Yes, the title of this blog post may seem weird but just roll with it...
So this time last Thursday I was in an operating theatre, getting my throat chopped and mutilated- yes I finally had my surgery that I was waiting for!
I was having a 'plastic surgery' procedure, known as a pharyngealoplasty (no idea how it's spelt but close enough!) but I guess while the surgeon was in there anyway, he decided to take out my tonsils too. So I had my operation for my speech/voice along with a tonsillectomy- oh joy.
I did wonder why I had been in the operating theatre for 4 hours...
Coming round from the general anaesthetic was not fun- straight away it felt like someone had just sliced into my throat with a knife (well technically they had..) and my jaw and all down my neck was excruciating- probably seeing as they'd had to wrench my jaw right open to get at my throat.
"Beth, my lovely, open your eyes, you ok my darling?"
Hang on, I recognise that voice...
"Beth, darling, wake up"
My eyelids peeled open slowly and my assumptions were confirmed; a lovely nurse who had looked after me all them years ago on the acute stroke ward was here, in recovery with me. She'd obviously moved jobs seeing as she was here but it was so nice to see a familiar face! I think at that point I burst into tears... which confused them all (oops).
The next hour went incredibly slow, I don't know if it was the fact that I just couldn't breathe. I gulped air through my mouth but there was so much 'gunk' on my chest that it was just clogging my airway. Call me dramatic but I thought I was going to die.. again. I couldn't get any air in, my oxygen levels were dropping, I started 'drifting' and my eyes wouldn't stay open anymore, I became increasingly hot and my limbs just felt so heavy, I couldn't move...
"Look at me Beth" I'm trying...
Oh. I can breathe! The nurse had shoved a nasal tube down my nostril to allow me to breathe and omg I instantly felt better (well apart from the fact my nostril was stinging from the sudden tube being poked down there). My eyes sprung open and my parents were both there, again, I burst into tears... I found that with general anaesthetic, like you'd be fine one minute then you'd suddenly have an emotional breakdown and start crying over the fact that your blanket fell on the floor.
I was moved onto a proper ward about half 6, M5 I think it was called. My parents followed me up but I was so woozy from the anaesthetic I just shut my eyes.
Throughout my short stay on M5 ward, I met three wonderful ladies in my room with me, lots of friendly nurses, a hot young male nurse (I know right) and a weird bloke that hung around outside my room asking if I smoked or not...
Yes, so my cuisine that I have to stay on for 3 weeks max. is puree/soft foods, hence the title of this blog post. I've eaten more yoghurts, soups and sweet potato mashes in just this one week than I would normally eat in about 3 months and I've got another 2 weeks to go...
