The Scary Room

[Barbara N]

In the hospital in Pamplona I had to spend a few years on and off and had some 24 operations there. I am not a very good patient because I am petrified of the needle. Strange after all I have been through, that is what scares me the most. anyway, in the hospital they have a room where the do changing of bandages, taking out of stitches, I don't know what you call this room in English, but I called it the Scary room. Pretty soon all of the staff started to call it the scary room and that is how it was know and everyone had a good laugh about it. One day I had two signs made, the kind you hang on a door, in English that said Scary Room, on my next visit I gave them to my doctor. They were a huge success but the doctor said he didn't dare to put one on that door just in case he had an English speaking patient because not all had my sense of humor, so he hung one in his office and I don't know where he put the other but we all had a good laugh. Also, Scary Room, is difficult for the Spanish to say. I think to this day it is still referred to as the scary room. In Spain you go to the operating room under your own steam, you don't get any kind of relaxant until you are down there. In some hospitals they treat you like a piece of meat and it is really frightening seeing all of the equipment and being hooked up to things and you are wide awake. Because I always needed the special anesthesia team, I usually had to wait a while and in Pamplona, where I had most of my operations, it was like going to a party, all of my doctors and nurses would be waiting there for me and everyone hugged me, all while we waited for a special team who knew how to put me out correctly, because I am very hard to put to sleep and don't respond like most people to morphine and other drugs when I wake up. The surgeon always help my hand while they put me under and when I woke up he said," so that is how much you love me, as soon as you were asleep you let go of my hand " so on my next surgery I snuck in under the sheet, a tube of super glue and said this time I wouldn't let go. Of course I couldn't use it because he needed his hands to operate but I guess what I am trying to say here is that I had some great teams of doctors, who took into consideration my particular fears and dealt with them very well plus the Spanish are a very affectionate race..

[mishb]

I think I just need to say it again......you have a fantastic sense of humour.

All that you have been through and are still going through and you still find time to laugh and play jokes.

.........your poor doctors

[Pete]

Cute story!!

[Barbara N]

They never met anyone like me.

[carriej22]

I have had some surgeries and I have earned some frequent flyer miles at the hospital here for sure.

I have been treated like a piece of meat. Nothing until gas in the surgery room - terrifying being wheeled into what feels like an old cold garage and seeing all the tools they are going to cut you open with. Yuck

[Barbara N]

It is too frightening and there is no need for it.

[drz]

I guess I have been fortunate in having four operations in past year and half at two different facilities and I felt well treated during the procedures and recovery. Only one time did I complain cause they were remodeling the facility and they had a room shortage so i had to share a pre-op room with another patient with only a curtain between us that time. Other wise I always had private areas for changing and pre op procedures and recovery and no scary experiences at hospitals. They always started my IV's well before the operation room which made every very relaxed. One surgeon was confused as to what side of my head they were going to install the BAHA but when I told him what I thought, he checked and then marked the area in big red marker for the surgery so it went well. I was glad he asked and check with me but think the many assistants would have caught it anyway.

[carriej22]

Oh wow, here pre-op and post op is all curtains. It's like a huge ward, nasty nasty. Don't even have a sink or a bathroom in the little "stalls". Just enough room for a bed and a chair.

I had my gallbladder removed and they had "no beds" so I was sent home only 1 hour after surgery (still bleeding through all my bandages) and they didn't tell me anything. Was supposed to only have three incisions and woke up with 5 much larger incisions than I anticipated. Hit every bump on the way home is all I remember.

My husband (who is queasy) had to nurse me and he almost threw up when he had to change my bandages the next day. I was still high as a kite and didn't have a clue! Poor Eric was like "THERE IS STAPLES IN YOUR SKIN!" and I could do was giggle and be amused by his reaction. However I am certain it was terrifying for him. Poor Eric, lol.

Never seen a doctor after any surgery either.. Just a nurse afterward. As soon as you are 'awake' you are fit to go I guess.

[Barbara N]

Oh wow, here pre-op and post op is all curtains. It's like a huge ward, nasty nasty. Don't even have a sink or a bathroom in the little "stalls". Just enough room for a bed and a chair.

I had my gallbladder removed and they had "no beds" so I was sent home only 1 hour after surgery (still bleeding through all my bandages) and they didn't tell me anything. Was supposed to only have three incisions and woke up with 5 much larger incisions than I anticipated. Hit every bump on the way home is all I remember.

My husband (who is queasy) had to nurse me and he almost threw up when he had to change my bandages the next day. I was still high as a kite and didn't have a clue! Poor Eric was like "THERE IS STAPLES IN YOUR SKIN!" and I could do was giggle and be amused by his reaction. However I am certain it was terrifying for him. Poor Eric, lol.

Never seen a doctor after any surgery either.. Just a nurse afterward. As soon as you are 'awake' you are fit to go I guess.

I am sure most of my treatment was a lot better than that. It is just here in the small rural area that live where things are so backwards. My treatment here in Spain has been great however very different than in the States. My husband had to see a lot but my daughter or myself did the bandage changing, he just couldn't cope. My son was doing my eyes until he left for the States now my husband gets out all of the lashes the grow under my eyelid, horrible procedure but necessary, he is better than most doctors. I will have to write the story of when they put my forehead over to make my new nose. I looked like elephant man and they never told me.When I saw my poor husbands face I knew something was really wrong and I sent him home.

[Barbara N]

Sounds like kind thoughtful people and that is what you need when you go to surgery, no need to be scared and in pain. I was lucky to have been born with super thick hair because now that I am missing half of my head and have an implant, there is no hair on that side but I just part it on the side and put it in a pony tail and nobody notices.