I woke around 5am with the sunshine beaming in. At this point I cursed myself for misplacing the most luxurious and effective eyemask that's been invented. I put it somewhere important across the 5 house relocations this last week!! I think it's hanging out with my favourite pj shorts. Somewhere so safe they can't be found. Or maybe my bag gave them the tip off and they ran quick smart.

I decided to read for a bit and then convinced myself I needed to sleep more to not get unwell with my respiratory which always happens on not enough sleep! My night ended here after 11pm. Yep, that's right. It's not all beers and skittles in here!! I now understand why they make someone like me come live here for a bit before this surgery!!

I eventually fell back to sleep probably around 550am and then awoke to an intense startle at 610am when a guy was in my room wanting to whisk me away (insert your own preferred adventure here!) to my echochardiogram!! I could tell my heart was in good shape, as it was pounding now (due to the startle haha). I asked him if I could sneak to the toilet and put some normal clothes on first. Thankfully he obliged.

I noted to him how early it was to be starting procedures. He said he'd been up since 215am!! I said I'll cut my whinging now.

He handed me over to another guy and he ran the Echo. Always a fun test. Not sure why my ECG could not be done as a double header whilst your half naked and covering all the same locations. My SOS business brain couldn't work out why that efficiency hadn't been capitalised on! Particularly when my sonographer told me he only does hearts and all the heart tests. I'm thinking... but I'm right here, in the crappy open front robe... can't we just knock them both over??? Alas, it would come later in the day. Also unplanned and unannounced.

I got back around 7am and then the surgeons assistant (also a doctor) saw me by 745am. She ran some more physical tests on me which shows my strength is next to nothing now. Lifting my arms up is a real chore and they shake pretty bad trying!

She let me know with all my other health issues I will spend the night in ICU (I had thought just an hour or two) so therefore another new home Thursday night followed by another from Friday. My packing and moving skills are getting a work out! So, I will pack up yet again tonight!!

The procedure should take around 90mins. There will be some artificial discs and screws and poles inserted. I’ll have a proactive antibiotic administered to help lower the infection risks (this is on top of my daily azithromycin) which I'm high risk for with my PID.

She asked if I had any questions about surgery. I said I wasn't ready so early and under no notice and feel under the pump and if she was me what would her questions be!! She said, how about you think about it and we go over it tomorrow morning. I said, good plan!!

I then went and read some of the material (I haven't had time until now!). They will open me up from the front of my neck. They will shift my larynx (boy it’s had some trauma over the years!) and my oesophagus to reach my spine and replace the discs. Apparently it is normal to experience a sore throat, issues with swallowing and change in voice quality (could it be possible mine gets any worse?!? Maybe I’ll get a change for the better!). This discomfort might be days, weeks, or months, following surgery (good cascading legal clause there!). It’s rarely permanent.

It is important that you take things quietly for the first six weeks after cervical disc replacement surgery to let the wound heal and maximise your recovery. Ok, noted.

I then had a small reprieve before heading off to respiratory for my breathing tests. They were so efficent getting me there I ended up being an hour early. My guy had just gone to get lunch but was kind enough to come back and get it done (even though I said I'd be happy to wait in my wheelie to just have a change of scenery!). I've had these tests 100 times. It was now I knew how bad my issue was as I couldn't hold the ventolin puffer in the right place and with the right holding techniques... my whole upper body was shaking. He was lovely and took that part over for me!! I passed this section of my testing easily.

Then back to the ward, and then some lunch and then the ECG testing. But the unpredictability this time was that he turned up with the machine! I wasn't being whisked anywhere. I was a bit disappointed. I'd finally got my very fast collection of thongs, mask, ventolin and phone regime down pat and didn't need it hahaha He was like, nope, back into bed we can do it here. Clothes off again haha

From here Brie popped in to work out our comms plan for tomorrow (see more on that soon). She will be my visitor after surgery and will get the comms side of things happening for us all. We also worked out my list of questions for the Dr in the morning. She also brought me an Emirates eye mask to get me through the night!! Happy days.

She then left and Simon popped in for a laugh and a chat.

He then left and nurse then popped in to say I'm now on at 12pm tomorrow, not 10am.

Then Ang popped in with a hairdryer (hot tip - you gotta wash your hair the night before a surgery as you never know when you will next be able! I've learnt that lesson the hard way). She also brought a bag as Brie worded her up about the move to ICU and I'd probably need a functioning bag for the next couple of moves and before the one Caz has kindly organised to be delivered gets here! Good call Brie!! Thank you!! I then put Ang to work on helping me with some stretches for my achilles and calfs and feet as the SPS kicked in mildly over the weekend and ramped up a lot this arvo. My body has clearly missed not having physio last Tuesday and yesterday. Thank you Ang for all of this random unplanned help :-)

I was just in the midst of explaining to Ang how everything is hectic, unplanned and unpredictable in here. No idea what will happen next! Then stated the nights are usually a bit quiter. At that point my actual neursurgeon Dr Gert Tollesson walks through the door at 745pm to see how I am. Ang goes to leave and give me privacy and I'm like... get back here and listen!!! (This guys the soft talker with the thick Swedish accent.... she quickly worked out who he was and why she needed to stay based on this alone!!).

Next minute we are whisked into another room to quickly look at scans and discuss tomorrow. I was so unprepared I didn't get my phone in time, which has my questions! Now I'm kicking myself, and trying to listen and hoping his assistant surgeon will still pop in tomorrow!! I do my best to remember mine and Brie's questions. Ang and I bingo off the list later and I did ok. We don't really learn much and that is that.

Ang and I have a laugh at how flexible and 'ready' you need to be at all hours!! For now I think I go to surgery at 12pm and the procedure will be around 90mins and then recovery for 1 hour and then ICU for the night and hopefully all going to plan back to the ward Friday but yet another new bedroom for me haha

Everyone keeps asking where I live and I've learnt to say "I'm between homes" haha Sounds nicer than currently homeless. One said after reading my file, "so where is your current home" and I said "Greenslopes Hospital" haha It's given them some entertainment.

Speaking of entertainment, Aunty Di sent me the biggest Teddy I've ever seen. And he's created no end of banter and shock as people enter my room. I came back from a test and a lady was coming into my room with him at the same time. I said, I think you've got the wrong room. She said if you are you Loren then this is the right room!!

He's had some interesting postions over the 24 hours or so (see photos). Brie arrived and saw only him in a chair (and couldn't see me) and assumed she had the wrong room so started to abort. She then decided to dress him up for a photo op for Aunty Di.

Simon came and said nothing until the end!! He wasn't sure how to bring the Bear in the Chair up or if I even knew he was there. It was an 'elephant in the room' situation for him hahaha

One of the nurses asked where he will live if I don't have a home. We both laughed and agreed my roof racks were looking good since my car is full up.

Then Ang came and she got told the Bear now needed to become a community bear for a while as I do the moves to ICU and a new room. So Bundy B Bear is now off to BL Physio to entertain the community!!

Aunty Di - mission accomplished. Laughs have been had.


READ THE NEXT POST TO LEARN HOW TO RECEIVE MY SURGERY COMMS PROCESS.

PS Highlight of the day - Hans texts me the photo of the unicorn. Little Alexandra had been wanting my superpower neck armour (stiff neck collar brace) since I'm only using the soft one. I gave it to her surgery day. It didn't fit her. Seems she found a good home for it hahahaha