A room with a view; some more of my stay at Mater 'Mirage...

On Day 2 of my stay, Mary Anne the Director of Nursing on Floor 10, came to visit me. She gave me the news that I would be leaving my room with the curtain walls, and going into a private room. So DH and one of the nurses gathered up my possessions and an orderly pushed my bed along the corridor to my new 'home away from home'. I had a much bigger space, easy chairs, my own ensuite and a view!

On Day 3, I felt a lot lot better and took some photos. I had discovered that the blinds are in the double glazing and could not be raised, just the slats angled, so the photos have these lines across...

Looking South East

Other buildings in the Mater Complex

I was fascinated by the lovely buildings in Stanley Street, over the road from the hospital

One of the big carparks...and a glimpse of a white church steeple in the distance

Bit of zoom here to get the lovely workers cottages and at least one big Queenslander (house) with a backdrop of the Princess Alexandra Hospital...

Bit closer to some of those quaint old homes

 Part of my work with the physios was mainly with being able to keep my lungs healthy...

 A young Canadian student physio called Brian, looked after me. He gave me this gadget which I had to use once an hour. It made me laugh a bit! I've got to be quite proficient 'blowing into the bag' for the random breath tests the local police conduct at all times of the day...

 But with this gadget required me to suck in air like a straw and get the balls to rise to the top...Brian said I only had to get the orange balls moving upwards but with sheer determination I also got that black one up to the top a few times too! :-)  Brian also showed me how to get out of bed without damaging the 'repairs', how to handle coughs and sneezes and supervised walking up and down stairs, as well as some other exercises which were similar to those that you do on long flights. 

It wasn't all work...I had time for a little sit down with my crocheting...

This is another view of my room...on the right is the monitor/TV screen which could be swivelled around into a amazing number of positions. Where it is in the photo is from when I was checking emails etc as it was a whole entertainment package with internet, Free to air TV, Foxtel, Radio, Music, etc

 This photo was taken later in the day; take note of the brick building in the centre of the photo...in particular the roof...

Here's a closer look...it's actually the helicopter pad. None landed during my stay...

Now Mater Private has taken a different approach to feeding the patients...

You selected what you wanted from the menu and then rang Room Service... my breakfasts of poached eggs on toast were delicious... my lunch time steak sandwich was yummy, as was my baked salmon and steamed vegies for dinner. I also had fruit bowls for dessert. But my Asian Stir Fry for Thursday's dinner was extremely ordinary. You waited 45 minutes for each order.

The downside of this system as far as I am concerned is that water, tea and coffee have to be ordered up and take 45 minutes. I missed the old tea trolley coming mid morning and afternoon and supper time. I hesitated to order  just a cuppa and cheese and biscuits, and I didn't. If I get a chance to fill out a survey I'll suggest that filtered water be available in the wards and also tea and coffee making facilities. (the water in the tap of the bathroom basin was perfectly okay as I had to resort to using it when I hadn't ordered enough bottles)
I took a photo of this section of the menu because this is all Dr Cheung would allow me at the end of  Day 1. I chose the consomme...bad choice! It was yucky!! lol

That's enough about food...now a photo of sartorial elegance! After I became ambulatory, my 'cricket pads' were removed, just leaving the traditional compression socks. My DD2 and brother 'cacked up' at the sight of me in these which I think was unnecessarily cruel of them. lol (the alternative is unthinkable; my late mother's lifestyle change so much because of a pulmonary embolism after an operation)
DH is now in charge of getting these stockings back on after my showers.

On Friday I was discharged in the morning rather than the expected late afternoon as my doctor was pleased with my progress.

While I waited for DH to bring the car to the front entrance, I looked around the front reception area; looking up I saw this beautiful stained glass skylight...

Another view of the lobby

Some art work in the reception lobby area...

It was amazing how tired I got in the drive home, but friends had warned me this would be the case. Any way I'm enjoying being home and DH has stepped up well taking over domestic matters. I lounge on the sofa, have a nanna nap on the bed, sit on the deck and enjoy the breezes, I walk around the house doing the exercise suggested for this first week home. I also enjoy being called to the table where my cooked meal is waiting for me! Yesterday afternoon, I started casting on stitches for a new chevron throw...I'm slower than normal but today I managed to set the pattern on row 2 so the brain 'fog' is starting to clear. Stay tuned....

My stay at the 'Mater Mirage'...

Well a friend told me before I went to hospital that the Mater Private Hospital is nicknamed Mater Mirage after the resort chain here in Australia. I had a very comfortable stay but I think the real Mirage resorts might be a bit miffed by the comparison! lol
This is the hospital reception at 5.50 in the morning. The reception desk doesn't open until 6...

 At 6 am all the patients waiting, made a line and as each of us got to the front of the line, gave our name, we were given some sheets to fill out. Sitting down, filling in the pages, I couldn't stop myself from commenting rather loudly, ' I've filled these same forms out once already and posted them to the hospital and have also given the answers over the phone to the admissions' nurse, twice. I reckon they have given them to us once again to keep us quiet and focussed'...the woman next to me agreed that was probably the plan! lol

Then my name was called and DH and I, plus another couple were taken up to the Welcome Lounge. Here there were comfy chairs, 2 computer stations and a TV viewing area...

A couple of patients were watching one of the morning shows...

I sat on the sofa and contemplated what was ahead of me...

It wasn't very long before my reverie was interrupted by my name being called. DH and I went for my interview with the nurse, then a consultation with my charming Irish (from Dublin) anesthetist, Janne. Then it was time for DH to go, and the staff prepared me for theatre. I changed into my theatre garb; paper pants, paper hat and shoes and a quite nice hospital gown made of pretty patterned fabric. I was wheeled into theatre, chatted with the theatre staff and then, the next thing I remember, I was back in Recovery.  
I had no idea of time but there was a clock in Recovery that showed the time was after 12 noon. So not long after that I was transferred to my private room...DH arrived very soon after that.
Egads! The walls of my private room were made of fabric???  Yep! The hospital was short on single rooms so I was sharing with 3 other ladies. Two of the other ladies were so ill from the anesthetic, I counted myself lucky that I was so well...

Later in the day, I asked DH to get out my bag of crocheting and I did a few rounds...

Some lovely flowers arrived which brightened up 'my room'...they were from my SiL and BiL who were away holidaying...so lovely!

I asked DH to take a photo of my legs. As well as the white compression stockings, each leg was encased in these. The nurses who put them on me before the op, joked that they were just like cricketer pads! They were connected to a little compressor under the bed and the air sacs would fill with air and then relax; one leg after another, all through the op and into the next day. The physio told me later that they were giving the same effect as if I was walking around instead of being confined to bed for 24 hours. The goal being to prevent blood clots etc.

 Bed lowered now to help drift off to sleep...

More of my Mater adventures next time...

A little 'trip away'...

On Tuesday I'm heading off to the hopefully, salubrious Mater Private ‘Hotel’ (a.k.a. Mater Private Hospital) over at Sth Brisbane. I'll be checking in quite early at 6.15am. But I won't be able to settle into  my tastefully appointed room until later in the day. All meals will be provided during my stay but there will be no eating for a number of hours. I believe, that also included in my package, there is a fully escorted tour of one of the theatres there in the complex.  I also believe that on that tour, I will really be in the spotlight; lucky me being the centre of attention like that. 

Well it looks like a hotel from the front...

Using sewing terms, this is what I can expect on the first day of my stay. Part of me has gone quite out of shape and will be unpicked and discarded. Now some other parts of me have drooped just like a badly hemmed circular skirt and these will be stitched back into place or, as the doctor describes it, ‘A repair’.  The wife of a friend of mine had a similar procedure which he described as an 'engine rebuild'...but I think it's more like a 'chassis rebuild'! lol

So my new nighties have been washed, dried and folded ready for packing. 

My mother always had a few new nighties/pjs put away in case of being suddenly admitted to hospital. Am I the only one who wears faded old favourites at home and has nothing put away in case of an emergency! lol

My bathrobe has been washed and some new slippers have been purchased.The admission forms for the Mater have been filled out and returned, the mandatory chest X-ray has been done, the quote from the anaesthetist has been received and  the doctor has been paid.
DD2, her friend Nicky ( friend since Year 1 and someone I taught when I was a Supply teacher) and Jimmy have been to visit and brought me some lovely flowers.

With the wonders of technology, I will organise some scheduled posts for while I'm recovering. There will also be some re-runs, Encore or 'Vintage' Next Stage posts that I think you might like.

( I'm not having cosmetic surgery; my '3 ops in one' is a hysterectomy and anterior and posterior repair. Sounds 'ouchy' but my doc assures we it will be 'a breeze' )