I'd decided whilst in hospital at Basingstoke that once I was better I was going to do some fundraising to help the hospital. To try and give some thing back.
I racked my brains to try to come up with something that I could do that would be a challenge but not out of my reach considering what I had been through and the fact that I wouldnt be as fit as I had been.
The obvious thing that sprung to mind was the descent and ascent of Titan in the Peak district. This was a caving trip that we had booked last year but was cancelled due to my appendix bursting. Realistically this would be too tough at the moment though. The cave shaft is higher than the London eye and whilst the descent may not be too much of a problem the subsiquent prusik back up would be a killer and I just wont be ready for it. Maybe next year....
I'd recently done some walking and enjoyed it. Two weeks before the MOAS me and a group of freinds had walked Corn Ddu, Pen Y Ffan and Cribbin in about a foot of snow and sub zero tempretures. It was a big change from caving but we had all enjoyed it.
Walking would be easier, all I'd have to do is decide what and where?
Some months ago I had seen countryfile or something like that where the presenter walked the Watkin path on Snowdon. It looked great. I knew that it formed part of the famous Snowdon Horseshoe a tough and challenging walk. So I started some research.
The walk itself is only about 7 1/2 -8 mile long but is very challenging. Snowdons summit is some 3560 feet above sea level (Pen Y Fan 2907 ft). There are a few routes up the mountain but the Horseshoe takes in the daunting Crib Goch traverse which is only possible to be done in the right weather conditions. The walk takes around 6-7 hours on average to do. It sounded perfect!
So with the challenge sorted I then had to work out when would be the best time? I had to consider my fitness levels and giving myself time enough to get fit for the challenge coupled with getting our best chance with the weather and of course trying to get a team together that would all be available on the same weekend?
Finally we have decided on the weekend of the 20th,21st and 22nd of August. Leaving after work on the Friday and camping at Llanberis overnight. Doing the walk on the Saturday and again staying overnight and returning Sunday.
The team so far is
David Mason
Stephen Mason
Tony Mason
Jon Mason
Andrew Jackson
Rhys Whickham
Steve Read
Scott Bates
All have agreed to help fundraise. I have also set up a seperate blog page for the walk so you can follow our progress with training and of course report back on the big day itself. Most importantly a "just giving" page has also been set up to allow donations to be made on line. Links to both pages are in the useful links section.
The money raised will be donated to the Basingstoke and Northampshire Hospitals charity and specifically the Pseudamyxoma Peritonei fund. The money will be used to help fund research into PMP that is being done in partnership with Southampton University and also to buy equipment for the specialist ward.
If you wish to donate than you can either see one of the team members listed above or of course do it on line via the "Just giving" site. All donations are gratefully recieved and will be put to good use helping sufferers of PMP and funding research into this devestating desease........Thank you!
Monday, 24 May 2010
Getting back to normal......
I've been home a couple of weeks now and am recovering well. The wound from the stoma closure is taking a while to repair itself due to the type of wound that I have. The nurse is coming every few days to re-dress it and clean it up. I anticipate it being another three weeks or so before its properly healed.
It's great to be home though and whilst I cant do everything yet due to restictions on lifting and so on I'm doing most things now. I will be glad when I can get back to some rough and tumble with the kids and take them swimming again. It'll be a while yet before I can get back to caving due to its physical nature but I have been out walking.
I have found myself thinking about PMP less in the last week or so. Sure there is not a day goes by where I dont have to tend to the dressing I have in some way but in terms of PMP its no longer the heavey weight I have been carrying around with me for the last year. We are starting to plan for the future and have some things to look forward to.
The big news is that I return to work on the 1st June. Initially just doing 1/2 days to get back into the swing of things but I hope to very quickly be back to normal and doing full days. Again another step back to normality.
On 15th of May I had an anonomous comment from a follower that really made my day. This person is a fellow PMP sufferer in the U.S.A who has been following my blog. They had their operation about the same time as me in Portland, Maine. The comments that this person made really made me happy and have made all the effort writing this blog worth while. They said that my blog had helped them and that they enjoyed reading it. Knowing that I have helped just one fellow PMP sufferer is just reward and I was touched by their comments.It's exactly why I wrote this blog and I hope it will help others too. So this is a personal and heartfelt thank you to that person for those kind words and I wish you luck with your story.
It's great to be home though and whilst I cant do everything yet due to restictions on lifting and so on I'm doing most things now. I will be glad when I can get back to some rough and tumble with the kids and take them swimming again. It'll be a while yet before I can get back to caving due to its physical nature but I have been out walking.
I have found myself thinking about PMP less in the last week or so. Sure there is not a day goes by where I dont have to tend to the dressing I have in some way but in terms of PMP its no longer the heavey weight I have been carrying around with me for the last year. We are starting to plan for the future and have some things to look forward to.
The big news is that I return to work on the 1st June. Initially just doing 1/2 days to get back into the swing of things but I hope to very quickly be back to normal and doing full days. Again another step back to normality.
On 15th of May I had an anonomous comment from a follower that really made my day. This person is a fellow PMP sufferer in the U.S.A who has been following my blog. They had their operation about the same time as me in Portland, Maine. The comments that this person made really made me happy and have made all the effort writing this blog worth while. They said that my blog had helped them and that they enjoyed reading it. Knowing that I have helped just one fellow PMP sufferer is just reward and I was touched by their comments.It's exactly why I wrote this blog and I hope it will help others too. So this is a personal and heartfelt thank you to that person for those kind words and I wish you luck with your story.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Stoma closure day +5 Weds 12th May
I awoke bright as a button this morning. The sun blazed in through the window and the ward was stuffy from being shut up all night.
" I slept well" I commented to Graham who now occupied the bed to my left.
"I know you did, I could hear you" he replied.
Apparently I had been snoring most of the night which was unusual for me unless I have had a few beers!
I felt revitalised, the muzzy, tired feeling of the day before had gone, I was in no pain and my stomach felt fine.
I sat on the bed crossed legged with the latest issues of Trail magazine and Descent when suddenly I was surrounded by the doctors! They had come early on their rounds. Both Mr. Moran and Mr. Cecil were there.
"Blimey, you look better than when I last saw you" Mr. Cecil commented.
"He was sat out front last night" replied Mr Moran.
They asked how I felt, I told them that once the N.G tube had been fitted things had started to work within hours.
"That's interesting" they said
"In future I think we should just bite the bullet and do it" Mr Moran said to Mr. Cecil giving me the impression that they had perhaps experienced something similar before.
"So go home today?" said Mr. Moran.
"Today?" I said a little surprised.
"No reason why not, your well enough" he said.
"Great!" I replied and thanked them for all they had done.
I grabbed the phone immediately and phoned Tracey. She was pleased. The next thing was to try and arrange a lift back to Bristol at such short notice. Dad was working and his weekly day off wasn't until tomorrow so we may have to stay an extra night.
After a few calls Dad decided that he would come up and pick us up after work and then he could have a full day at home tomorrow.
I tidied my stuff up and got dressed into my civvies. The nurse came again to change my dressing and gave me some extra for the district nurse to use when we got home.
I had a wander down to C2 ward to see if anyone was around who I knew just to say hello. They were all pretty busy and there were a lot of new faces there. I then stopped by Sue's office but she too was out on he rounds.
Finally the time came to leave, Dad was arriving late afternoon and the nurses wanted my bed so I decided to go back to the flat with Tracey. I said my goodbye's to the chaps on the ward and wished them all luck. It was like a mass exodus, both Albert and Colin were also leaving today, Paul was due to leave the following day, leaving Graham and Dave.
We said our goodbye's to the nurses and left them a box of chocolates as thanks and then headed down to the flat. It was good to be out. On the way I bumped in to Sarah, one of the nurses who had looked after me on C2. We chatted for a while and she remarked on how well I looked. I thanked her again for all she did for me whilst I was in her care.
Once down at the flat we made a cuppa and sat with the T.V on awaiting Dad's arrival. The T.V was full of election news that David Cameron was the new Prime Minister. Whist we sat there I noticed one of the male nurses stood outside having a cigarette. It was Vasili the nurse who looked after me for the biggest part of my stay in ICU. He'd looked after me very well and I wanted to thank him for everything he'd done for me.
"Good to see you standing up!" he said witha smile in his Romanian accent.
"How are you Vasili?" I enquired.
We chatted for a while, him telling me how things were going on ICU.
"We have good month's and bad month's" he said. "Sometimes the Pseudo patients are moved from ICU onto the ward only to come back again a week later with chest infections or other problems. It goes in fits and starts. The one thing I have noticed though in my 12 months here so far is that it's all about the patients attitude. If you go into it already admitting defeat, feeling down then you will struggle. If like you Dave, you are positive and fit and healthy you will do well. I cant believe just how much your mental attitude towards it has such a big part to play in the outcome"
I'd always thought this was the case and people always say it. But to hear it as an observation from an actual ICU nurse couldn't be any clearer. If you are going to get through this without too many problems then a positive mental attitude must be adopted. Fact.
We chatted a little longer and then I thanked him again and we said our goodbye's.
Dad arrived a little after 16:00, we had another cuppa and then loaded the car and made our way home. Isn't it just typical, the one time you really just want to get home and you get caught in traffic. A poxy hole in the ground just outside Newbury held us up for ages.
We arrived home early in the evening during a heavy shower. Chloe was at the door waiting for me and Jess in the window. It was great to see them again, I'd really missed them. I grabbed my coat and pulled it over my head and made a dash from the car to the house. I hugged the girls who were excited to see me and then hugged Mum.
They were surprised to see me in such good condition and expected me to be in a similar state as to when I came home from the MOAS I think.
It was great to be home.
Just before bed I jumped on the scales. I was down to 10 stone 11lbs. That's bang on a 2 stone weight loss since the point I was admitted in February.
" I slept well" I commented to Graham who now occupied the bed to my left.
"I know you did, I could hear you" he replied.
Apparently I had been snoring most of the night which was unusual for me unless I have had a few beers!
I felt revitalised, the muzzy, tired feeling of the day before had gone, I was in no pain and my stomach felt fine.
I sat on the bed crossed legged with the latest issues of Trail magazine and Descent when suddenly I was surrounded by the doctors! They had come early on their rounds. Both Mr. Moran and Mr. Cecil were there.
"Blimey, you look better than when I last saw you" Mr. Cecil commented.
"He was sat out front last night" replied Mr Moran.
They asked how I felt, I told them that once the N.G tube had been fitted things had started to work within hours.
"That's interesting" they said
"In future I think we should just bite the bullet and do it" Mr Moran said to Mr. Cecil giving me the impression that they had perhaps experienced something similar before.
"So go home today?" said Mr. Moran.
"Today?" I said a little surprised.
"No reason why not, your well enough" he said.
"Great!" I replied and thanked them for all they had done.
I grabbed the phone immediately and phoned Tracey. She was pleased. The next thing was to try and arrange a lift back to Bristol at such short notice. Dad was working and his weekly day off wasn't until tomorrow so we may have to stay an extra night.
After a few calls Dad decided that he would come up and pick us up after work and then he could have a full day at home tomorrow.
I tidied my stuff up and got dressed into my civvies. The nurse came again to change my dressing and gave me some extra for the district nurse to use when we got home.
I had a wander down to C2 ward to see if anyone was around who I knew just to say hello. They were all pretty busy and there were a lot of new faces there. I then stopped by Sue's office but she too was out on he rounds.
Finally the time came to leave, Dad was arriving late afternoon and the nurses wanted my bed so I decided to go back to the flat with Tracey. I said my goodbye's to the chaps on the ward and wished them all luck. It was like a mass exodus, both Albert and Colin were also leaving today, Paul was due to leave the following day, leaving Graham and Dave.
We said our goodbye's to the nurses and left them a box of chocolates as thanks and then headed down to the flat. It was good to be out. On the way I bumped in to Sarah, one of the nurses who had looked after me on C2. We chatted for a while and she remarked on how well I looked. I thanked her again for all she did for me whilst I was in her care.
Once down at the flat we made a cuppa and sat with the T.V on awaiting Dad's arrival. The T.V was full of election news that David Cameron was the new Prime Minister. Whist we sat there I noticed one of the male nurses stood outside having a cigarette. It was Vasili the nurse who looked after me for the biggest part of my stay in ICU. He'd looked after me very well and I wanted to thank him for everything he'd done for me.
"Good to see you standing up!" he said witha smile in his Romanian accent.
"How are you Vasili?" I enquired.
We chatted for a while, him telling me how things were going on ICU.
"We have good month's and bad month's" he said. "Sometimes the Pseudo patients are moved from ICU onto the ward only to come back again a week later with chest infections or other problems. It goes in fits and starts. The one thing I have noticed though in my 12 months here so far is that it's all about the patients attitude. If you go into it already admitting defeat, feeling down then you will struggle. If like you Dave, you are positive and fit and healthy you will do well. I cant believe just how much your mental attitude towards it has such a big part to play in the outcome"
I'd always thought this was the case and people always say it. But to hear it as an observation from an actual ICU nurse couldn't be any clearer. If you are going to get through this without too many problems then a positive mental attitude must be adopted. Fact.
We chatted a little longer and then I thanked him again and we said our goodbye's.
Dad arrived a little after 16:00, we had another cuppa and then loaded the car and made our way home. Isn't it just typical, the one time you really just want to get home and you get caught in traffic. A poxy hole in the ground just outside Newbury held us up for ages.
We arrived home early in the evening during a heavy shower. Chloe was at the door waiting for me and Jess in the window. It was great to see them again, I'd really missed them. I grabbed my coat and pulled it over my head and made a dash from the car to the house. I hugged the girls who were excited to see me and then hugged Mum.
They were surprised to see me in such good condition and expected me to be in a similar state as to when I came home from the MOAS I think.
It was great to be home.
Just before bed I jumped on the scales. I was down to 10 stone 11lbs. That's bang on a 2 stone weight loss since the point I was admitted in February.
Stoma closure day +4 Tues 11th May
The nurses awoke us at our usual time of 06:00. I was tired from a busy night walking back and fourth to the bathroom wheeling my drip stand and holding the drain for the N.G. tube. I stayed in bed and dozed,quietly content that things were finally working as they should. I felt much better, the acidity and gastric reflux I was suffering from had gone I felt completely different.
The doctors came around about 08:30 and advised that the N.G. tube could come out and that the drip could also come out when it had finished. The timer on the stand showed another five hours yet though. I couldn't wait to be free of all the attachments and get in to the bathroom and have a nice long shower. The nurse was prompt and she came back pretty quickly after the doctors has left to remove the N.G tube. This was far easier to deal with than having it put in. The trick as with allot of these things is to just relax and go with the flow. A few seconds and it was all over with and felt so much better. You could constantly feel the tube in your throat when it was in and it was made worse when you turned your head as the tube moved. But I was free now and it felt great!
I sat in the chair at the side of the bed and waited for the drip to finish. I kept myself amused with books and the DVD player and waited patiently for the drip to empty. I found myself watching the digital countdown on the drip getting more and more excited as the time drew near for it to finish. Before long the alarm sounded to show that there was less than five minutes remaining and I notified the nurse. She arrived back not long after and removed the drip, capping off the end of the cannula. One trick I have found useful is that if you have a cannula in not being used get the nurses to put some tubigrip over the top, it stops it getting snagged on clothing and so on.
I called Tracey and we arrange to go for a walk before lunch was served. We strolled down to the foyer and sat in the chairs for a while watching the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. I headed back just before lunch, I was feeling really well and apart from the odd stomach cramp was in no pain at all. I was told I may suffer from cramps and indigestion as the bowl returned to life.
Lunch was served and this time it wasn't just a drink I was given. I had soup, jelly and ice cream. I have to say that hospital ice cream is weired stuff, it doesn't melt, just gets warm and still holds the same shape and texture. Not sure what its made from but was very welcome to someone who hadn't eaten for days.
The nurse came around in the afternoon and changed my dressing again. Shortly afterwards Tracey arrived and we sat for a while and talked with Paul next door. We went for another stroll, I had a craving for some chocolate and bought some Cadburys Giant chocolate buttons. Yum!
To help the time pass throughout the afternoon I scheduled in a number of tasks at certain times throughout. I wouldn't let myself do the said task until it was time so as to try and keep myself as busy as possible and string things out. The best thing I did was go take the long awaited shower. I started first with a shave as to have the shower first would have meant that the mirror would be steamed up making things difficult. Once shaved, I stripped and then prepared the shower. It was at this point that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror for the first time properly since the operation and it was a poignant moment. I no longer had the stoma bag hanging from the right side of my abdomen. I felt quite choked. In its place was just a small post op dressing. I hadn't realised just how much "the bag" had affected me, I'd just blocked it out as part of the coping process and now I was free of it. It felt good, I felt almost normal again. I enjoyed that long hot shower.
I sat quietly the rest of that afternoon waiting for dinner to be served and then to see Tracey again. Tiredness was catching up with me but I couldn't sleep,there was just a glimmer of excitement that I might just be going home in the next day or so. That evening Tracey and I took a walk again, we took the stairs rather than the lifts to get some additional exercise. I'd missed the doctors on their rounds somehow as I'd assumed they might not come around as they would be busy in surgery as Tuesday is MOAS day. However we bumped into Mr. Moran on our walk, he was busy chatting to some other doctor dressed in his scrubs. He saw me and waved "your looking better"he said with a smile.
"thanks" I replied and he carried on chatting with his colleague.
I was desperate for some fresh air in my lungs so Tracey and I made our way outside of the main entrance and sat on the benches. The rain had stopped and the sun had come out and it was a nice evening, cool but refreshing after the stuffy air of the ward. We sat for half an hour, my arm around Tracey.It felt good. Mr. Moran then breezed past this time in his suit and on his way home. He tapped me on my knee as he passed.
"Good to see you looking so well" he said and kept walking.
"thanks" I replied.
Tracey and I made our way back to the ward shortly afterwards. My eyes were dry where I was so tired but still I couldn't settle down to sleep. Tracey left and I led on the bed. I grabbed my MP3 and put on some nice relaxing classical music. It felt good, I was so relaxed the music was amazing and I led there like that for over an hour just chilling to the music, feeling good, feeling relieved, contemplating what the future might hold. Was this ordeal now over?
The doctors came around about 08:30 and advised that the N.G. tube could come out and that the drip could also come out when it had finished. The timer on the stand showed another five hours yet though. I couldn't wait to be free of all the attachments and get in to the bathroom and have a nice long shower. The nurse was prompt and she came back pretty quickly after the doctors has left to remove the N.G tube. This was far easier to deal with than having it put in. The trick as with allot of these things is to just relax and go with the flow. A few seconds and it was all over with and felt so much better. You could constantly feel the tube in your throat when it was in and it was made worse when you turned your head as the tube moved. But I was free now and it felt great!
I sat in the chair at the side of the bed and waited for the drip to finish. I kept myself amused with books and the DVD player and waited patiently for the drip to empty. I found myself watching the digital countdown on the drip getting more and more excited as the time drew near for it to finish. Before long the alarm sounded to show that there was less than five minutes remaining and I notified the nurse. She arrived back not long after and removed the drip, capping off the end of the cannula. One trick I have found useful is that if you have a cannula in not being used get the nurses to put some tubigrip over the top, it stops it getting snagged on clothing and so on.
I called Tracey and we arrange to go for a walk before lunch was served. We strolled down to the foyer and sat in the chairs for a while watching the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. I headed back just before lunch, I was feeling really well and apart from the odd stomach cramp was in no pain at all. I was told I may suffer from cramps and indigestion as the bowl returned to life.
Lunch was served and this time it wasn't just a drink I was given. I had soup, jelly and ice cream. I have to say that hospital ice cream is weired stuff, it doesn't melt, just gets warm and still holds the same shape and texture. Not sure what its made from but was very welcome to someone who hadn't eaten for days.
The nurse came around in the afternoon and changed my dressing again. Shortly afterwards Tracey arrived and we sat for a while and talked with Paul next door. We went for another stroll, I had a craving for some chocolate and bought some Cadburys Giant chocolate buttons. Yum!
To help the time pass throughout the afternoon I scheduled in a number of tasks at certain times throughout. I wouldn't let myself do the said task until it was time so as to try and keep myself as busy as possible and string things out. The best thing I did was go take the long awaited shower. I started first with a shave as to have the shower first would have meant that the mirror would be steamed up making things difficult. Once shaved, I stripped and then prepared the shower. It was at this point that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror for the first time properly since the operation and it was a poignant moment. I no longer had the stoma bag hanging from the right side of my abdomen. I felt quite choked. In its place was just a small post op dressing. I hadn't realised just how much "the bag" had affected me, I'd just blocked it out as part of the coping process and now I was free of it. It felt good, I felt almost normal again. I enjoyed that long hot shower.
I sat quietly the rest of that afternoon waiting for dinner to be served and then to see Tracey again. Tiredness was catching up with me but I couldn't sleep,there was just a glimmer of excitement that I might just be going home in the next day or so. That evening Tracey and I took a walk again, we took the stairs rather than the lifts to get some additional exercise. I'd missed the doctors on their rounds somehow as I'd assumed they might not come around as they would be busy in surgery as Tuesday is MOAS day. However we bumped into Mr. Moran on our walk, he was busy chatting to some other doctor dressed in his scrubs. He saw me and waved "your looking better"he said with a smile.
"thanks" I replied and he carried on chatting with his colleague.
I was desperate for some fresh air in my lungs so Tracey and I made our way outside of the main entrance and sat on the benches. The rain had stopped and the sun had come out and it was a nice evening, cool but refreshing after the stuffy air of the ward. We sat for half an hour, my arm around Tracey.It felt good. Mr. Moran then breezed past this time in his suit and on his way home. He tapped me on my knee as he passed.
"Good to see you looking so well" he said and kept walking.
"thanks" I replied.
Tracey and I made our way back to the ward shortly afterwards. My eyes were dry where I was so tired but still I couldn't settle down to sleep. Tracey left and I led on the bed. I grabbed my MP3 and put on some nice relaxing classical music. It felt good, I was so relaxed the music was amazing and I led there like that for over an hour just chilling to the music, feeling good, feeling relieved, contemplating what the future might hold. Was this ordeal now over?
Friday, 14 May 2010
Stoma closure day +3 Mon 10th May
I immediatly felt better today after a descent nights sleep. Again I still was only on a liquid diet so went without breakfast again today. As I was feeling ok (ish) I met Tracey in the morning and w went for a walk and sat down on some benches where we could look out on some ponds with fish in. I was still not right though,constantly shifting around as i couldnt get comfortable.
I again had a liquid lunch but I could feel things backing up again. There was still no sign of any movement and there was much interest into my bowl movement and flatus!
Tracey arrived at 14:00 as ususal and could see I was still not right and was going downhill fast. I was in constant pain, felt sick and bloated.
I called the nurse and said that I was feeling unwell and that it was not a case of if I was going to be sick but when. For that I got another antisickness jab in the bum which made me feel equally woozy again. So now I felt faint, and in discomfort. The doctors were called.
They arrived promptly and both Mr Moran and Mr Cecil were there, they could see I was suffering. I asked for the N.G tube. They were surprised. People dont generally ask for this as its not a nice proceedure. Basically the tube is fed via the nose down the throat and into the stomach where excess liquid is then drained out into a bag. All the time you are wide awake. But I was in pain, I felt awful, I needed this.
"O.K" they said "We'll do the N.G tube and insert a drip as you are getting dehydrated".
The nurse's arrived back promptly and got straight on with it thankfully whilst my mind was made up. It was horrible. I have to say it was one of my worst hospital experiences so far and was pretty sick. But the effects were immediate. I sat quiet for the next couple of hours with the curtains drawn around the bed whilst I settled from the whole experience.
Tracey came to visit me at 18:00 and by then I was feeling better although the n.g tube does irritate your throat. The sickness had eased and I was feeling a bit better. I had a quiet evening and didnt do much at at all.
Around 22:00 though things started to change, I needed the toilet. I got up quickly and made my way to the bathroom.
Celebration time! Things were starting to work! I emerged from the bathroom with a big grin and bumped straight into Moana one of the nurses.
" You been?" she said in her phillipeno accent.
"Yup" I replied smiling.
"Thats brilliant Dave,hooray"
I walked into the ward and all eyes were upon me. I said nothing just gave the thumbs up and a huge cheer went up! It was really funny. I think secretly they just all wanted a good nights sleep. They got it. It was a busy one for me though!
Stoma closure day +2 Sun 9th May
I awoke feeling much better, still getting the odd stomach cramps but not feeling quite so sick. The doctors arrived quite early. One of my consultants said that i shouldnt have been given the food and should only have been on a liquid diet until by bowels had started to move. Basically what had happened is after the operation the point where the bowel had been joined back together had obviously swelled as all wounds do after injury. This had the effect of closing the bowl temporarily until the swelling eased, in effect acting as a break. What then happened is that as I ate the food backed up in my stomach until the only way out was by vomiting. I now had to take a step backwards, only taking in liquid until my bowels started to work and then introduce food slowly.
Whilst there the doctor looked at the wound. Its a circular type wound that has a single stitch running around it like a "purse string". The centre of the wound is then left open with some gauze in it so the wound heals from the inside out and then any unwanted gunge ouzes out and is absorbed by the gauze rather than get trapped in. Over this is a small dressing. Everything was fine and the dressing was changed.
Throughout the morning I felt ok but again, taking in liquids throughout the day this seemed to back up and at 16:00 I was sick again.Afterwards of course I felt better again.
The doctor called again later and advised that if the vomiting did not settle and my bowls started to work then I would need a drip and possibly a Nasogastric tube (N.G tube).
I had a ok nights sleep but was still uncomfortable and suffering with bloating and indigestion.
Stoma closure day +1 Sat 8th May
I had a good night, I'd been moved to the next ward down late yesterday evening and now had new room mates but had slept well and again felt ok.
In the usual manner we were awoken at 6am by the nurse doing the observations;blood pressure, o2 saturation,heart rate and temperature and then the meds round. Most of us dozed in between.
Breakfast was served at 09:00 and I had some rice crispies and toast. As people surfaced and became more with it the introductions were made. I was in a middle bed in two rows of three. To my right was a chap called Paul, an older fellow who'd been the CEO of some engineering company. He'd lost his right big toe due to diabetes. Opposite him was a chap called Colin who like to be called "Micky" owing to the fact that his surname was Finn. Opposite me was Albert, in his 90's and acutely deaf he'd sit in his chair missing out on the conversation around the ward,reading his paper with his hearing aid whistling! To my left was Terry a quiet but well spoken chap who had been in for some fairly major bowl surgery and opposite him was Dave, a captain Nemo look a like with a broad Lancashire accent. We all hit it off well.
The day rolled by slowly as they often do in hospital. Tracey couldn't meet me until 14:00 so we spoke on the phone and text each other. Dinner was served at 12:00. A mild chicken curry with rice. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Throughout the afternoon I increasingly felt worse and worse. Stomach cramps,bloating,heartburn and pain. I felt sick. I started vomiting around 4pm and didn't stop until 4am on Sunday morning. I felt awful,in pain and tired. The night duty doctor was called and came to see me I had been given Omeprezole to help with the reflux, Cyclizine tablets. The doctor advised that if the vomiting didn't stop they may need to do some x-rays to see what was causing it. They gave me a further two anti sickness injections in my backside that made me feel really woozy and then I slept.....
In the usual manner we were awoken at 6am by the nurse doing the observations;blood pressure, o2 saturation,heart rate and temperature and then the meds round. Most of us dozed in between.
Breakfast was served at 09:00 and I had some rice crispies and toast. As people surfaced and became more with it the introductions were made. I was in a middle bed in two rows of three. To my right was a chap called Paul, an older fellow who'd been the CEO of some engineering company. He'd lost his right big toe due to diabetes. Opposite him was a chap called Colin who like to be called "Micky" owing to the fact that his surname was Finn. Opposite me was Albert, in his 90's and acutely deaf he'd sit in his chair missing out on the conversation around the ward,reading his paper with his hearing aid whistling! To my left was Terry a quiet but well spoken chap who had been in for some fairly major bowl surgery and opposite him was Dave, a captain Nemo look a like with a broad Lancashire accent. We all hit it off well.
The day rolled by slowly as they often do in hospital. Tracey couldn't meet me until 14:00 so we spoke on the phone and text each other. Dinner was served at 12:00. A mild chicken curry with rice. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Throughout the afternoon I increasingly felt worse and worse. Stomach cramps,bloating,heartburn and pain. I felt sick. I started vomiting around 4pm and didn't stop until 4am on Sunday morning. I felt awful,in pain and tired. The night duty doctor was called and came to see me I had been given Omeprezole to help with the reflux, Cyclizine tablets. The doctor advised that if the vomiting didn't stop they may need to do some x-rays to see what was causing it. They gave me a further two anti sickness injections in my backside that made me feel really woozy and then I slept.....
Operation day.... 7th May 2010
I had a good nights sleep. I was surprised, often your nerves get the better of you the night before and op and I was also in a room with six other chaps that wasn't particularly dark or quiet. Perhaps I'm getting a little too used to this hospital life.
Again I didn't feel too nervous about the operation. It was only a small one where I was only expected to be knocked out for around and hour and a half. "A walk in the park compared to the last one" Sue had told me. I had a shower and got myself ready.
The porter turned up at 09:30, quite a bit earlier than expected so I had to ring Tracey to come up and see me off as there were now strict visiting hours in force around the hospital to reduce infection.
I walked to theatre! Tracey was with me most of the way and we stopped at the entrance to say cheerio, hug and kiss. "I wont be long" I said. I then turned and made my way with the porter into the theatre pre op rooms. A deep breath.....here we go again then and focus....
In pre op I hopped onto the bed and made myself comfortable. The room was the same one as where I had my central line changed before, the bed in the middle, stainless steel tables down each side of the room with cupboards on the wall stuffed with surgical gadgets and equipment. Infront of me were two double doors into the operating theatre, one was open and I could see the operating table with the huge pivoting light above it.The door was quickly closed.
The anaesthetist started to talk me through what was happening, they removed my glasses and put them to one side. The nice thing about it is they always work quickly at this point and don't hang around keeping you waiting. I was soon fast asleep.
The next thing I knew I was in recovery, that was quick! again my memories of this are pretty sketchy but I was far more aware than any of the two other ops I'd had before. Tracey was on the ward to see me back and I was pretty sleepy for a while. I soon perked up though and remember feeling really quite well, far better that ever before. My worries about suffering from hallucinations were unfounded and I had no problem with anything like that.
As the day wore on I dipped in and out of sleep but was increasingly well. Surprisingly I was allowed onto a light diet, so I ate some soup for tea that evening (big mistake).
Again I didn't feel too nervous about the operation. It was only a small one where I was only expected to be knocked out for around and hour and a half. "A walk in the park compared to the last one" Sue had told me. I had a shower and got myself ready.
The porter turned up at 09:30, quite a bit earlier than expected so I had to ring Tracey to come up and see me off as there were now strict visiting hours in force around the hospital to reduce infection.
I walked to theatre! Tracey was with me most of the way and we stopped at the entrance to say cheerio, hug and kiss. "I wont be long" I said. I then turned and made my way with the porter into the theatre pre op rooms. A deep breath.....here we go again then and focus....
In pre op I hopped onto the bed and made myself comfortable. The room was the same one as where I had my central line changed before, the bed in the middle, stainless steel tables down each side of the room with cupboards on the wall stuffed with surgical gadgets and equipment. Infront of me were two double doors into the operating theatre, one was open and I could see the operating table with the huge pivoting light above it.The door was quickly closed.
The anaesthetist started to talk me through what was happening, they removed my glasses and put them to one side. The nice thing about it is they always work quickly at this point and don't hang around keeping you waiting. I was soon fast asleep.
The next thing I knew I was in recovery, that was quick! again my memories of this are pretty sketchy but I was far more aware than any of the two other ops I'd had before. Tracey was on the ward to see me back and I was pretty sleepy for a while. I soon perked up though and remember feeling really quite well, far better that ever before. My worries about suffering from hallucinations were unfounded and I had no problem with anything like that.
As the day wore on I dipped in and out of sleep but was increasingly well. Surprisingly I was allowed onto a light diet, so I ate some soup for tea that evening (big mistake).
Stoma closure admission day.........6th May 2010
We arrived at Basingstoke at around 09:30 after an early start but thankfully uneventful journey. The next job was to once again get Tracey booked into the on site accommodation. This time rather than her own flat she shared with other people so it gave her some company.She was a little nervous being on her own but as soon as we walked in we bumped into a member of the Christies forum which helped break the ice and settle Tracey.
We the headed to Costa coffee for a bite to eat and a drink before heading for the X ray department for my 10:30 appointment. At this point I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I felt that nothing could be as bad as what I went through last time and I'd managed that so I could manage this.
At the X ray department they were running on time and I didn't have to wait long. I was soon called and made my way to a cubicle where I had to change into the usual hospital gown. I was then shown through to the X-ray room. It looked a pretty standard piece of kit to my untrained eye. I was expecting something slightly different given what they were doing but this wasn't the case.
The nurse explained thoroughly what would happen. The whole procedure would take less than 10 minutes. A small tube is inserted into the back end and a series of pictures taken to establish where the join has been made in surgery. The photos have to be taken at different angles so it did involve shifting around to different positions on the table. Once they were happy then the dye is injected via the tube to check for leaks, again the photos are taken from different angles and that's it, job done.
The experience certainly wasn't painful but at the same time not enjoyable! You just have to get on with it, it has to be done. You are then ushered to a bathroom to tidy yourself up and get changed. All pretty straight forward really and over fairly quickly. I was back in the waiting room by about 10:50.
Next I made my way to "C" floor Elective Surgery Admissions as I had been instructed. The nurse went through the admission papers and explained that "C2" was full and that I was to be admitted to a bed on a mixed ward on "C4". I was a little disappointed but what could I do. As we were there early they didn't need me for a while so again we were free to go off to the restaurant for some lunch for an hour.
I made my way back to the ward and was shown to my bed. I got myself settled and was soon visited by one of the doctors. She took blood and inserted a cannula in the back of my left hand. It seems that surprisingly my veins hadn't recovered properly from the last op yet and she struggled a bit. This was unusual as normally they have no problem with me as I have a pretty good cardio vascular system due to all the running and stuff.
I was also given an E.C.G. This was a bit of a strange one? So we asked, and to my surprise was told that post MOAS they has discovered that I had a small amount of fluid around my heart! I was shocked, this was the first I had heard about it. I vaguely remember having a heart scan when I was in ICU but it was all a bit blurred due to my drug induced state but I clearly remembered the lady saying that a I had a "beautiful heart" and to be honest would have been shocked at anything else again due to the fact I don't really drink, don't smoke and the sheer volume of exercise I do.
The doctor explained that the E.C.G results were fine, it was just a precaution and that the fluid around the heart post MOAS was caused by the trauma of the operation as the body often will store fluids around the body which then is re-absorbed. Phew!
Then that was that, I made myself comfortable and settled down with an episode of "Band of Brothers" on the DVD player.
I was second on the list to go down for surgery in the morning. The consultant just wanted the radiographer to check my scan results before she proceeds. I anticipate going down around about 10am. I'm nil by mouth from midnight so tuck into a pack of Jaffa cakes for supper......
We the headed to Costa coffee for a bite to eat and a drink before heading for the X ray department for my 10:30 appointment. At this point I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I felt that nothing could be as bad as what I went through last time and I'd managed that so I could manage this.
At the X ray department they were running on time and I didn't have to wait long. I was soon called and made my way to a cubicle where I had to change into the usual hospital gown. I was then shown through to the X-ray room. It looked a pretty standard piece of kit to my untrained eye. I was expecting something slightly different given what they were doing but this wasn't the case.
The nurse explained thoroughly what would happen. The whole procedure would take less than 10 minutes. A small tube is inserted into the back end and a series of pictures taken to establish where the join has been made in surgery. The photos have to be taken at different angles so it did involve shifting around to different positions on the table. Once they were happy then the dye is injected via the tube to check for leaks, again the photos are taken from different angles and that's it, job done.
The experience certainly wasn't painful but at the same time not enjoyable! You just have to get on with it, it has to be done. You are then ushered to a bathroom to tidy yourself up and get changed. All pretty straight forward really and over fairly quickly. I was back in the waiting room by about 10:50.
Next I made my way to "C" floor Elective Surgery Admissions as I had been instructed. The nurse went through the admission papers and explained that "C2" was full and that I was to be admitted to a bed on a mixed ward on "C4". I was a little disappointed but what could I do. As we were there early they didn't need me for a while so again we were free to go off to the restaurant for some lunch for an hour.
I made my way back to the ward and was shown to my bed. I got myself settled and was soon visited by one of the doctors. She took blood and inserted a cannula in the back of my left hand. It seems that surprisingly my veins hadn't recovered properly from the last op yet and she struggled a bit. This was unusual as normally they have no problem with me as I have a pretty good cardio vascular system due to all the running and stuff.
I was also given an E.C.G. This was a bit of a strange one? So we asked, and to my surprise was told that post MOAS they has discovered that I had a small amount of fluid around my heart! I was shocked, this was the first I had heard about it. I vaguely remember having a heart scan when I was in ICU but it was all a bit blurred due to my drug induced state but I clearly remembered the lady saying that a I had a "beautiful heart" and to be honest would have been shocked at anything else again due to the fact I don't really drink, don't smoke and the sheer volume of exercise I do.
The doctor explained that the E.C.G results were fine, it was just a precaution and that the fluid around the heart post MOAS was caused by the trauma of the operation as the body often will store fluids around the body which then is re-absorbed. Phew!
Then that was that, I made myself comfortable and settled down with an episode of "Band of Brothers" on the DVD player.
I was second on the list to go down for surgery in the morning. The consultant just wanted the radiographer to check my scan results before she proceeds. I anticipate going down around about 10am. I'm nil by mouth from midnight so tuck into a pack of Jaffa cakes for supper......
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Off to Basingstoke and making tentative plans for the next adventure..
So here we go again, early tomorrow we head off to Basingstoke for yet another stay in hospital. It'll be my third in a year. Hopefully though this one will be much easier than the last one. My appointment for the water soluble enema is at 10:30 am so will mean we will have to be on the road by 07:00 to do battle with the rush hour traffic.
The aim of the scan is to inject a dye into my bowl allowing the doctors to watch the dye's progress as it travels through my system. They will be looking for any leaks in my bowl where it has not healed properly from the MOAS allowing the dye to escape into my abdominal cavity. Hopefully that wont be the case and the dye will stay within the bowl and this means its healed properly allowing the stoma closure operation to go ahead on Friday.
Once the scan is completed I then have to go up to "C" ward for admission and to get myself settled while we await the results of the scan.
I don't feel too worried about the prospect of yet another operation, third time lucky! That said I haven't slept too well in the last few nights and will probably use some chemical help tonight to ensure a good night and arrive at the hospital well rested. I'm hoping I'll be re-admitted to ward C2 where I know I'll get a peaceful nights sleep but that's not guaranteed.
The operation is far less invasive this time and only takes around 1 1/2 hrs so not too much anesthetic. I'm hoping that this will mean that I'll feel a bit better when I come around and will recover quickly. I'm keen to get back to normal now,start work again and all the other things that I enjoy and also book that holiday with the family.
I plan to do the same as when I had the MOAS and write a detailed diary whist in hospital that I can update here once I'm back home. The estimated stay in hospital is between 3-5 days so I hope by Wednesday of next week to be back home. We'll see....
In the last few days I have been up to my old tricks and planning the next big adventure. It of course relies on me making a good recovery and being strong again by the end of August as that's is when I'm planning it for. "What is it" I hear you ask?
well you'll just have to hang on a while as I'm not going to announce it properly until I'm confident that I'm well enough to do it, I don't want to tempt fate. But its going to be good and its going to be a fundraiser for the hospital and research into PMP. The plans are firming up however and a team is in the process of being put together. We know what we want to do and details are being finalised. I just have to get fit!
It's been good actually as its meant that I have had something to focus on,something to organise, and to look forward to. Watch this space.......!
The aim of the scan is to inject a dye into my bowl allowing the doctors to watch the dye's progress as it travels through my system. They will be looking for any leaks in my bowl where it has not healed properly from the MOAS allowing the dye to escape into my abdominal cavity. Hopefully that wont be the case and the dye will stay within the bowl and this means its healed properly allowing the stoma closure operation to go ahead on Friday.
Once the scan is completed I then have to go up to "C" ward for admission and to get myself settled while we await the results of the scan.
I don't feel too worried about the prospect of yet another operation, third time lucky! That said I haven't slept too well in the last few nights and will probably use some chemical help tonight to ensure a good night and arrive at the hospital well rested. I'm hoping I'll be re-admitted to ward C2 where I know I'll get a peaceful nights sleep but that's not guaranteed.
The operation is far less invasive this time and only takes around 1 1/2 hrs so not too much anesthetic. I'm hoping that this will mean that I'll feel a bit better when I come around and will recover quickly. I'm keen to get back to normal now,start work again and all the other things that I enjoy and also book that holiday with the family.
I plan to do the same as when I had the MOAS and write a detailed diary whist in hospital that I can update here once I'm back home. The estimated stay in hospital is between 3-5 days so I hope by Wednesday of next week to be back home. We'll see....
In the last few days I have been up to my old tricks and planning the next big adventure. It of course relies on me making a good recovery and being strong again by the end of August as that's is when I'm planning it for. "What is it" I hear you ask?
well you'll just have to hang on a while as I'm not going to announce it properly until I'm confident that I'm well enough to do it, I don't want to tempt fate. But its going to be good and its going to be a fundraiser for the hospital and research into PMP. The plans are firming up however and a team is in the process of being put together. We know what we want to do and details are being finalised. I just have to get fit!
It's been good actually as its meant that I have had something to focus on,something to organise, and to look forward to. Watch this space.......!
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