Relax. Watch TV, read a book or magazine, chat to visitors. Basically, keep yourself distracted. If you have the opportunity to wake up for an early breakfast before fasting, take it. Fasting + awake = GAHHHHH.
Watch out for the prep wash stuff they give you. Strips (artificial) colour out of hair. But you may not be required to wash your hair with it anyway – check with nursing staff. I had blue hair at the time. It went very pale. Dammit.
If you’re offered a painkiller or sleeping tablet a while before going down for surgery, take it. I’m not a big fan of painkillers and sleeping tablets and the like, OK? But now’s not the time to avoid the stuff. There’s going to be so much floating around in your bloodstream soon that a couple more doses won’t make a bit of difference. And I’d prefer to not be wide awake for the insertion of HUGE canula and other assorted joys, thanks. See, I was awake for those, thanks to an anaesthetist not being available to see me until a few minutes before surgery. So I got the pre-op meds just before surgery. Great, thanks, huge help that was! 
Subscribe by email
29 December 2008 at 3:04 am
I had aortic valve replacement surgery 12 years ago, and was doing fairly well until middle of this year.
The valve is still grand, just the rest of the ventricle slowly packing up!!
How went the rest of your experience?
dave
2 June 2009 at 10:43 am
Geez Naomi, that’s serious! Are yo talking about yourself here? I didn’t know you meant something like that when you mentioned health.
Mark