Surgery and beyond

13 March 2003 - 7.30 am I was woken by the nurse to get ready for theatre. I had a bath and put a gown on and dressing gown and I went and sat in my wheelchair in the day room and waited for them to come for me. While I was waiting for the trolley, the Staff nurse came and did my theatre check list, which was a series of questions, which I had to answer before I went to theatre. 8.30 am and the trolley came and I went back to my room and the nurse helped me on.

The porter and the nurse took me on the trolley down the corridor into the operating theatre and into the anaesthetic / recovery room. I can remember going to sleep at 9.00am and waking up in the same room at 3.15pm. Mum was there when I woke up and my Consultant showed me my new x-rays and said that it went according to plan and was a success.

I drifted back to sleep then woke again. The nurse in the recovery room wet my lips for me and then I was sick straight away. The next thing I remember is being back in my room and there were a lot of nurses in the room with me. I was supposed to be in Intensive care after the operation but unfortunately, there was no bed available. As a result, the nurses were keeping a close eye on me. Every 10-15mins they came and checked me. I can remember feeling cold and the nurse said do not worry you have a space blanket over you to help warm you up. I asked her 'why was I cold' and she replied 'it is because your blood pressure is a bit low'. I also had a catheter for a few days until I was able to go to the toilet. My Consultant came into see me, and he requested a blood test to check my blood count. The next thing I remember is the Sister putting up a unit of blood, I had had two units in theatre and this was the third.

When I was more awake I noticed that there was a machine near my bed with a hand control and the nurse said that it was a controlled amount of morphine and that I could press the hand control at 5 minute intervals and I would get pain relief. I had it for a few days and I did not press it as it made me sick and I did not have any pain anyway from the minute I woke up. The nurse took it down and I started to feel better and less sick, which was great.

17 March 2003 - Monday morning and the Physiotherapist and Therapy Assistant arrived to get me up for the first time. The Physiotherapists rolled me in one onto my side and then helped me up into sitting. I was a weird feeling I was dizzy for a minute or so then I was ok. It was nice to sit on the bed I managed six minutes and then I had to lie down again. The next day they came and I sat again on the bed for a while and then we tried a stand with a Zimmer frame, which I managed but not for long, then I tried for a second time and I was a bit wobbly and was unable to stand for very long. They helped back to bed as was very tired. Later in the day my Consultant came to see me, he asked me how I was I explained that I had managed to sit on the edge of the bed for 6 minutes and stood twice with the frame. He was pleased and asked me if I been in my wheelchair and I said no although I would like to get back into my wheelchair. He said that he would like me to get back into my wheelchair and to be able to get about on my own. He then went to have a word with the Physiotherapist and on Wednesday morning, the Physiotherapist, and the Therapy Assistant came and helped me up. I tried to get in my chair but still could not do it.