Operations and stitches
How to read the stories

Operations and stitches

Surgery (also called an operation): The doctor want to look inside your body. To do this he will give you an operation. Before you go in to the operating theatre a doctor called an anaesthetist will come to see you. The anaesthetist will put a needle into your hand which may sting a little. The anaesthetist will give you a special medicine called an anaesthetic through this needle. This medicine will make you go to sleep.

After you have had your operation you will wake up in another room called the recovery room. You may see lots of machines around you. Some of them will make beeping noises. Don’t worry – they are all normal. You may have a mask on your face – this is to help you breathe. You may have a bag with liquid which is attached to the needle going into your hand – this is because you are not eating or drinking. You may have a tube sticking out of where you normally wee from – this is so you don’t have to get up to go to the toilet. You may have another tube coming out of the place on your body where the operation was – this is to help the wound to heal. Some of these things will be taken away once you are awake. Some may be there for a few days. Ask the nurse if you are worried about anything.

Stitches: These are pieces of special thread used to close up your operation. Sometimes the stitches dissolve by themselves, but other times they need to be removed by the nurse. The nurse will use special scissors to cut the stitches and will pull them out with tweezers. It does not normally hurt to have the stitches out.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
• Who do you think that is?
• What is happening?
• How is he or she feeling?
• Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.