Sharing Memories (Week 21): Surgeries

I have decided to replace "Surname Saturday", at least for a little while, with the "Sharing Memories" weekly reflections. [Frankly, I think I've touched upon almost all of the surnames, and need to get a little more research time in before revisiting them!]

So, this week's memories are "Surgeries".

Well, I've had a few, although perhaps nothing fancy, or exciting, my descendants may one day want to take a look at this list!

The first surgery I ever had was when I was twelve. It was to remove a tumor, which was benign, from the roof of my mouth [the palate]. Up until that time, I had thought that everyone had a flat roof to their mouth, and that it wasn't concave. About this time, my dentist, whom I had been seeing since a wee child, commented that the flat palate was beginning to bulge. X-rays showed a distinct mass with hard substance. And so, in the dentist chair, I had my first surgery. It was memorable in that as the dentist removed the tumor, which he showed to me [it was dark black, and resembled the rubber plug that was in the bottom of my glass piggy bank], I suddenly began to hemorrhage. Scared him [the dentist] and my mother half silly! The dentist [whose rather odd name was Dr. Moulds] quickly cauterized the offending blood vessel. Let me tell you, no amount of novacaine, or whatever else he may have injected to prevent me from feeling the procedure, stopped the flow of excruciating agony I felt! The dark smoke and stench from flesh burning nauseating me immediately, as I fought from passing out. The words of comfort meant to alleviate my distress? "I'm sorry, if I'd known it was going to go like this, we'd have let a surgeon do this in the hospital." [Little comfort for this girl!]

A few months later, a smaller tumor was removed from the gum on my upper jaw. Not nearly as exciting!

A year or so later, a little micro-surgery to the knee, where a torn ligament was repaired. [Literally tore it at the bowling alley when I missed a step going down into the lane.]

Nothing until I was 27, when I was "fixed". Ya'all know that term right? A tubal ligation to prevent further pregnancy [five children in five years.... yep, supin' in the water fer sure!].

In 1991, there was a right ankle repair, after shattering my ankle. [13 pins, two plates and wires - I set off metal detectors in airports... no joke!]

In 1994, lung biopsies, for diagnosis of sarcoidosis. [Three years later... lung cancer.]

In 1996.... emergency cholecystectomy for a ruptured gall bladder which caused gangrene. [No signs or symptoms until pain from the rupture!]

And in 2007, a medical procedure called a PPH  [nasty little surgeryto fix prolapsed hemorrhoids - okay, don't laugh! Some families are more prone to having them than others... and mine is!]

And, if my memory hasn't failed me, that is the full list of surgeries I have had. Nothing major. But all are memorable!

What about you? Be sure to list the surgeries you have had for your families history, too!