Derek's first ever surgery

With so many things happening recently, I don’t even have time to stop and think.

After the hectic weekend to Banting and Ipoh last weekend, I was back at work on Wednesday.

Thankfully, work has somewhat slowed down towards the end of the year. As such, I decided to do something about a persistent problem that I have, an inguinal hernia.

Time for some medical lessons, boys and girls.

Inguinial hernia: protrusions of abdominal cavity contents through an area of the abdominal wall, commonly referred to as the groin, and known in anatomic language as the inguinal area or the myopectineal orifice.

They are very common and their repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations. They usually arise as a consequence of the descent of the testis from the abdomen into the scrotum during early fetal life, and are therefore far more commonly seen in men than women. They present as painless bulges in the groin area that can become more prominent when coughing, straining, or standing up.

The most recent one happened when I was in Singapore. I was shopping at Orchard Road and the hernia occured. Which was why I had to take a cab home to lie down.

Anyway, I went to the family doctor on Thursday and he wrote a letter to a surgeon to perform the surgery.

There I was at the surgeon’s office on Friday afternoon. He took one look and he asked me to strip.

Now, I have never stripped completely even in front of my doctor before - I always have a piece of clothing on me.

There was also a female nurse in the room. Anyway I did strip. A little hesitantly at first.

Then I thought. What the heck? It’s not like I have not strip in front of a stranger before.

After he did all the necessary check-up and all, he asked when do I want the surgery done. The receptionist had told me that he will be on holiday starting next Wednesday.

I wanted Monday, because I have plans to attend YTL’s 50th anniversary celebration at KLPAC on Saturday. There was going to be a performance by Russell Watson and the Adelaide Philharmonic Orchestra.

On Sunday, I had made plans to watch the Queer Film Fest.

Thus naturally, I wanted Monday. There was only an afternoon slot left. He suggested the next day (Saturday) and to take whatever free slot that was available.

As such, without being psychologically prepared and informing all my friends of my surgery, I found myself admitted in the hospital at ten in the morning the next day.

The surgery was scheduled for half past four in the afternoon. Of course, I had to fast from the time of admission to surgery.

My family was with me for a while. They decided to come back later at about three before I was brought to the operating theatre.

In the meantime, I was bored. Nothing much to do in the ward except to sleep. I did manage to read a few pages of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman in that time.

Unexpectedly, a male and female nurse came into the room at half past two and told me to put on the hospital gown and get ready to be wheeled to the operation theatre. I was hurried and I was like OMG, OMG. So soon ar? But I haven’t made my final phone call to inform my parents.

They required that I leave all my valuables in an envelope for safekeeping. Immediately after I passed my mobile phone to them, I was rolled to the lift which would take me to the operating theatre three floors below.

When I was on the bed, being pushed to the lift, I was smiling to myself. You know all those medical shows like ER or whatever show that has someone being frantically pushed to the OT? I felt like that, with me looking up at the ceiling, interspaced by fluorescent lights.

The feeling was surreal.

Even though my operation was supposedly brought forward a little, it turned out that the operation before me had some complications and thus was taking up more time. I ended spending about an hour at the waiting bay.

While I was lying there, bored, an anesthethst came over and attached a drip on me. She said I must be shivering as I haven't had food for the past six hours.

Which I was. I was feeling kinda hungry.

Half an hour later, I was pushed into the operating theatre ...