changes in perception – Sensing Spaces of Healthcare: NHS Sensory Memory Bank

Memory #42

I remember… Coming around after an operation and general anaesthetic. I had never experienced an operation before so this was a very unusual feeling. I remember the nurse getting tapping my shoulder and her saying “you are ok, it is safe to open your eyes”. I was still very groggy, but I knew I was safe & secure, even though I had not fully come out of the ‘FOG’ of anaesthetic.

Memory #7

I remember… When I woke from the general anesthetic that I had when my second son was born I opened my eyes to see the silvery wallpaper in front of me swirling around in the most psychedelic fashion-most unnerving! Then I looked out the window to see a green hillside with small shrubs that were definitely moving up and down the hill! This went on for quite a while and I told my visitors that they couldn’t leave me till everything stopped moving around!

Memory #11

I remember… After the birth of my first child, not long after whilst still in the delivery room I was encouraged to have a shower. I remember the silent corridor & wobbly legs & the shower having someone else’s blood in it. I felt really out of it. It’s like a dreamscape.