% post left lower lobectomy, and radiation pneumonitis, so still have better lung function than the average person!! 

The Long Version – or a ramble. 

Prepare for Hospital

I came back from Canberra last Thursday night from the Lung Foundation campaign and by Friday had the first signs of a cold/virus. A quick trip to see my GP on Saturday morning for some Tamiflu in case it was viral as I have a low immune system. I was a bit rough on Saturday and started to get better late Sunday/early Monday (although I may have passed it on to the Mad Scientist – oops). I should say as a side, I also stopped the Dex on Sunday – YAY. By Tuesday I was feeling good. 

I got a phone call on Tuesday from the anaesthetist who, despite me telling her reception staff I would be between a Financial advisor and Respiratory specialist in the ten minute time window they proposed, she still called me!! So a bizarre, but quick call, which covered my medical history as I drove (hands free of course). When I was walking to reception to the Respiratory specialist she converted the call to a FaceTime call to look at my teeth, mouth and face – weird even for me. She then informed me I would be in surgery at 1030. 

The hospital rang to tell me a check in time at 0730 rather than 0630 on Wednesday – umm ok – thanks for the sleep in. The next morning – wait lets do some Dr Strange time fast forwarding here – lets skip those hours and move to check-in. 

Surgery Day

I arrived at the hospital at 0725 like a good boy. I was given a piece of paper with directions to the day surgery unit, lucky for me, I have done some orienteering before, however the people that arrived slightly before me where completely lost and needed some assistance from yours truly (supposedly it was that they forgot their glasses – the signs were on the roof people – huge signs, me thinks you could not follow simple instructions!!).

Up to the first waiting room, checked in (time warp again – lets keep this blog moving).

Next I was called to the next waiting room where I sat and continued on with a Fiendish SuDoKu (what else are you going to do). Next time shift – ohh I am feeling so like Dr Strange (when he could manipulate time). 

Got called and was taken to the same bed as when I had my radical prostatectomy – seriously, Same bed but different nurse and only shaved the back of my hand not my…….(ohh you can guess, now there was an image you did not need in your minds). Answered the normal questions again. Yes I still know my name, my date of birth and where I live. Dressed into the lovely gown, compression socks and two stickers (these were numbing squares on the back of my hand and mid-arm ready for drips/lines).

Then a few jokes with the nurse about my sexy looks and some pre-meds. What I did not realise was that the two tiniest little pre-meds pills I took where sleepy ones, so I sat and waited and started back on my SuDoKu only to start to fall asleep. I was thinking it was weird, like I was drugged but did not put the two things together (as the other tablets were paracetamol so thought the small ones were… well I don’t know – anti-nausea). 

Time-warp again – get taken down to theatre and into the next waiting area, had another couple of memory tests to see I still remembered my name and DOB (yes I do – I am good at this). Then got told I can move to the next waiting area – the drug waiting area where I laid down and I met the anaesthetist nurse and had another memory test.

Another time-warp, The anaesthetist came in, same test but with some harder questions, like what am I having done and she wanted to check out my teeth again. 

Quick count – that is now 5 waiting rooms – surely we could cut these down a bit, but maybe I was meant to feel that I was getting somewhere fast (well with the sleepy medicines I had no idea of time and in the last drug room, the clock was stuck on 5:10, when it was about 10:30 hmmmm was this a ploy to make me feel it was the end of the day or part of Dr Strange’s magic!!!). 

In comes Dr Strange – he has a chat, confirms all is good, checks on my “Mental Health” week and lets me know that he understands why I took it and thinks it was a good idea. Told me that I should be in surgery in a little bit (next time warp – no watch or clock to use so no idea how long that wait was – hmmm).

So into surgery finally, found out that Chemo has wrecked the back of my hand veins on the right hand side, so a quick shave to the left hand and hey presto we are good to give me drugs. The old “Velcro” onto the forehead (for those that have not had surgery or had it some time ago, they can now put a sensor on your forehead so the anaesthetist can tell how sleepy you are, very cool for managing your drug levels and keeping you “just right”). 
Then a nice feel of something going into the veins and more time-warp – I wake up at 1430 in a different room – the recovery room! Dr Strange cast his magic on me – what happened between 1030 and 1430!!!!

The Next Day (also known as Thursday)

Well I found out this morning what happened between 1030 and 1430 yesterday. Dr Strange removed all of my Level 3, 4 and 5 lymph nodes in my neck with minimal nerve damage and nerve movement. I have a full working right arm, that can stretch up, I have a voice box and chest that still works. My neck surface is numb in parts as well as parts of my shoulder, however this should come back over time (nerve damage can take awhile). He did have nerve testing equipment on me while he was in the operating theatre to make sure the signals continued down pre and post surgery (I like it – test it as you go and make sure the signals are working). 

I now have a “drain” in my neck – this is so that the “ooze” can get out of my body, as normally the lymph nodes would carry this stuff away and put it into your body to be disposed off, however when you remove the nodes, it just gathers and swells (trust me) hence the drain. The drain is a pressured little pot and tube that goes into your operation area (I had one for my lung and prostate surgery). I have learnt that you should stay in hospital until your drain is all done. How did I learn I hear you ask, well I rushed myself home with the prostate surgery and had to go back into hospital that night as it bled through four black t-shirts!! Yes, I am getting wiser as I go, like now I listen to what the Doctors tell me and sometimes do as they say.

Anyway, I feel better today than what I probably have felt for the past couple of months, even after surgery. The Mad Scientist is bringing in the two little monkeys this afternoon to visit, so that will be nice, but does mean I should sign off now as they will be here soon.