Surgery

My Pneumothorax surgery was a success, but it was and still is a painful and torturous journey to go through.

When I was warded on 2nd September, I was still able to be my usual cranky self, and I even brought my laptop and stuffed toys along to keep me company.



Pre-surgery.
So, 12am came and I had to start my fast. The following day when I was wheeled into the operating theatre, the last thing I remembered before knocking out was of my surgeon teasing me about me definitely not being afraid of this operation since I bungee jumped before. And also of the pretty Anesthetist who told me to breathe slowly and go to sleep when I felt like it.

I was woken up after the whole procedure, which I immediately asked for my handphone, and after messaging my parents that I'm out of the OT, I concussed again. My Mom later told me that upon seeing me, they immediately regretted sending me for the operation, because from a bubbly person, I became like a pale dead log.

When I was still recovering from the after effects of the anesthesia, Daddykins snapped away at my chest tube canister which was sucking all the excess air and fluids out of my lung.




So, there you see in my hand, was a self-administering morphine gadget which I was told to press when the pain became unbearable. It is amazing how I kept drifting in and out of sleep and was still able to catch on all the important information that I was suppose to absorb.

In my semi-conscious state, I knew the delivery man came and went, and look what pretty things got delivered to me!




From my elder brother and sis-in-law, younger brother and girlfriend.



From NJ4 who's in Australia, somehow liaised with my Mom to send this order to me.


From my company, Home Nursing Foundation.
Because I just got out of surgery and was in such great pain, I happily self-administered morphine throughout the night, which I bear the brunt of the side-effects the following day. One mouth of breakfast sent me regurgitating more than what I consumed. Lunch was a torture to keep it in, and dinner was yet another challenge but I was feeling way better by then already. It's a good thing the IV fluids were giving me just sufficient energy to get by.

So, I was throwing up air over and over again, when yet another bundle of joy was delivered to make my day. =)




From my loveliest girlfriends and their boyfriends.

From my cousin, Dione.
My cousin wanted to visit me but the security guard was being an ass saying that visiting hours are over, so my Mom had to go down to receive her love for me. =)

The other visitors I had were:


RenJie, thanks for the magazine and 'Up' DVD.


Eric, thanks for the lovely sunflower.

And of course, today was a good day, because it was my discharge day! Before everything got removed, Dad took pictures of my wounds yesterday, just for memories sake (not like the scars are not enough of a memory, but you get the idea).



Close up of the hole where I had the chest tube in me.

My 3rd incision is rather near my breast, so no pictures taken for that. So there you have it, 3 scars for life. Sigh.

And because I felt much better as compared to the day I got wheeled out of the OT, Daddykins told me to pose one for the camera although I looked like crap.


And just a while after my chest tube got removed from me and I was more mobile, I had another 2 visitors. =)


Doreen, thank you for the lily, and thank you for the "shampoo". =)


HongBin, thank you for attempting to fatten me up so soon, knowing that my appetite have been totally crappy the last few days. =)

Last but not least, thank you Mom, for staying with me throughout the night after my surgery, and thank you Dad, for making countless trips down to the hospital and taking emergency leaves despite your busy work schedule. Thank you Kor Kor and Da Sao for helping me clear my "garden" today! =)

Just before I left, a senior nurse said, "It's a good thing you're being discharged today, otherwise this corner will turn into a garden very soon!" I can't help but smile and agree. Thank you all. =)