As the world turns and we all are stuck in unexpected situations and environments a few of us have had to use hospital facilities, myself included.
While in Khanom, southern Thailand, my 64 year old hernia surgery broke open. It was not that the lower abdomen bulge was too worry-some at first but digestive problems and pains forced me to seek medical attention in Bangkok. Fortunately I have a good friend from Norway who founded our Bubbles Dive Training Center with me in the early 90’s living in Bangkok in a very large “spread” complete with big yard, swimming pool, large house, maid, gardener and cook and free dogs, one a Pincer and the other a Jack Russel Terrier (the one who attacks my face with her tongue several times a day). The living situation could have turned out worse.
As soon as I could I made an appointment to get the hernia checked out and a week later I met with the surgeon and decided to go ahead with the repair that evening. There were several reasons for the rush. Digestive issues accompanied increasing pains, laparoscopic surgery could again be banned if Covid in Thailand took a bad turn (gas coming from the process, entering a Covid positive patient and then being let out in the operating room could infect operating room personnel). Also, there was no reason to wait. I guess I could have checked out more hospitals and surgeons but waiting might make the physical problems worse and I very much believe in luck. No matter how much care you take on an issue things could turn out very different from the plan.
The surgeon was to do the operation at 9 pm so at 5 pm, after consultation, I changed into hospital garb, lay down on the slab and prepared to just let whatever———- happen, totally out of my control anyway.
The young (20 or so) assistant stuck a needle between my finger tendons (the preferred spot) for the semi-permanent tube for medications, etc. It was very painful and she never found the vein. An older nurse came by and showed her the alternate spot, just behind the thumb knuckle. That vein was good. I didn’t sign up for torture but soon found that was not the only torture I was to endure. My painful winces didn’t stop the young attendant from casing more pain with that damn needle. Don’t people know that needles hurt?!
As I was wheeled around the facilities on the slab I had this strange feeling of helplessness and fate. It was a little embarrassing laying down while being wheeled around when I could have made it on my own two feet. But hospitals have their procedures so it was up to me to just shut up and chill out!
After a few hours sleeping in my private room they came to put me back on the slab for transport to the operating room. Once there people went in and out, fixing a tube of electrolytes to the semi-permanent hole in my thumb. After about 20 minutes the anesthetist stood behind me and with no explanation put a mask on my face and said “oxygen”. Tasted fresh! After 20 seconds the taste changed to a slightly dirtier, rougher flavor. That taste increased and in 3 seconds I saw one trillion pin holes in the ceiling. LIGHTS OUT!
