"As an extreme hospital phobic I was..."

What I liked

As an extreme hospital phobic I was petrified about having my wisdom tooth removed by GA. This was my first ever visit to hospital (not bad going for a 38 year old!) and had spent the weeks leading up to my appointment fretting about what was going to happen to me.

From the moment I entered the Eyford Day Unit I was put at ease by the nurses and they were all aware of my phobia & extremely caring. One of the nurses even came down to the anaesthetic room with me and stayed and held my hand whilst the IV line was put in. The anaesthetist was also very kind and also put my mind at ease.

I also liked the fact that they had a radio playing quietly in the background on the ward as it helped to take my mind off what was happening & I found it quite comforting whilst recovering from my operation. The nurses were extremely chatty & friendly (discussing about getting Take That tickets!) which helped keep a sense of 'normality' for me.

Overall the whole procedure was nowhere near as bad as I had thought it would be and I would not be as frightened should I have to return to hospital in the future. I felt extremely cared for by the whole team & cannot thank them enough.

What could be improved

The hospital gown I was given was stained which freaked me out a little! I initially thought it was blood but it turned out to be iodine. Not a good start for someone petrified of all things medical! I was quickly given a clean one however