I had my surgery exactly four months ago today. I am fine and healing well.
My wife went in today to have her Gallbladder removed. She sent me a picture message before she went to the theatre - two gowns, sitting on the trolley etc.
The moment I saw the picture it all came flooding back - the fear, how cold I felt, the dread of not knowing the outcome and flashes back to waking up in ICU.
Horrible.
Written by
Tubbylardo
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Hi sorry to read your post about your wife I send her very best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I am 4 years on from my op and occasionally I get flashbacks, being in ICU and just before I went into theatre the anaesthetist smilie face saying he was taking care of me as the one who I had met the day before had been on an emergency over night so was that ok, can remember nodding my head😊 I see that very smilie face in my flashbacks! Have no idea why.
These flashbacks as I said are just very occasionally now. So hopefully you will be the same and they will get less and less.
Really pleased to read your doing well with your recovery.
Flashbacks are quite normal, you've been through something traumatic, this is your mind trying to make sense of it. Talk to your family about it, dont try to submerge it. Try to sit quietly and do some relaxation exercises, remind yourself that you came through it and survived, your doing fine and healing well. It may help to see a counsellor for a couple of sessions, I've had this recently after life events got too much for me. It was immensely helpful and gave me mechanisms for managing my anxiety.
I had a Kidney Transplant, way back in July 2013, I can still Remember the experience... Some of it rather 'Unknow/ Scary' but, the Staff- and Doctors- were Wonderful. One night, a couple of days after the OP, the Urine Dranage Tube- it goes into a container- began to feel a 'Little Uncomfotable'- in my penis. I figured that it was Nothing To Worry About but, called a Nurse 'Just In Case'. Within a short time a Beautiful Blond Doctor, was examining me. 'No Problem' just the local Aneasthetic wearing off'. I thanked her, for comming so quickly, she smiled and said 'That's Ok'.
I hope that you are now OK Tubbylardo.... I just Love, that 'Name'....It Would suit Me too!
Hi, l completely understand how you can have flashbacks. l spent three days in hospital last weekend having an abscess removed from my foot due to a horsefly bite. that stay triggered memories of the three months l spent in the same hospital nearly four years ago. The only saving grace was the elderly woman on my ward who had dementia, she asked me the same question every five minutes "where am l?" probably fifty million times a day and often through the night, which took my mind off things and made me feel grateful for a normal working brain !!! Take care, Sue.
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