On account of my left upper skull being removed (the skull bone cannot be grafted back after a month), I was on a programme to have a left PEEK cranioplasty [a polyether ether ketone (P.E.E.K.)] insert placed after my brain de-swelled.  The neurosurgeon told my husband it would be circa 10 weeks after my stroke that the de-swelling would subside.  The P.E.E.K.  was made in Switzerland to fit my brain completely (it was a 3-D ‘made to measure’ construction!). I went again into hospital on 31 October 2017. 

 

The neurosurgeon told me I was not to take any anti-coagulant on 13 October until 10 November (I had been on anti-coagulant since I had the stroke – it thins your blood), as this would hinder the healing process.  The doctor informed me that I was to be in hospital for a week: in ICU for about 2 days and in the ward for the rest.  I was very nervous when I got to the ward on the night before the operation.  What if the insert led to grave complications?  I slept uneasily that night – I could not sleep before 3.30am.

 

The next day early in the morning my husband arrived.  I was meant to go down to the operation at 9am.  But the neurosurgeon had a ‘’crisis’’ operation to do beforehand (probably someone who had just suffered a stroke).  I was waiting anxiously, but my husband comforted me with a few words of assurance.  By 11am, I was wheeled out by the nurse. I remember my husband holding my hand. ‘’It will be fine’’ he said.  We were outside the doors to the operating rooms - as far as my husband could get.  I was then wheeled out by the nurse and to my regret, I could no longer see him. 

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The Operating Theatre

 

I was in the hallway – there were numerous operating rooms branching around me. There were plenty of nurses and a few doctors around, rushing to the next operation for other patients.  I waited patiently for 15 minutes or so, and then I was wheeled into the operating room.  I was transferred to the operating table. The anaesthetist spoke kindly to me and then I sank into ‘’sleep’’.  

 

When I woke up again, I was still in the operating theatre.  The neurosurgeon had left.  I had another doctor by my side (who had been in the operation – he was the one waking me up).  He followed me out to ICU. I was sick on the way out of the operating theatre but this was normal according to the neurosurgeon. I had a slight temperature two or three days after the operation.  The neurosurgeon said this was normal to have a mild temperature as well, as I had to have strong antibiotics (via intravenous methods) to kill any bacteria - especially from my brain.  I had antibiotics several times per day over the next few days.  It was troublesome preparing for the intravenous antibiotics - it took a long time and some effort.  I had an ache in my right arm and my right shoulder during the week that I was in hospital, perhaps because I was so anxious about what was going on.