Peter’s Hospital Diary

OK, it is probably time to ditch the Apollo 13 metaphor!

Suffice it to say that I am now back home after my three night stay on Blundell Ward on the 14th floor of Guy’s Tower. Great views, but sadly no available wireless networks.

So having arrived on Monday afternoon, and completed the usual forms (can I climb stairs unaided, am I prone to frequent falls, am I independant(!!)) etc, I settled down for the afternoon, with a visit fom the Senior Registrar (whose name I didn’t catch) Warren, the SHO, and the consultant anaethetist, just before dinner time. The hospital food was much the same, or perhaps slightly better than I remembered it fom Samaritan ward – distance lends enchantment – but the best descrption (as given to it by a friend of mine) is ‘very beige’!!

After a quiet evening with a final cup of tea and a biscuit before I went onto nil-by-mouth, it was lights out for a good night’s sleep – NOT. I suppose it was OK, there were 6 beds on the ward, and apart from one person holding long conversations with himself during the night, I got a reasonable night, but there is always a feeling of apprehensiveness before an op.

Next morning (Tuesday) I had a visit from the consultant, Mr Simo, with the all important consent form. In these litigatous times, the consent form is all important, and with it the risks are all spelled out. So at that point I learned that not only is there a bit of plumbing in the area, but a bit of wiring too, in the form of three nerves. One, the accessor nerve, is connected to the shoulder, the second, x10, is connected to the right hand side of the diaphragm and, more significantly, the vocal cords! The third, a minor one, connects to the ear-lobe. While cutting the third wouldn’t be too serious (except for anyone nibbling my ear) cutting the other two would not be very good news, but I was assured that the risk was pretty low. Anyway, I didnt really have much choice!

So eventually (about 11:30) I was wheeled down to the theatre by one of the ward nurses, Jane, who kindly held my paw as I was handed over to the care of the anaesthtic nurse (Annette) and then……

…..I woke up in recovery with a slightly stiff and sore neck about 2 hours later. I must have been in recovery for about 30 minutes or so. I do vaguely remember having a pain killer (morphine) and then I was wheeled back up to the ward.

And there I stayed for the next 30 hours. Rob, the haemotology registrar popped in to say hello, as did Mr Simo. My lymph node was dispatched to histopathology, where it will be sliced and diced and peered at. Meanwhile I had a drain in the wound and I settled down to another restless night, with a plastic bottle attached to the drain hanging from my neck.

By yesterday morning (observations at 7am – ah yes, back in hospital!) I was feeling OK, but there was about 30ml of fluid drained off, which was too much to letme go. There was a danger that the fluid build up could restrict the airway – a bit undesirable. So I kicked my heels on the ward for all of yesterday and got my way through a paperback from the ward library. Breakfast was a in interesting meal. Cereal (non-kelloggs cornflakes or weetabix) with bread and butter. My request for bacon and egg was met with a blank stare, and a request for toast was met with “We don’t do toast – it isn’t ward policy” Er excuse me??? Apparantly when they did toast in the kitchen, it came out cold and people complained (probably becasuse it was soggy – nasty sliced bread) and when they took the toaster round the ward, it set off the fire alarms…. I suppose in hind sight it is funny!

This morning dawned after a slightly better night, with observations at 7am again, but this time there was less than 10ml collected from the drain, and after the ward round, I was told that the drain and staples (15 of them) could be removed and I could go. So the delightful Angela, reoved the drain and clips, redressed the wound and I was on my way at about 11:15, and got home early this afternoon at just before 2. I must admit I have dozed a bit this afternoon, but apart from a sore throat and a swollen lower cheek, making me sound like a cross between Sean Connery (without the accent) and Tony Benn (sho thatsh all right then Mishter Bond) I feel pretty good!

My next appointment is with the haematologists next Thursday, and a follow up at the ENT clinic next Friday.

And finally, a quick thank you to Mr Simo and his team, and the nrses on the ward, especially Jane and Angela, and the others whose names I didn’t catch but who looked after me really well!

Onwards and upwards!