Day 2 - Scarleg

I saw my scar today when the nurse removed my bandages. I couldn't believe how neat it all was and that I had staples in my wounds. Looks like the doc borrowed the fat stapler from our admin department!

I spent the morning chatting to the guys in the ward, they were a good bunch. They were all 50+ and had some serious illnesses but they seemed to be getting over them and going home soon.

The Physio came to take me through some drills. He was a good guy and we knew each other from somewhere, just couldn't figure out where. I stretched and strained and learnt how to use the crutches. I walked up and down some stairs. I'd never used crutches properly before, only when nobbing around with someone's from school. There's actually some skill to it and over the next few days I realise what I had been doing wrong. More on that later.

After the physio had gone I ventured to the loo on my own. I got there and back no problem and then I sat down. The strangest thing happened next; my hearing and eyesight started to collapse, then my thoughts collided with each other. The next thing I remember was watching a film that I hadn't seen before, where all the actresses were babbling incomprehensibly at some guy who was in a gutter. I felt very awkward about what I was watching but was desperate to understand the plot. After struggling with this for a short while, it started to become clear to me... I was slumped in my chair, with an oxygen mask on my face, with 2 nurses asking  whether I could see them. The only time I have felt equally disorientated was in coming round from Dental surgery when I was a child. When I came round enough I was put into bed and my 'obs' taken. My BP was 60/40, which is apparently extremely low. A PB for the nurse that took it apparently! The strongest feeling I have from this episode was the taste. Even now (writing this 1 week later), when I walk around for too long or stop still long enough for my legs to really throb, I can taste the same taste getting stronger in my mouth that I had before I passed out. So, when this happens, I hit the deck ASAP, so I don't wipeout like before - natures way of protecting me perhaps - vclever.

Mr B from across the ward came over to see me, he is a Red (Liverpool fan) so he gave me some grief for showing off with my crutches. It was good to get back to normal so quickly. A cuppa and some lunch sorted me out and soon after that I was discharged.