Extreme TY Owner

[David Lahey]

Well it was done at the Gladstone Mater hospital and I haven't seen the bill yet!!

I went into Accident and Emergency at the Gladstone Base Hospital which was total pandemonium but very earthy and entertaining then went to the Mater next door for the operation and it was deathly quiet and calm - lucky there was a TV in my room.

I did notice a different level of humour at the two different hospitals.

The only time I got a laugh out of the Mater staff was when one of the nurses told me it was time for my pethedine injection and she would be back in a minute with it. I had had a few of those already so knew it was a butt cheek job, and got myself in position with a butt cheek exposed ready for when she got back. So there is humour there but you have to work at it.

Another young nurse at the Mater had a fantastic Yorkshire accent but strangely didn't get the least bit excited when I asked her about the Lampkin family.

[David Lahey]

Maybe you should ask to keep them, they could come in handy next time you get a cut in a tyre or something similar.

I reckon they might also make a good memento of the operation. Reinald's fancy SWM yellow cable ties would probably do fine for a tear in a tyre

[David Lahey]

Staples removed today
Sorry Steve I wasn't allowed to keep the staple remover - the tool used was not a disposable type
I did get to keep the staples but Angie Sophios tells me I have to give them to Wendy for scrapbooking
The staples are made from especially soft stainless steel. Staples that stay inside people for good (can't remember what he said that was for - some other operation) are also soft stainless steel.
Titanium is only used for skeletal work ie pins, nails and screws because it is high tensile as well as being non-corrosive. It would be useless to use titanium for staples due to being too brittle (surgeon's terminology not mine)
They only cut through one layer of muscles. They separate and hold apart the other layers with retractors. The layer they do cut is stitched back together with cat gut.
For those who haven't worked it out yet, I had my appendix removed

[sharvie]

Hi David,
The staple remover, was it a strange looking three pronged arangement resembling a pair of scissors?

Broke my Femur in 1998, had a boat load of staples, also had a titanium pin inserted inside the bone, knee to hip. A year later it was removed as the damage that would be caused if the leg was broken again with the pin in place is supposed to be pretty bad.
I asked if I could keep the pin & screws, the surgeon said no as patients had gotten infections from handling such objects.
Shame really, could have made some great parts for the TLR from it.
Steve.

[David Lahey]

Come on Steve your TLR is light enough already. The pin from your femur could have done a great job as the rear brake rod for my M49 Bultaco. It probably would have taken the dry bike weight from 95.00kg way down to 94.98kg
That surgeon saw you coming hey. Did you think you might have had a glint in your eye when you were asking to keep the pin? I reckon they sell off the used titanium stuff to hot-rodders on the black market.

I couldn't really tell what the staple removing tool looked like due to having to lie back and think of England for the procedure.

[David Lahey]

Had my first post-op trials riding session after work today - sure felt good

[Reinald]

Well done David.