I found this more interesting than unpleasant, but I think some of you might like it…
– hearing the surgeon’s scalpel scraping away at your cheekbone
I’ve had similar with minor surgery on my forehead, just done under local with a damp flannel over my eyes. The sound is quite unexpected – scratchy and scrapey – you sort of expect the scalpel would glide through your flesh effortlessly, but apparently your forehead is made of pretty tough stuff, It was like listening to someone trying to cut through an old boot with a fork. The local anaesthetic also makes every touch and movement feel bigger. The incision was less than an inch long but it felt like I was going to have stitches across my whole forehead like frankensteins monster. What was really disquieting was listening to doctors and nurses who all seemed to have comedy german mad scientist accents. There would be a pause in conversation and then I’d hear “hello, we’re talking to you” and engage me in surreal version hair-dresser small talk while I’m blindfolded and having my skull scratched.
“you look familiar actually, have we met before”
“well possibly but I’m blindfolded so its hard to tell. I do live quite close to the hospital though”
“yes, yes. I thought so. I recognise your nose”
A very good friend of the family – my sort of third parent really- had quite an enquiring mind. When she had a hip replacement she talked the surgeon out of giving her sedation because she didn’t want to sleep through something so interesting.
