post -op

Just had a fibroid embolisation procedure and thought if anyone is considering it they should know. The procedure itself is not painful - it is the time immediately after when you have what feels like the worst period pain ever and, in my case, non-stop vomiting. It was not a good overnight stay therefore in hospital. However, am home now, on very strong painkillers and waiting for things to improve which I am reliably informed should be within the next week to ten days.

I have to say my consultant was excellent - he even came in the next day to see us both (there was another woman who was treated before me).  The whole thing was a bit surreal - the only thing I remember about the procedure was the conversations I had before hand and being moved by ambulance to the day ward in the next-door hospital afterwards. The ambulance men were very cheery and wanted to joke with me but I was too heavily sedated to take part. I remember it was sunny and bright, the speed bumps that they kept warning me were coming up and then being wheeled into my overnight ward. After that, things started to resurface and it is not something I would ever like to go through again. Having different night nurses coming in to measure your blood pressure every half hour (they leave you alone between 12 and 4) is not conducive for good nights sleep but as I was sick anyhow and in terrible pain that wasn't possible anyway. My morphine PCA (little plunger that you use to self-administer the dose) didn't seem to work properly and was making me sicker so I gave up in the end.

The NHS does what it does fairly well, that is, 'process' you through the system efficiently. What is misses is the personal care. I had to explain to every single nurse I saw (must have been about 10 different ones) what I had already explained to the previous ones. Some, clearly saw me as a nusisance.

When it came time to release me the next morning they didn't hang about. I got the feeling they needed the room as a lot of tidying up was going on round me and even though my lift was not til later I had to carry my own bags down and wait outside. Felt like being ejected from a not-so-nice hotel! And, I had worried they might want to keep me in a little longer as I'd been so unwell overnight. No chance of that.

On the plus side here I am up and about (albeit dosed up to the eyeballs) after just over a day which , had I have gone for hysterectomy would have been impossible. I should be back at work in 10 days apparently. So, a mixed experience, but overall can't complain.