Microdiscectomy - The Operation

I had a herniated L5S1 disc pressing on my sciatic nerve. It was operated on at Addenbrookes Hospital on 9th March 2013. These blogs will trace my recovery. For background info read my previous post.

"This is Addenbrookes Hospital, don't panic".

I had already started panicking. I was terrified that this was another postponement.

"We'd like you to come in tonight so that we can be ready to operate first thing tomorrow."

Relief washed over me. Of course I would go in.

I hastily assembled my belongings. Too hastily as I forgot to pack a towel. My dressing gown was in the washing machine, so I wasn't going to be able to take that.

After a last supper of pizza, Jen and I hopped in the car, and via Tescos in St Neots (to buy a towel and a new dressing gown) we headed to Addenbrookes.

Arriving at the hospital we got a little lost whilst trying to find ward A5. When we did get there I was shown to my bed. We said our farewells and I was left to my first night spent in a hospital.

The ward was very warm. Uncomfortably so. There were 6 of us in the ward and on that first night I didn't really talk to any of them. It was 10pm so people were settling down for the night.

I couldn't sleep. The heat, the lights being on, the worry about the op. I don't know why but I couldn't sleep. I had my blood pressure (BP) taken. 1am came and went. 2am, 3am. I must have fallen asleep shortly afterwards because at 3.20 I was woken by a nurse telling me that she needed to take some blood from me. The blood they had taken at my pre op was too old to give the haemoglobin count (amongst other things) that they needed for the op. So I was bled again, and swabbed for MRSA again. By the time she was finished with me it was around 3.45 am.

I fell to sleep quickly afterwards, only to be woken at 5 for another BP test. More snoozing and then I was woken at 7 as the nursing shifts changed.

"Have a shower at 8 and change into your gown. You are first on the list so you are going to theatre at 9".

It was really happening. 8 o'clock came and I showered. Emerging from the shower I was greeted by the anaesthetist. She asked me a few questions and checked I'd not eaten or drunk anything since midnight. She was a lovely woman. Very reassuring and exuding competence as she told me how I would be knocked out.

I returned to my bed and changed into my gown. Becky the ward sister helped tie the gown, and before I knew it I was being wheeled down to theatre earlier than scheduled. The anaesthetist was waiting for me once more. In went the cannula with barely a prick. We were talking and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery area.

My op had been done. The nice anaesthetist and my consultant surgeon were with me.

"Everything went according to plan. The disc was worse than we expected from the scan but I was able to fix it. How are you feeling?"

Good question. I felt sore but the pain was bearable.

I was wheeled back to the ward. I felt alert. I felt good. I watched some football on the tv. I was able to get up and walk to the toilet. My back felt sore and stiff but I was able to walk without problems. Best of all the numbness in my foot was gone.

It was meal time on the ward. The food was delicious. No hint of nausea. I seemed to be dealing with this rather well. I changed into some clothes and lay back on the bed to watch tv.

I lost count of the amount of times my BP was measured during the course of the afternoon. It became clear from conversations with Becky that she thought I would be able to go home that night. I wasn't going to argue. Sleeping in my own bed. Uninterrupted. Bliss.

I spoke more with the other guys on the ward. It wasn't exactly like in Only When I Laugh but it was cordial. They were a nice bunch.

Becky assembled my discharge paperwork and gave me some painkillers. My surgeon popped by and we had a very positive chat about what I could and couldn't do during the healing process. No washing the dishes for a month :)  He was happy with his work and my rapid recovery. By 7pm I was leaving the ward and heading home.

So at the end of day 1:

• The unmedicated pain is 4 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most painful). You can cope with it, but it's preferable to pop a pill anyway
• I am able to walk without causing additional pain
• I am regaining some sensation in areas that were numb. 
• The staff were wonderful. Caring and attentive. So helpful