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Home again, again.

by Brenda on November 19, 2008

Brenda’s Hospital Index*

Number of gallbladders successfully removed at Withybush hospital on Tuesday, 11 Nov: 3
Total from Brenda: 1
Number of incisions made in Brenda’s belly: 4
Number of stitches needed to close incisions: 10
Number of patients in the day surgery recovery ward: 5
Number of nurses on-duty during the day: 4
Number of nurses on-duty during the night: 2
Percentage of the total number of nurses who also happen to be loud Welsh girls: 33.3%
Number of cups of tea made expressly for Brenda, by staff, one cup at a time: 4
Number of servings of freshly made toast consumed: 3
Average number of seconds taken for nurse to appear after call button is pressed: 4
Percentage of food left on Brenda’s plate after hospital meals served: 100%
Number of knitting projects packed: 2
Number of hours spent knitting: 1
Number of nights in hospital: 1
Number of patients moaning for most of the night: 1
Number of times woken by moaning patient: 1
Special equipment brought from home that qualifies one as a genius: Sleep mask; ear plugs
Hour at which all the lights in the ward are dimmed for the night: 9pm
Percentage of patients already sleeping when lights were dimmed: 80%
Hour at which all of the lights in the ward are turned on again for the day: 7:30 am
Percentage of patients still sleeping when lights turned on: 100%
Percentage of loud-Welsh-girl nurses who come on shift at 7:30am: 100%
Number of hours spent waiting around for discharge after the doctor said Brenda could go home: 3
Number of days after hospital release during which improvement was slow, but steady: 6
Number of knitting projects completed during the first six days at home: 6**

Number of hours over seventh day at home during which pain steadily increased: 24
Time at which an ambulance was called: 11pm
Number of knitting projects packed: 1
Number of cc’s morphine given by EMT prior to ambulance ride: 7.5
Ranking of morphine on Brenda’s Top 10 List of Hospital Drugs: 1
Number of Emergency doctors who agree to give Brenda additional morphine: 0
Ranking of Emergency doctors on Brenda’s Hospital Low Points List: Just below loud-Welsh-girl nurses
Number of podcasts listened to while waiting to be admitted back into hospital: 4
Time at which Brenda was officially admitted back into hospital: 5am
Number of cups of tea during second hospital visit, made expressly for Brenda by staff, one cup at a time: 0
Number of times per day industrial strength tea is dispensed on the main hospital ward: 3
Average number of seconds taken for nurse to appear after call button is pressed: 240
Average number of nurses call bells going off over the ward per hour: 5
Number of hours slept: Less than 1
Number of theories as to why Brenda was in pain: 4
Number of diagnostic tests received: 6
Amount of physical evidence of pain: None
Number of additional nights Brenda agreed to remain in hospital after the pain had disappeared: 0
Number of hours spent sleeping in the first 24 back at home: 10.5
Total amount paid for surgical and emergency care, including ambulance, medications, labs, x-rays and scans: £0

* Index that is the most fun to read every month, after Brenda’s: Harpers Magazine.
** Smores Socks are but one of my recent Recovery FOs – Toe up, combination heel, picot bind off; yarn in Smores colourway by Scout.

1 Pam November 19, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Glad you are back home and recovering. Thanks for keeping me company via your podcasts this week while I was in the hospital getting parts removed.

2 Heather November 20, 2008 at 5:24 am

Sounds like you had a rough time with your surgery. I just had surgery on the 10th on my ankle and my knitting and many podcasts (especially cast on) kept me company while recovering. Get well soon!

3 Sharon Rose November 20, 2008 at 6:59 pm

Oh Brenda! That’s no fun at all! Glad to hear your pain is gone now. A few years ago I was on an epic roadtrip with my friend Heather – Florida to Seattle in a rickety old London Taxi I’d never seen before – and she left her gallbladder in Amarillo, Texas. Nobody made her any tea! Glad you had a good (if loud) staff. *hugs*

4 Erin R. November 20, 2008 at 7:48 pm

I’m so Glad it’s over & you’re recovering.
Nice Socks, and love from Portland,OR where it would have been oh so Much More than $0.

5 Sharon Rose November 20, 2008 at 8:51 pm

Just another note – I was initially excited by your new look but it’s cumbersome to maneuver in. Maybe it’s my browser (Firefox for Mac) but 1) I had to click on each individual blog entry to read them, instead of just scrolling down, 2) I had to click on the podcast descriptions to see if I’d heard them already (I have a terrible memory for podcast names and I’ve been busy so I didn’t know how long it had been since my last visit, and 3) I wanted to email you this privately but couldn’t find a way to do so. I guess I’m a Ludite but I preferred the simple reverse-chronological scroll of blog and podcast combined.
Love & hugs!
Sharon

6 Jocele November 21, 2008 at 5:21 am

Hi. Jocele here from the cruise…Gosh, now I feel bad that I told you on the cruise that gall bladder surgery is no big deal. Glad you’re feeling better though. Love the new look. I need to send you pictures of the Turkish guy that was talking about spinning. Hope the rest of your recovery goes better.

7 Joan November 21, 2008 at 5:47 am

oh you poor thing! Glad you’re finally back home and (I hope! relatively) pain free!
Good thoughts for health and happiness going out to you!
Joan in Ellicott City, “Merlin” USA

8 Renee Rico November 21, 2008 at 6:31 am

Just checked the blog to see what’s been up. Take care, and we’ll get the full story, I’m sure, when you’re able to podcast.

9 gale (she shoots sheep shots) November 23, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Oh no! wishing you a speedy recovery with no more hospital returns.
(# of years since my gallbladder was dramatically removed- 15
how clearly I remember the specific kind of pain- VERY ! )

10 Joan November 25, 2008 at 3:20 am

OK, I know I’m being a pest, since this is my third comment in an hour (no, I am NOT stalking you, LOL). But I gotta say, kudos to the National Health.
Do you think the usa will EVER get THAT one right?
sigh….

11 Darcie November 30, 2008 at 9:13 pm

You poor thing! That does not sound like fun. But your post about the experience was great fun to read.

12 penny December 3, 2008 at 8:14 pm

a belated wish for complete and speedy recovery and good health!

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