26 July 2010

Geek gets surgery

A few days ago, I underwent my first surgery ever. The surgery itself wasn't as much of a big deal as the experience - I have wondered how it felt like since my childhood, when my little brother underwent one and I didn't. My curiosity finally got satisfied.

Wednesday, July 14th

I arrive at the hospital at noon. Waiting, paperwork, waiting, questions, waiting. Boring. They tell me not to eat to be ready the next day at 7h45 - I set my alarm clock to 7h30. I take a nap, then answer some e-mails, then go to bead early. Sleeping is something I'm actually really good at.

Thursday, July 15th

They wake me up at six and tell me to get ready now. I do. Then boredom comes back and I get back to sleep. (I guess there should be a part when I'm worried, but I'm really better at sleeping.) They wake me up just before eight. "Come on, it's time to go. (...) Okay, now the door on the right. No, on the right! But I can see you're smiling - that's the spirit!" When they lie me on the table, that's when I start to get nervous, but not for long: within a few minutes, I am asleep again.

I wake up to a doctor calling my name. Phew, I made it! Something is hurting me in the head. It must be the hair elastic I'm lying on. The algorithm to solve that problem is simple: lift head, move elastic, lay head back down. Ouch - lifting my head hurts. Oh yeah, they had to cut through my neck so now I can't really move it. I mange to pull the elastic away. Now what? Let's get back to sleep.

I wake up quite a few times that day and it's not pleasant. I miss Marcin, take a look at the clock and count the hours down to his visit on the following day. I want to drink - they give me a 9 ml bottle. I want to go to the bathroom. I want to cough. I want to lie on my side. I want to see Marcin. None of these are possible, but the deprivations are really bearable, as within a few minutes I am asleep again. I pass those minutes by observing all the IO interfaces I am connected to.

Friday, July 16th

I am back in my room at the hospital and am encouraged to start moving. I get to the promised land of the bathroom. I enjoy my position: no work obligations, no school ones, no social ones. I don't have to do anything. I can sleep all I want - and hell, I do! Visitors brighten my day, but I can't stay awake for the whole four hours when visits are allowed. As soon as they leave, I am asleep again.

Saturday, July 17th

Time to go! My stitches and all my IO interfaces get removed. I go to my Mom's for the week-end and spend most of the time - you guessed it - asleep.

Later on

I get two weeks of sick leave from work. So cool. So much time to sit at the computer, and, of course, so much time to sleep.

[Picture credit]