Opium to go home

At bedtime last night they asked me if I needed any morphine for the pain, but I felt ok, so declined it. A sleepless and slightly painful night found me reaching for my bed buzzer to ask for some more of the opium chemical. 

8 o’clock this morning the surgeon came round to say he is happy for me to go home today. I think I have been here too long… even the breakfast staff said do you want your usual? Cornflakes, no sugar; yoghurt; orange juice; tea with milk, no sugar!

Tommy came to pick me up at noon. I said goodbye to my ward buddies and staff. The discharge process takes forever. It is 2:30 and I am still trying to leave! My friend Tina, (she's the funny one) suggested tying blankets together and taking the window, I said that I had been caught doing that. I had to admit too that the porters uniform did not fit me so in the we end opted for the linen basket. 

We were permitted to leave around 3pm with a bag of drugs and headed for home. Once home I slept solidly for an exhausted nap. 

Moving on-ward

Slept for a couple of hours at a time last night. 6am wakening with lots of tablets and a new IV drip for medication. After breakfast in bed the surgeon came to see me to say that I should probably stay in for a further 24 hours, just so all boxes can be ticked ✅ I need to do lots of walking around the ward. He said he was working on a Saturday as he is on call (he is usually slalom water skiing). 

They removed my cannulas today, so no more drips through my aching veins. 

Tommy came to see me, he bought some clean clothes and took the laundry. I had a nap then Deb came for a visit and a catch up before my tea. I am feeling better day by day. Having a laugh with the 3 ladies in the ward, all with very differing ailments and life stories. 

So I am coming close to the end of my hospital CHAPTER, I cannot put into WORDS how pleased I am with how it all went. Looking forward to turning a new PAGE. Now the big QUESTION MARK is will the reconnected ends of the COLON heal properly? 

Friday

Woke up in pain, but I am trying to stop the intravenous morphine, so have cut back on that through the night. 

This morning they suggested that I could go home if I was ready, but decided that it may be better if I got used to all the new changes… they removed my catheter, so now I have to wee on my own, and also the morphine IV pump. They put new dressings on my five scar areas. I practiced walking up and down the ward. I also administered my anti blood clotting injection, which I will have to do for a month when I get home. 

Went to visit my uncle on the ward next door. Then Luna and Tommy came for a visit with cards from home. Later my cousin popped back to see me. 

Probably going home tomorrow, Saturday. 😀

A jab well done 🩼

Family reunion

Slept quite well out on the ward last night, even with Ruby opposite calling out for help and to save the children! 

Woken at 5:30m for breakfast, then taken for a slow walk down the corridor with the recovery nurse. Saw the doctor who is very pleased with my progress. More blood tests and medications. After lunch cousin Tim came to see me with his mum; her husband is just down the corridor! Tommy and Dad turned up and we walked to the cafe. Back to bed worn out, but lovely to see everyone. Eating and drinking well. Sorry no photos from my iPad in hospital, I can’t get it to work. 

Another night of Ruby rants, she lost the children this time! 

I’m in stitches… no I am

5 keyholes each with big metal staples

 

Short colon, short lived luxury

In the morning I sipped water, saw pharmacist, ward nurses, movement recovery nurse, surgeon and many others. All a bit of a blur. Coughed up blood with clots, and then anything else that I sipped of water. The surgeon said that it was most likely to be a reaction to the morphine, so I stopped taking that unless in really bad pain. He said that he was very pleased with the outcome. There had been some sticky scar tissue from previous cancer operations, but the cancer removal section of the colon included a large bit of my Diverticulitis. 

I felt really out of it, the surgeon told me to take it easy, but the movement recovery nurse wanted me sitting on the edge of the bed (a slow and painful process) and then later to get up and sit in the bedside chair. 

Tommy came to visit (he saw another of my auntie’s in the lift)! He brought a bag of goodies and lovely card which Rebecca has sent. 

The nurses allowed me some food for the first time since Monday evening… two days before.

I actually slept for the first time in the afternoon and woke up feeling so much better and refreshed. Cup of tea, minstrels and ginger nuts.

I have just been told that tonight I will be moved out onto the ward as a patient with more complex needs will be allocated to this room.

Is it unfair that only one company makes Monopoly? 💷

All done part 2. Semi-colon

Emptied my bowels. Then around 11am taken round to be given a cannula, an Epidural, (in case keyhole was not possible) and then breathed in my anaesthetic. mmm 😴.

On waking in recovery (5 hours later) I was told that the cannula had been removed from my spine as the surgeon had done the whole operation via keyhole. Yeay. 

He had removed a section of the colon either side of the withheld cancer and stitched the colon back together. That was sent off for biopsy. 

I waited for around 4 hours in recovery as they could not find a bed on the wards for me. Tommy was waiting outside to see me. In the end, as they could not give us any indication of the wait, Tommy headed home having not been able to see me.

Well, was my wait worth it? I was wheeled into a separate side room on the ward, with a balcony and the most lovely sunset view! This all inclusive room, in Saint Evenage, with 24 hour room service, will do me!

Being hooked up to drips, morphine, leg massagers and catheter, I did not sleep at all in the night, what with people and tests and pain relief. 

As soon as the hospital made me put on one of those gowns… I knew that the end was in sight.

All Done!

 More info tomorrow xx 

it went very well.