Frankenstein's Monster
Well, it's all over, and I probably didn't need to worry much about it at all. I think it's just the whole fiddling with my brain concept that I was worried about. Ironically, the three weeks radiation that I start next week is more risky, but because I've had radiation twice before, and the effects will be slower, I'm not as concerned. How strange.
So Dad and I arrived at the Wesley by seven, to find that the cafe wasn't going to open until 7.30. No coffee for Jessie. No preliminaries, the neurosurgeon, radonc and two nurses march me into a CT room, sit me in a wheelchair, tell my father to leave the room and launch straight into things. Four people all doing things to the top of my head just outside of my sphere of vision, and none of the things were pleasant. Basically, pumped me full of local anaesthetic, which is unpleasant in itself - you are not meant to inject into the head. It feels wrong, not to mention stings and burns like buggery. They then drilled four holes into my head (up against my skull, so through the skin but not through the bone), put in screws, screwed them in tightly and put this thing in.
Doesn't look or sound pleasant? It wasn't. But at least it was all over quickly. They then took me into a CT machine and bolted the contraption onto the bed. I was actually very worried about this bit, since most positions involving my neck tend to make it ache quite a bit. (Even kissing a man taller than me, although I tend to put up with that pain a little better.) Anyway, off topic - the suspended in mid-air by weird frame screwed into head was not as bad as I'd feared. And again, it only lasted ten minutes or so. They took a full set of scans of my head and then went off to develop the actual treatment plan.
The worst bit of the whole day was sitting around for seven hours with the contraption on. In a small room. Unable to lean my head against anything and thus rest my neck. But if the worst bit of an operation is the waiting, you are doing mighty fine.
Eventually, at about three, they took me back into a room with machinery and bolted me back onto the table. The actual treatment was just like a radiation treatment - think x-ray machine that moves around you while you lie on a table - and took about half an hour. So completely non-invasive and pretty unthreatening. Although I confess I kept opening my eyes to make sure I could still see. Mild paranoia.
Afterwards they took the gizmo off again - which hurt nearly as much as putting it on. Releasing that pressure to the skull feels exactly like increasing pressure to the skull. But again, if that was the worst that it got, I am doing very well!
I even got a Brave Wounded Soldier Bandage to make sure people gave me love and sympathy (well, for 24 hours, I'm not walking around with that on my head!)
I went home completely fine, feeling good, bit of a headache perhaps, but even managed to go out for hot chocolate with Amy.
So actually feeling a bit of a fraud - it was hardly an operation and I feel a bit guilty at the fact that everyone called to wish me well and then called to find out how it went! It went very well, I feel completely normal :)
Radiation starts on Wednesday... more to follow!
So Dad and I arrived at the Wesley by seven, to find that the cafe wasn't going to open until 7.30. No coffee for Jessie. No preliminaries, the neurosurgeon, radonc and two nurses march me into a CT room, sit me in a wheelchair, tell my father to leave the room and launch straight into things. Four people all doing things to the top of my head just outside of my sphere of vision, and none of the things were pleasant. Basically, pumped me full of local anaesthetic, which is unpleasant in itself - you are not meant to inject into the head. It feels wrong, not to mention stings and burns like buggery. They then drilled four holes into my head (up against my skull, so through the skin but not through the bone), put in screws, screwed them in tightly and put this thing in.
Doesn't look or sound pleasant? It wasn't. But at least it was all over quickly. They then took me into a CT machine and bolted the contraption onto the bed. I was actually very worried about this bit, since most positions involving my neck tend to make it ache quite a bit. (Even kissing a man taller than me, although I tend to put up with that pain a little better.) Anyway, off topic - the suspended in mid-air by weird frame screwed into head was not as bad as I'd feared. And again, it only lasted ten minutes or so. They took a full set of scans of my head and then went off to develop the actual treatment plan.
The worst bit of the whole day was sitting around for seven hours with the contraption on. In a small room. Unable to lean my head against anything and thus rest my neck. But if the worst bit of an operation is the waiting, you are doing mighty fine.
Eventually, at about three, they took me back into a room with machinery and bolted me back onto the table. The actual treatment was just like a radiation treatment - think x-ray machine that moves around you while you lie on a table - and took about half an hour. So completely non-invasive and pretty unthreatening. Although I confess I kept opening my eyes to make sure I could still see. Mild paranoia.
Afterwards they took the gizmo off again - which hurt nearly as much as putting it on. Releasing that pressure to the skull feels exactly like increasing pressure to the skull. But again, if that was the worst that it got, I am doing very well!
I even got a Brave Wounded Soldier Bandage to make sure people gave me love and sympathy (well, for 24 hours, I'm not walking around with that on my head!)
I went home completely fine, feeling good, bit of a headache perhaps, but even managed to go out for hot chocolate with Amy.
So actually feeling a bit of a fraud - it was hardly an operation and I feel a bit guilty at the fact that everyone called to wish me well and then called to find out how it went! It went very well, I feel completely normal :)
Radiation starts on Wednesday... more to follow!
posted by Jessie at 6:53 pm
1 Comments:
Dear Jess
You're anything but a fraud - I am continually amazed at how you approach things - that would seriously scare the living daylights out of most of us - with such calm. I can only say that you are truly an inspiration to me. I hope that the rest of the radiotherapy goes well for you. And I have to make a comment about the "If a green frog can be king then why not the princess......" piece in the SMH. It was classic Jess - very funny with a very relevant message. Why can't she be queen? I must admit that I haven't seen S2 but your comments make it sound like something that little girls shouldn't see. I vote that your piece should be sent to the makers of Shrek - how dare they go back to the dark ages and not recognise female succession? Anyway, be good (or not as you see fitting).
Gill xxxx
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