Jacquelynn Luben's disorganised days, writing fiction and non-fiction, learning the publishing trade, cooking, gazing out at the garden - and doing a bit of office work too.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The unkindest cut?
Now that I'm back home, gradually recovering, I thought I would give details of my operation. Please don't read any further if this is of no interest to you.
My Hysterectomy Diary
2nd June 2010
Arrived at the hospital at midday.Once I am shown into the room, no-one comes back.So Michael goes home, leaving me to await instructions.We only put 70p in the parking meter (half an hour), so Michael has to go.Whilst I don’t really want him to hover around, I would like a nurse to appear and tell me what I am supposed to be doing.For the first time this year it is warm and I am not dressed for it.Yesterday, we had the heating on at home and today my short sleeved jumper is too warm.
I am in a private room at a private hospital, but I don’t know which cupboards are for my use and which for the nurses.I am despondent to find I cannot get ITV3 on the TV, so no Morse to watch.
My overriding feeling is that I am entering hospital relatively fit and I shall be transformed into someone who is weak and unfit.
I’m in a bit of a limbo – waiting for something to happen.
2.30 p.m. I have seen the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the nurse in charge of me.I am hungry now (having fasted since 7.30 a.m.) and the operation won’t take place for another hour.I am going to have an injection in the spine for pain relief.After that I shall be pretty woozy.They will check blood pressure every half hour, including through the night.
Like all women, apparently, I'm multi-skilled and have a dual identity. As the little woman at home, I run my husband's business in an extraordinarily efficient way, typing, bookkeeping, dealing with telephone calls and chasing non-paying customers. But my other identity is far more interesting, as I've been writing for the past twenty five years at least, and have published four books - all very different. My fourth book, Tainted Tree, was published in May 2008, having won second prize at the 2007 Winchester Writers' Conference. My other books comprise a self help book dealing with cot death (no longer in print); an autobiographical slice of life, (The Fruit of the Tree) which also describes this event and other more lighthearted happenings in my life; a novella, A Bottle of Plonk, which bears no relationship to my life. This was also published in America by Virtual Tales, with the name, Have Wine Will Travel and is available from some sellers. I also have some short stories available on-line, some published by Untreed Reads (www.untreedreads.com).
My writing work is set out more formally on my web pages, which you can access at: http://freespace.virgin.net/jackie.luben
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