After that, this other man came in (who later would be operating on me in theatre) and I think he was an anaesthetist and again, he had a chat with me about what would happen in theatre and he asked me all of these questions (must have been there about 20 minutes answering questions). After he went this youngish looking woman doctor came in and she went through this piece of paper with me and she gave me about 4 pieces of paper to sign (I was very woozy and still out of it from the gas and air) so I made sure I spent a while reading through everything it said before I signed it (it felt like I was signing my life away) and what a stupid time to get me to sign a form, I could have been signing anything! This oldish woman came in and she said “are you wearing nail varnish?” and I said yes to which she replied “it’ll have to come off” so there went my manicure I had done the day before grrrrrrrr not happy, then after that Paul went to get ready for theatre. Everyone else left the room too except for me and the woman who took my varnish off. I told her I felt like I needed the toilet (I didn’t know at this point which I needed) so in she wheeled this wheelchair with a hole in the middle and I sat on that and surprise surprise nothing came out. Think I was nervous. She kept saying “I’ll have to hurry you” and I was thinking “thanks Mrs, I need the loo and you’re rushing me”. So after nothing would come out, she quickly got me in this other wheelchair and wheeled me into theatre (felt like Kurt Cobain at the Reading festival, 1992 lmao). Just outside the theatre doors, I met 2 of the men who would be in theatre operating and I could just tell from the things they were saying that I was in for a laugh, that wasn’t any conselation though.

So in I went and there was no sign of Paul for about 40 minutes. I later found out from him that he had to go and put his gown and hat on and wait until I was all ready, he was very worried as he couldn’t understand why it took so long and he thought something had happened to me. I was wheeled up to the bed and about 2 or 3 people were all there ready to help me up onto the bed but I managed on my own. Everyone was asking if I was ok, which I was. I then had to lift my hair up while they put it in what looked like a shower cap then I was asked to sit up and lean forward then I was given the spinal anaesthetic, as you know you have to stay VERY still for that as one slight movement and you can be paralysed for life!!! I’m sure I had more than one injection because I’m pretty sure I felt 2 maybe 3 needles going inside and stay in me for what seemed like forever. I also had some wires attached to my neck. They took the hair net thingy off my head and then I had to lie down. I remember looking around at all the equipment and thinking how much it was like ER. I was very very scared, I had never been to hospital before never mind been in an operating theatre