The chilly sterility of the room and buzzling of machines. That is what I noticed. Notwithstanding the nurses and their kind faces, nor the complexity of the countless sophisticated instruments. I’m overcome by the smell of bleach, sterilizers and sanitizers. I don’t want to be getting a brain infection now after everything else i’ve been through. My condition which has taken me hear has been diagnosed and reports recorded by different health professionals. So I thought I have taken a bold move. Yes!
The lead surgeon comes in dressed in their usual sharp clean scrubs and a clean reassuring green headgear. He takes a look at my chart, and all I think is I hope he is the guy I trusted with my life.Yes, I confirmed he is Dr.Abdalla .Next to him is his assistant Dr. Hamza who apparently did all the tests and diagnosis. The Next is the lead Anaesthesiast Dr. Patel assisted by Dr. Aisha. Not forgetting other team members who made sure that all monitors and machines are working well.
The lead Surgeon asks me if I have any last questions. I think he has a trustworthy sort of face, and I start to calm. Before my diagnosis doctors had always been a reassurance.”Everything will be fine” he said it clearly and continued. “99% of such surgeries come out successful” I looked around and saw Dee smiling -my big girl who has been with me all along this journey.Her face sad but optimistic.
My brain is in good hands or so I’ve been told.
Dee,my partner,appears nervous. Girls always are. Huddled almost, within the confines of her safety gown provided by the hopital.
She doesn’t have any questions, but her gaze constantly diverts to my hands.She was asked to leave and wait for me at the ward. Dr. Aisha, the anatheasist rolled me on the surgery bed to the prep room.
“I’ll be wearing gloves to administer anaethesia through your spine ” She said.smiling. “In a few Minutes you will be numb from abdomen down the lower limbs”.My heartbeat and blood pressure obviously raising. She takes a long syringe fills it with some liquid and returns it to the pack from where she opened it from. I see her relax minutely. The smallest release of her vice-like grip. Her trust is flattering; she’s not alone though. Everyone trusts a doctor.She asks me to sit which I did. Carefully trying to locate the “big nerve” I assumed
I leave her and the nurses. Let the journey to the theatre begin.They transfer me to a gurney, put a needle in to my lower back , monitors on my chest and arm. when I wake up, well, I certainly won’t be the same man with multiple lower abdomen complications any more.
Rubber glove snaps loudly …. Turning, I face my audience. They are five in all. I chose them because they’re all competent to the point of mere adequacy, none would ever do more than was required. That’s perfectly fine by me.
They begin the procedure as usual. An incision at the base of the spine in order to access the spine nerve. Am told spine nerve are difficult to reach, but anaethesist knowledge of the area is expansive; They are experts at delicate operations.She located the nerve ,needles it with the anaethesia medicine, pulls back and after waiting for 10 minutes stipulated time for my lower abdomen and limbs to numb, nothing happened… my be I was strong for the doze. She enjects extra doze. After additional 10 minutes,I got complete numb.
Nurses wheelled me into the centre stage where my surgeons were standing ready for the job ahead of them. Surprisingly am informed by my surgery team that they don’t make you “sleep” now days. You hear everything and every step of the excercise. Scary, right? Yes .
After a substantial amount of 3 hrs of tedious work they discern the offending tissue. All this process was done as I hear the knifes, syringes,machines, orders and stories. Once or twice I could as well participate in talking. The incisions , blood vaccuming and sweat from the surgeons could tell it all.Mine was an exceptionally interesting case, My tumour,and other offending tissues were located in a rather specific spot. So specific infact, that I have been waiting exactly for 4 months..
They are so close now. I take a moment to just feel. Adrenaline pumps through me, my palms are sweaty, my intestines are like a pit of snakes. I feel alive. Once the deed is done the adrenaline will evaporate, leaving with a haste that’s staggering. However, the elation and contentment it will make way for is perhaps even better.
The removal of a small section of me is all it takes for me to be of better health. However it takes a hard decision to face a surgeons knife. The pain at the tail end of the excercise was unbearable and I” passed out” to sleep .
At 3pm, I found myself in my private ward with several machines and pipes to remove the waste liquids in my abdomen for recovery process. As I wait for my recovery,i thank all who in one way or the other encouraged and gave me hope. Your contribution of prayers and deeds did not go unnoticed as this isn’t a cheap undertaking.
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Mzedu Kitchen 