"Staff were very helpful and reassuring"

I arrived on the ward at 7:00 am in the morning prior to an operation on my right knee. I had nothing to eat nor drink since 7:00pm the previous day. I was welcomed and taken to the room where I waited for instructions on what was to happen next. There was no bed, only a chair.

A student nurse came to me and began to fill in a lot of documentation related to my health and welfare status. She was very pleasant and helpful. She mentioned they I was first on the list. I felt relaxed and not very anxious. After the nurse had finished, I got undressed and put on the appropriate gowns to go to the theatre. As I sat there the anaesthetist visited to discuss the medication I was on and the procedure which I will go through with regards to the anaesthetic. After he had gone the surgeon visited and marked my left leg as the one to be operated on. He was quietly spoken but reassuring. 

A few minutes later the theatre attendant arrived and escorted me to the theatre where I met the anaesthetist and his colleague and other staff who were waiting for me. I managed to get on the trolley which was waiting for me and was approached by the attendant who removed my clothing which I was still wearing and the other anaesthetist. She described what was going to happen, and as she did so she inserted a cannula into my left hand and attached to a drip. As this was happening an oxygen mask was placed over my mouth and I quickly when to sleep. 

The next thing I was being woken in the recovery room by a nurse and the oxygen mask was still over my mouth. I continued to cough excessively, so the anaesthetist gave me something to reduce  the cough. The nurse was very attentive and gave me some water to drink and continued to ask how I was feeling. I was quite dazed during this period, but I was aware of where I was. I asked her how long the operation took, she replied half an hour.

As I further recovered from the anaesthetic, it was time for me to return to the ward. The nurse from the theatre took me back to the ward on the trolley, she was very helpful and kind, making sure that I was alright.

As time went by I recovered further. I was given water to drink and a piece of toast, but I found it very difficult to eat, as my mouth was very dry. I continued to drink more water and this helped to relieve the dryness and remove the anaesthetic from my body. The staff continued to visit me and ensured that I was feeling okay. 

After a while, the physiotherapist visited and showed my what exercises I need to do after discharge. I eventually reached a stage where I could go home and so I contacted my wife to come and pick me up. I was given instructions on what to do when I got home and other relevant documentation about post-operative care following an operation. A letter was given to me giving information about the operation and appointment to see in the consultant in six weeks time. 

Overall, I had a good experience, staff were very helpful and reassuring and I could not fault them in any way.