Hospitalization and surgery day with Professor Tonchev
While waiting for the operation with Professor Tonchev, I was instructed by Dr. Trendafilov to come on 15.02.2026 before 12:00 for hospitalization at UMHAT "Medika". Below I have provided advice for incoming patients (personal experience).
Hospitalization
Admissions on Saturday and Sunday are carried out in office 112 even though the Maxillofacial Surgery department has its own admission office (room 115) and procedure room. I waited for my turn (there were about 3-4 patients before me) and was instructed on a form to fill in my full name, phone number, phone number of a close person and what relation they are to you (I think it is important to think about who this should be). After not much waiting I was called...
Nurse Sasha Hikova (I am very grateful to her for the approach with which she made me comfortable with the procedures) reacted with understanding when I mentioned that I am a "drama queen" and everything went without a single drop of stress. Since I planned to work and brought all my equipment, I asked them to place the cannula on my left arm before the elbow rather than on the back of the hand. I thought I would be typing on the keyboard (unfortunately it did not happen).
They accompanied me to the ward and settled me in. Since there were two young boys in the room, one of whom was Ukrainian (he did not speak Bulgarian) I realized that some of the medical staff speak Russian.
After that introductions, blah-blah-blah and time for sleep. But how do you sleep when you are in a hospital for the first time?
The day of the operation (16.02.2026)
Due to my work I became a "night owl". I go to bed around 3 - 4 in the morning and wake up around 11 - 12. For more than 20 years my biological clock has calibrated to this and boom at 5:35 the cleaner comes in, turns on all the lights and starts cleaning. I am furious. Of course I expressed my dissatisfaction, to which the woman replied that she was doing her job and the room had to be prepared for rounds. I covered my head and hoped to get some sleep. Well, that did not happen.
Thinking about how selfish I acted toward her, during the following days I apologized to her twice for my stupid behavior. After all she was right. I really regret that I did not look at her badge and ask her name (she was neither Gyulche nor the "very thin" cleaner). Sorry once again.
Professor Tonchev and the team during rounds
Around 06:45 some movement is heard in the corridor and suddenly about a dozen doctors and nurses enter the room led by Professor Tonchev. They asked questions to everyone in the ward and wrote something down.
Professor Tonchev: "Aydin, how are you?"
Me: "Great"
Professor Tonchev: "Today we will operate on you."
Me: "? ! ? ! ? !" - (again)
He examined "that thing" once again and said "Get ready".
The longest minutes in the hospital
I cannot even remember what I was thinking during this period. A nurse told me that I was scheduled as the second patient for surgery. I overheard from their conversations that before me there was some child, which calmed me a little. Although it does not concern me, about the child I will comment separately in "About the child", because the behavior of a certain two-legged biomass makes me furious.
To the operating room (around 08:30)
Around (maybe) eight something a nurse came, brought some blue clothing cut open at the back and instructed me how to put it on (over my boxers). She told me to hurry because there was no time. It turned out that the child was not yet ready for surgery and I had to "cut the line".
I walk after her toward the operating room... Wow, what a short corridor. Through one door I see the table familiar from television and the round lamps above it. I enter through the door and ironically say: "I am mom's pitbull" (one of my favorite movies). One of the team members (young with an earring in the left ear whose name I still do not know turns to me): "Come on pitbull, there is no time".
I lie down on a strange "table" shaped like a human body (separate branches for the head, legs and arms), it was very interesting but I had no time to look around.
While they tie me down I look down left - a nurse (blonde, visibly experienced) stands behind some mobile stand presumably with the instruments with which they will "scrape" me.
I have a long-time friend who is an operating nurse and from conversations with her I can more or less recognize one. That must have been operating nurse Velkova.
I look left and another nurse connects some "tube" to my cannula - with my peripheral vision it seemed to me she was brunette but I could not focus because another masked face appeared in front of my eyes with "that thing".
By "that thing" I mean the transparent wonder that is placed on the nose and mouth when they give anesthesia in movies. (I hope you do not think I cannot find its name).
A man with glasses (anesthesiologist Doctor Seliman), with interesting tattoos on his neck (which he did not give me time to decipher) presents "that thing" and says - "I am giving only clean air" then says some medical "spells" to the anesthesiology nurse ("the brunette", who later turned out to be anesth. nurse Georgieva) and again returns to the starting position ("I am giving only clean air"). From my circle I know that anesthesiologists are a separate "caste" of doctors. Apparently everyone has their own methods. Conversations with them are interesting, I recommend you try. I do not remember him repeating: "I am giving only clean air".
During this entire period I did not see either Professor Tonchev or Doctor Trendafilov. Presumably they like me were also being "prepared" for the operation (right, like they show in movies)
After the operation (around 12:30)
I wake up and feel a little dizzy. I want to get up but nurse Remi strictly forbids me even to raise myself. Like in a baby crib the rail is up and I say to myself: "If I cannot get up I will sleep and anyway I did not sleep well last night". "Yes" but "No". I lay like a log for two whole hours and how badly I want to smoke...
I am a person who cannot remain idle even for 15 minutes. I go crazy from boredom. I absolutely must engage my mind or hands with something. That is why in principle I do not like vacations and holidays and now also sick leave. Here they pinned me to the bed for two hours.
My mouth is numb and I cannot speak freely. My brain is also "numb", but not enough not to realize the inactivity. I simply have to lie there stupidly (like a watermelon) for two hours. HORROR.
I look at the phone: "Thank God two hours have passed" and decide to get up.
While analyzing the plastic tube with the red liquid in it (where it comes from, where it goes etc.) and the "little container" at its end I decide to sit down.
I do not feel any pain, my mind is clearer and I am determined to get up, get dressed and go smoke.
Where did this Reni appear from again. When she asks: "What are your intentions?" I answer with arguments that two hours have passed,
that I feel well and can get up, that I even went to the toilet ... in short all arguments supporting my desire to go out. "Yes" but "No".
Nurse Reni: "Aydin you still cannot smoke for another two hours"
Me: "I am not dizzy. I feel very well. I am great."
Nurse Reni: "I do not want you to faint downstairs!"
Me: "I know everything: pulling and cold = constriction of blood vessels etc. I will be careful."
Nurse Reni: "I repeat, no going out for another two hours! Walk around the room." - and so it was.
4 hours after the operation dressed up I go out into the corridor with the intention to go down to smoke and I run into Doctor Trendafilov.
Doctor Trendafilov: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Doctor grant me garrison leave at least for one cigarette."
Doctor Trendafilov: "Alright, but without leaving the garrison"
The previous day after hospitalization I learned that there was no way to buy water (there are vending machines of all kinds but I do not keep coins in my pocket) and I decided to go to the mall (it is close). The duty doctor (if my memory does not deceive me Doctor Vasilev) had to tell the nurses to call me on the phone so I return for rounds. Shame and disgrace. Maybe this was shared with Doctor Trendafilov (I only assume).
What do I feel in the evening after the operation?
- Sensitivity: Strong numbness on the right side of the face starting from the middle of the temple downward toward the middle of the cheek and affecting 1/3 of the mouth.
- Pain: Absolutely none, even at the drain location (if I do not pull it).
- Discomfort: This patch and this tube annoy me. There is nowhere to attach the "little container" at its end.
- Eating: No problem and they even brought my favorite meal: potato stew.
- Speech: Already without any problem. We started talking about politics with Bate Joro (Jorka greetings, give the colleague a shovel while you watch the show and brick up the oven for the lamb).
- Mood: Perfect. I believe that if you do not do something yourself no one will do it for you. Eternal positivity and optimism.
- Expectation: From the moment I entered I had a positive attitude and after analyzing my condition immediately after the operation I was 100%+ sure that Professor Tonchev, Doctor Trendafilov and the entire team made every effort and the result is INCREDIBLE. According to the information I managed to gather after such a 3 hour operation one should ( statistically on average) have partial paralysis for about one - two weeks. I am super as a starting position. "4. What I have learned".