Typically you will be required to do a series
of blood tests a few days prior to surgery. I did mine a week before and the
results were ready two days later.
Here is the sequence of events for me.
4 days before surgery - July 2, 2018
Final pre-ops visit to Dr with blood test
results. Everything was fine but Dr suggested I get blood from the blood bank a
day before the operation.
Caveat: African blood banks are mostly in need
of blood so do not expect to just go ‘pay’ for blood stored there. I didn’t
know at that time, but I lived through that experience of ignorance, so you
won’t.
It was during this visit that I got all the
information I needed for where the operation will take place and payment
modalities.
So typical of me, this is when I decided to inform the rest
of people who needed to know. The only person who had knowledge of the plans
prior to this date was my hubby, of course. After the Dr’s visit, I informed my
two best friends from office and a very close work collaborator – just told
them of the surgery but not the date. Then I
messaged my older brothers and sisters. The responses from my family were
varied: brothers were fine with my decision, one sister asked for details and
said she might need a surgery as well (she still hasn’t gone under so I guess
she didn’t need it after all). My eldest sister was apprehensive which I found
surprising because she’s a nurse and has undergone same - or maybe it’s for
those same reasons that she pleaded with me to revisit my decision, see other
gynecologists, seek God’s opinion again…etc.. I also informed one of my besties
in Uganda who had gone through the same and she had some very useful insights
for me
Then I finalize the list of all the things I had to do before
like stocking the house with food, getting my medical records together, work
tasks that I had to complete, packing list for the hospital, etc.
2 days before surgery - July 3
Visited the hospital where the surgery will take place for the first time to check out rooms and to pay for blood. Do not wait this long, go check out the hospital immediately you know so you will be better prepared than I was. I was so surprised when I was informed the blood bank was empty and I needed to bring 4 people to donate blood (I needed to have 2 pints of blood and each donor usually gives half a pint). I was ready to pay any amount of money but unfortunately bringing my own donors was the only way. Now I was in a dilemma because I hadn’t informed the people I had talked with that the surgery was this soon, so where do I get four blood donors in such a short time… with matching blood group A+.
when I left the hospital and was driving back to the office, I prayed to the Holy Spirit and told Him that if He doesn’t provide 4 donors, then I’ll know He disapproves of the surgery. As I was taking the bend to the office parking lot, I saw my work collaborator mentioned above with her fiancé. I stopped and asked the fiancé’s blood group. “A+”, he responded”. And then it gets better, he is a certified blood donor and will happily indulge me. My work collaborator too offered to donate if she was a match.
when I got into the office, I went to one of my two office besties – she informed me she is A+ and will happily donate. The colleague who shared office with her said same thing, same blood group. My 2nd office bestie offered to donate but wasn’t sure of his blood group. The Holy Spirit came through like a charm! This was one of many times I have put God to the test and He didn’t fail. You should try that too, with a little faith in His ability to pull through and not let you go through things you can’t bear 1Corinthians 10:13.
Past 7pm I’m making food in the kitchen and my cousin who
lived with me shows up with my phone. I take a call from my eldest sister and
she quickly passes me to ‘somebody who wanted to pray for me’ The person asked
me to leave the kitchen because of the oil (please don’t ask me the effect of
oil on prayers, I’m not that religious). I went to my room. He asked in a not
lowly spirited manner if I was a Christian and if I pay my tithes, and to whom
I pay my tithes. I responded to being a God fearing believer and ignored the
question about tithes. Then he started praying. My mind was somewhere else as I
tried to focus to no avail. He cursed the fibroid, calling it a ‘trick of the
devil’ and assured me of healing, asking me to feel it because I was healed. Twenty
some minutes later, after the ‘Amen’, he proceeded to asked me to call my
eldest sister early the following day and tell her the miracles I’ll experience
in the night and in return my sister will tell me her dreams. I don’t doubt the
power of God’s healing miracles but he lost me at his initial questions about
tithes (my Bible doesn’t tell me anywhere Jesus made that question relevant to
healing), so I guess if a miracle were
to happen, I wasn’t equipped to receive at that time. Or maybe he was just
using words, as many ‘Prophets’ of our days do. Whatever the case, this is a
lesson if you belong in a community where religion is emphasized over
righteousness, where people are complacent with dormancy because they are
‘waiting on the Lord’s miracle’.
The Day Before - July 4
The Day Before - July 4
I went to Hospital in the afternoon with 5 other people (the
four I had mentioned above and my cousin). Rapid blood tests were conducted and
2 of my potential donors were eliminated. The 3 others donated the 2 pints of
blood needed, and to me that is a miracle. Again as secretive as I am, I didn’t
tell my friends I’m taking a room that evening at the hospital for the surgery
the following day. I saw them off and came to the room I had booked and
confirmed while they were at the lab.
The only time I spent a night in hospital in my adult life was when I gave birth, and it wasn’t in my country. I had assumed I will meet a room with made up bed, but I was surprised even the best room in the hospital came with a bed, a mattress, a table, a side cupboard, a television and a bucket in the bathroom. Luckily my packing list included bedsheets and cover.
The only time I spent a night in hospital in my adult life was when I gave birth, and it wasn’t in my country. I had assumed I will meet a room with made up bed, but I was surprised even the best room in the hospital came with a bed, a mattress, a table, a side cupboard, a television and a bucket in the bathroom. Luckily my packing list included bedsheets and cover.
The anesthetist had informed me that he will meet me in my
room at 7pm. He never showed up that night. However a very reassuring nurse came
in and asked me to shave around my pubic area (which I had already done because
I did my research). She also advised that although she didn’t know exactly at
what time the operation will take place, it will probably be in the morning.
Sidenote: caregiver who is hubby comes in around 7pm, showers and asks for food. He finally goes out and gets some bananas and after eating he is back to work on his laptop.
I finally fall asleep, having placed my fate in God’s hands.
Sidenote: caregiver who is hubby comes in around 7pm, showers and asks for food. He finally goes out and gets some bananas and after eating he is back to work on his laptop.
I finally fall asleep, having placed my fate in God’s hands.
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