Ausländer's first surgery

I wasn't going to blog about this; after all it is only minor surgery, but enough embarrassing stuff happened that I thought it was worth while :). You know that dream where you are naked somewhere with everyone looking at you? Yeah that... Also there was a classic "Stop hitting yourself moment". All in all my first surgery experience was quite eventful, but at least not where it counts, the surgery went fine.

If you remember from my previous blog I had quite an eventful first day of Oktoberfest, which ended up with me breaking my little finger on the way home. Not what I planned! After the swelling went down I could see that it was a serious break, and I couldn't set it straight myself. I begrudgingly went to the hospital at that point (begrudgingly because I knew how much it was going to hurt!).

At the Emergency Room they took an x-ray (below) and tried to set the bone straight. Let me tell you, that's pretty bloody painful! Even worse, they couldn't actually do it, so I needed to have surgery.

Look at the little finger

So I turn up early to the hospital on the day of the surgery (07:00) but it took until 8:30 to be admitted to the hospital; but because I was the first operation of the day the nurses had to rush my preparation. This wasn't helped by how slow I figured out the garments they give you. I got given a robe and something that looks like a hair net. That hair net was actually a pair of very revealing boxer shorts. I didn't really understand the nurse's German so I didn't know if I had to put that over my current boxers or just replace them...

I think you have guessed already what happened, but no, it's worse!

I was changing behind a curtain, by then figured out that the hair net boxers should replace my current ones. I just got them on when the nurse asked me if I needed help, I said no, but she still opened the curtain. Now, to give you some locational perspective. This curtain was in view of an entire corridor of the ward, and when it opened, all I was wearing was the hair net boxers. The nurse did not have the courtesy to close the curtain, merely held it open standing there and staring.

Considering that position I think I owned it, stood there as casual as I could while (it felt) the corridor was watching. After a few seconds I asked the nurse what she's doing, she responded by helping me into the robe, and I was no longer baring all down a hospital corridor.

I already mentioned that the surgery went well, so I won't go into any detail on that. The following x-ray is the result of it (the "x" are the pins, which I will get to keep :).

When I was moved to the post-surgery recovery room my arm was still numb from the (local) anaesthetic, but I could still lift the hand even with the extra weight of the cast. With that knowledge I felt confident to inspect the new cast, so I lifted it closer to my eye to inspect it, at which point my strength gave way and the cast dropped on my head. Thankfully the only person that saw was a quite cute nurse (or doctor) and we exchanged a joke and some laughs.

Anyway I need to thank Lex because he picked me up from the hospital, which was legally necessary to ensure I don't fall into the underground or something.

The day after my housemates from university came to visit for Oktoberfest, so I was back at Oktoberfest a little sooner than I should have (and against the doctor's recommendation!). No harm done.

Viel Spaß homies!