“A moment of gallows humour? Someone says something funny while we wait for the anaesthetic to take effect. I came to the decision for surgery by slow degrees, by following the recommended path towards certainty. It was a long journey. Since coming to my decision I have never had any doubts, any regrets. Of course, I was anxious. Dr Haertsch went to great lengths to be sure I was fully aware of all the possible risks and outcomes; what surgery could achieve and what it couldn’t. And I’d had urogenital surgery before. I knew all about the pain, the blood, the catheters, the long uncomfortable nights that awaited me.”
– Paula Kaye 2004