January 27 - Day Zero - Operation Day

My times were changed, made a little bit later, because of complications with the operation before me. This made me a little bit nervous, but I was committed.

The operation theater is quite different here than in Canada. It is not in or attached to a hospital, but is in a non nondescript office building. The office building is more or less all medical related, but the buildings location is in no particular place.

We spent a good half hour waiting before signing forms and then at least one, maybe two hours before going into the prep area. Once prepped, with IV and heart monitor, it was probably another hour wait. I was on a wheel-able bed so I did my best to sleep. Irene waited patiently with me.

When they finally wheeled me into the operating theater things proceeded very fast.  Although I was only viewing things from an inclined position the operating theater looked very well equipped, modern and new.. I counted five people in the OR so it was well staffed. I felt I was in good and competent hands.

They say they will make an incision in your groin area, but it is actually a little higher and further out. You know that crease where your leg an torso meet? Well, they made my incision about an inch ~ inch and a half up that crease away from my groin.
They shaved and sterilized a large path in the upper right area of my groin, right leg. The Dr. made a small incision and inserted the catheter and 'wire'. Surprisingly they kept me awake for the procedure.

In less than a minute I heard some slight bubbling coming from  my left neck, then this intense pain as they inflated the angioplasty. Susan, the nurse looking after my IV, gave me a quick blast of pain killer, thank God. Then, less than a minute later, they were in the right side of my neck. They must have inflated the angioplasty more on this side since the pain was greater and about three ~ five seconds long.

Then a few seconds later Dr Grewal asked me to take a deep breath and hold it. I did and there was this quick pain in my chest. There was a pause, Dr. Grewal asked me to take another big breath and hold it. I did and there was another quick pain in   my chest.

Seconds later Dr Grewal said 'OK Roy, we are done'. I couldn't resist so I said 'Doc, will I be able to play the piano after the operation?'

She laughed and said 'well, I guess that depends on whether you could play the piano before or not.'

A nurse put pressure on the incision's dressing for about ten minutes before I was wheeled out into post OP where I stayed on the gurney for another hour before being helped dressed and sent back to the hotel.

When we got back to the hotel I went right to bed, lying on my back with a low pillow, trying not to move my neck. Staying in bed just on your back for 12 hours is not an easy thing to do, but i did it. I stayed in bed until the next day.