step 08: some questions to ask

Questions I asked:
Q: what was he going to remove?
A: womb / ovaries / tubes / cervix – IF the ALF has grown into the bowel, some bowel. how much would depend on the severity of the growth. IF he didn’t like the look of my lymph nodes, those too. I told him to remove anything at all he didn’t like the look of. Personally, I would rather have it removed right now, than dither around and have to go back for more opening and closing.

Q: where was the wound going to start and finish?
A: either beneath my belly button down to my pubic bone, or [if ge needed to look further up] from my breastbone down

Q: which pain medication is most successful?
A: Renninson recommended an epidural, as he said it helps you heal quicker. More about that later. There are two forms, the epidural morphine or the ‘self administered’ morphine. Unfortunately the self administered morphine has a lock on it. So unfortunate! Imagine the fun one could have!

Q: would he sew the wound or staple it?
A: he said he’d do whichever would hold me together best [oh really? no!]. I asked him to please TRY not to staple me. I am not a bloody book, and don’t fancy looking like one.

Q: what would I wake up attached to?
A: An IV drip for hydration, a catheter, the epidural in my back. Then the ‘maybe’s’ were; a drain from my stomach, depending on how much blood I lost, a temporary colostomy bag if they had to remove/repair a lot of bowel, a tube in my nose for the same reason.