Just a quick update to let you know that my surgery went well, and after an overnight stay in hospital I am now home again recovering.

Some snippets from my experience:

• I am indeed lucky and privileged to be able to access private medical care in a timely manner and in a country that is free from conflict and healthcare deprivation…. So gratitude.
• I was in a single, private, quiet (mostly), sunny room that looked out over trees and green playing fields. I had a comfortable bed, decent meals and attentive staff. This may, but more likely may not be the experience of patients in the public hospital system. So privilege-gratitude again.
• My first experience of being on the receiving end of opioid and sedative drugs. I knew (because I asked the anaesthetist) that I would be getting a menu of Fentanyl, Midazolam, and Propofol to get the ball rolling. The Fentanyl was given to me before I went into the OT. It was, well…. meh. Sort of like skulling a beer quickly. I think it had worn off even before I got into the OT and I was really looking forward to seeing what Propofol felt like after all these years of administering it for sedation in the Emergency Department. But….see next point.
• This was my first experience of a GA (general anaesthetic). As you know I am very interested in the topic of consciousness and its altered and non-ordinary states, so I was actually excited to see how a GA would feel as I was induced. Of course this was a pointless exercise because my last memory is of being helped across from my bed to the operating room table. My only report is that it is a weird feeling of lost time…not like being asleep, and akin to being unplugged and then plugged back in again.
• Urinary catheters suck. Even though technically they are on free drainage. The number of times I told patients complaining of how uncomfortable they were not to worry, “the discomfort will settle down soon, just try to relax”. Cobblers. Catheters are Satan’s (successful) attempt to ridicule Gods whole penis design thing.
• Also. Catheter removal. Square razor blades do not pass well through round holes.
• Healthcare workers are apex humans.
• Life is short, good health is fragile.
  Take nothing for granted and suck every moment like a watermelon Chupa Chup.