slightly worse than the dentist's chair...

[ajva]

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzz will be the noise of the big drill going into my head when I have my ear operation. I was learning at my pre-admission appointment yesterday that they will be drilling away lots of bone and stuff. From my head. Also they will be drilling close to lots of important stuff so I may wake up feeling, for example, as if the world is spinning unstoppably (damaged balance centre), or they may have severed one (or both or hopefully neither) of two nerves. One of these is to do with taste, and if it's cut I may suffer loss of taste sensation, or things might start tasting metallic (?!!), and the other (wah!) is the facial nerve, which , if severed, will mean I lose all ability to move the right hand side of my face and will therefore become an assymetrical freak who dribbles a lot. Fortunately they will be wiring lots of electodes up to my facial muscles during the operation and connecting them to big alarms that go awuga awuga if the surgeon's getting close to the facial nerve. Gulp.

But they won't know how much stuff they have to remove until they cut me open and drill in, and they want to be pretty sure they've got rid of the cholesteatoma (since it can lead to brain abscesses and all sorts of nasty shit if not completely removed), so they will pretty much sacrifice anything else if they absolutely have to, including ossicles and nerves etc. Gulp.

2 and a half hours have been set aside for my op.

I am told that, if all goes well, I should be able to leave the day after my op, but they might need to keep me in. They will have packed my head full with an antiseptic pack which they will remove several weeks later. I will not be able to swim for a couple of months (note to self: must see about gym membership then).

12 months down the line they will open me up again to see if it's still OK.

Then they'll do the other ear. The one that can hear. Gulp.

Nervous now. :o(

Comments

!!!!!!!!!!

[adjectivemarcus.livejournal.com]

Will you be wanting visitors in the evening to help spoon your dinner into your new floppy face?

Just remember what you'll get out of this and that the people doing it are experts.

And it's not Whipps Cross.

Re: !!!!!!!!!!

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Yes please (sob). :o(

You're right, though. I would be nervous to the power n if this was being done somewhere as shite as Whipps Cross. Instead it's being done by an ENT/neurosurgery expert who's quite possibly the best in the country. Phew. It pays to push a little, eh?

Re: !!!!!!!!!!

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

Eek. It's good to know you're in such good hands. When's this happening?

Re: !!!!!!!!!!

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Well, I go into hospital on the afternoon of Tues 21st May, have the op on the 22nd (hopefully waking up in the evening), and all going well I'll be going home on the Thursday.

Wah!

Re: !!!!!!!!!!

[vicki-t-veg.livejournal.com]

(hopefully waking up in the evening)
Yeah that would be a good plan. I didn't wake-up for 3 days after my 7 hour brain op.
Hope everything goes well, they always tell you the worst stuff.
But I was never warned I be left with a fecked jaw, should sue for lack of physio.

Re: !!!!!!!!!!

[vicki-t-veg.livejournal.com]

(hopefully waking up in the evening)
Yeah that would be a good plan. I didn't wake-up for 3 days after my 7 hour brain op.
Hope everything goes well, they always tell you the worst stuff, good job you're not at Whipps Cross, I'm going to try to get another opinion from a decent hospital about my jaw.
But I was never warned I be left with a fecked jaw, should sue for lack of physio.

[booklectica]

God, I hadn't realised it was quite that... intense. I'm glad you asked me to meet you from the operation, because it you hadn't I think I would have been waiting outside anyway.

Don't worry, if they cause permanent damage you can sue them for millions of pounds... :)

[aegidian]

Yikes! I'msure you'll be fine, but still, good luck!

*hugs*

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

Eep. I'll be thinking of you.

[ellbie.livejournal.com]

I'm very, very sorry you have to go through all that... But it sounds like you've got the best doctor possible, and there will be lots and lots of people bolstering the process with positive thoughts and crossed fingers. Including me, naturally.

[envoy.livejournal.com]

Holey crap, I'm getting the wiggins over _here_! Ouchouchouch, sorry dear, I hope everything goes great...

[jhg.livejournal.com]

I've still got my fingers crossed for you, m'dear.

Well done for avoiding Whipps Cross, and remember the alternative is much, much worse.


J

[jhg.livejournal.com]

Oh, and let me know if you need anything.


J

[potatoprint.livejournal.com]

HMMOG, that sounds rather big and scary. I hope it all goes well, and that people give you an excess of pampering to help you recover.

[dr-d.livejournal.com]

I'll try to meet you as soon as I can after with booze and fags. No, wait ... OK, maybe some booze, but you'll be woozy so I'll have to drink it for you. I'll tell you how it tastes if that'll help. :)