Schoolboy error
Not on my part, but the nurses. After coming round from an operation having one of the glands removed from my neck (leaving a 5-inch run of staples running from behind my ear to under my jawline) the nurse attended to me to remove the mask and tube which was still in my throat.

Now, the sensible thing to do would have been to remove the elastic strap from behind my head before trying to take the mask off. Instead, she got the mask a couple of inches away from my face and the tube halfway out before her grip failed and the mask snapped back, the tube jabbing the back of my throat. I'm sure my eyes must've almost popped out of my head, the mask was removed quickly and correctly and apologies were given.

This whole mishap wouldn't have been so bad if the end of the tube hadn't caught my uvula (dangley bit at the back of your mouth), tearing the skin from it. Untreated for 2 days it got infected, swelled up, went black with white crap and dead skin hanging from it and caused my doctor to give me even stronger painkillers than the hospital gave me for the other pain in my neck.

Oh, and morphine = win.
(Grobie, Fri 12 Mar 2010, 7:24, Reply)