Sayonara Sciatica!

Friday 8 August

The big day finally dawned - soggy and grey, the perfect weather to be inside all day!

We packed an overnight bag for Louis, checked his pre-op briefing, gave him a few sips of water and hoped the two beers that he’d had at White+Wongs would not affect the “no alcohol for 24 hours ahead of anaesthetic” warning in the notes!!

Left Quay West shortly before 10.45 for an 11.30 check in. I dropped Louis off at Admission’s and got the best free park - right outside the expensive hospital carpark!

He was checked in and given a sexy gown with paper knickers and DVT socks then advised that things were running a bit late - turned out the anaesthetist’s son had caught covid so they’d had to pull in emergency cover.

So poor starving Louis had two hours extra to wait in the end. He was taken down to theatre at 1pm and finally the operation for a spinal decompression started at 3pm. Meanwhile I was at a loose end so visited a few old favourite op shops, pottered to the mall and generally kept busy for a 2-3 hours.

I came back too early, being unaware of the extent of the delay, and he was still in theatre… but as I left again to find something else to entertain myself, Dean, the surgeon (and one of Louis good mates as he has recorded at Ellamy Studios) called to say all had gone well and Louis was in PACU and would be on the ward in about 90mins. So I popped over to see Amy who was coaching her friend India for her CAD.

Back to the hospital at 6.30pm and Louis was there in all his groggy glory and a wonky hospital gown! It was so good to see him and know that the surgery was all behind him (literally as well as figuratively) and the only pain he seemed to be in was from the operation rather than sciatica - yay! 🎉

Stayed with him, my "sad turtle" as Amy described him, until way after visiting hours then home to the apartment - for my emotional decompression and far too many hours of jigsaw puzzling! What a day!