Friday 13th - Departure Lounge

After waiting at ground level reception, we were directed to another reception/waiting area on the same level as the operating theatre. By about 8.00am I went through with both Mum and Mike to get into my bed to wait to go through to theatre. I got changed into a beautiful purple gown and really lovely paper hospital knickers. I put two pairs of paper knickers because I didn't want to get a cold bottom. Then I went through to where several beds with patients in them were waiting and climbed into my own bed. Mum and L were given chairs to sit next to me and we chatted and tried not to talk about food - but the conversation kept going back to food as is always does when you're trying to avoid a topic!

The nurse brought me some compression socks and put my hospital tag around my ankle. I said to her, as long as you don't put it on my toe!! The also had some special pressure leg-casings which were put on my bed for later as well as a lovely red paper shower-cap thing for wearing in theatre. Red means 'allergy', as all the way through doctors and nurses had asked me if I was allergic to anything. I have a mild allergy to manuka honey, which is a pretty common honey in NZ, but here I think they thought I must have been a bit of a health nutter! Every time they asked, I had to explain. Another thing I had to explain was when they asked me if I'd ever had a general anaesthetic before. The answer is yes, but it's a bit of a story! Mum laughed every time they asked because she had to explain. I don't remember much about it because I was so young.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. I waited in my bed, and propped up the back so I could talk to Mum and L. Then at about 8.45am three doctors came around and talked to me about the procedure and told me I was third in line for theatre. One of them drew on my with permanent marker with the name of the surgical procedure above my breast. After a bit more waiting they wheeled me away to the second-to-last stop before theatre. I had to leave my glasses with Mike and Mum, so I said goodbye to them and off I went. I kept thinking about that Monty Python sketch where they wheel the expectant mother through the doors. I was lucky because I was sitting up - I could see where I was going although I couldn't make much out because of not having my glasses.