Small Ops

Easy in, easy out. I am at the Kingston Hospital NHS Trust for a microlaryngoscopy and excision of an anterior commissure lesion. In short, I have a polyp removed from my left vocal chord.

I first noted things not entirely right about four-months ago when my voice scratchy and often cracked , bringing back some awkward teen-age moments.  I thought it laryngitis. Within 48-hours of seeing my local GP , I meet the head of Kingston's Otolaryngology program, who gives me a local anaesthetic and jams a snake down my nose canal to look at my larynx. A most stressful experience. The polyp spotted - "There it is!" , the Dr exclaims with pleasure - and my surgery confirmed for two weeks.

This morning, before sunrise, Sonnet drives me to the hospital and fishes about for pocket change for the parking meter while I register with reception. I am visited separately by two nurses who check and double-check my identity and surgery and explain the procedure; The first applies a bar-code wristband and tapes my wedding ring , the only piece of jewelry I am allowed. Since I am going under , the anaesthetist James asks further questions about my health and etc. He has an intense , penetrating, stare, and tells me : "you are going to have a nice sleep".  My anxiety increases.

Soon I am told to strip to my pants and don a surgery dress and, with rolling bed , off we go to the operating theatre, which is a cold, modern room without shelves nor chairs. Yes, I am nervous. In the room's centre is some 21st century equipment hooked up to computers and lighting. I think: Gym equipment. There are five physicians, including James, who sticks a needle in my arm, covers my face with an Oxygen mask, and tells me to count to ten. I am gone at "four".

A tube put down my throat , to the side , to ensure Oxygen. Next, a laryngoscope inserted through my mouth on the right side and flipped to the left to trap and move then tongue , which otherwise blocks the the line of sight, then a blade inserted posterior to the epiglottis with an upwards and forward motion ("away from you and towards the roof " the Doc tells me beforehand). This move makes it possible to see my voice box. Once in, my polyp excised with a micro-blade.  Without the anaesthetic, my gag-reflex would not allow it, and I probably would have fled the room any how.

I awake at 12:50PM to Sonnet's sweet face looking over me, smiling.