My surgery was at 7.30pm, so I arrived at 5pm at the hospital and was very well taken care of by the excellent Circle Reading staff.
Before I was administered the GA, I mentioned to the anesthetist that I was having to miss a rehearsal for the Gilbert and Sullivan show I'm doing due to the surgery, and he insisted on me singing a few lines from Les Mis, one of his favorites. I happily obliged, though since I already had a hypodermic-full of relaxant in me, I'm not sure quite how melodious that rendition turned out to be!
I awoke around 9 - the surgery is about an hour long - and found it hard to catch my breath for a few minutes but was soon back in my room. No significant pain around the incisions, but before long my shoulders started aching terribly, due to the CO2 they inflate your stomach with during the procedure. Tramadol and good old-fashioned paracetemol did the trick and I was able to rest throughout the night, though I did not sleep (tramadol keeps me relaxed but alert). The nurse checked my vitals at regular intervals.
Sore throat from the intubation was also better than expected. This was my second experience with GA and I felt it was much easier this time round, which I completely owe to the fantastic anesthetist!
All in all, I was impressed at how little pain I felt. Having had shoulder surgery before which was painful despite various pain medications, this was a pleasant surprise. Also pleasant was the discovery that my room had the Food Network channel!
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