|
|
| Appointments:
01-Apr-03 | 03-Apr-03 | 07-Apr-03
| 08-Apr-03 (Ashford) | 08-Apr-03
(St Peters) | 17-Apr-03 | 24-Apr-03 |
| 01
APRIL 2003 UCLH, London, Outpatients Clinic |
|
This is a new one on me. The Outpatients Clinic - still makes a change from the others. It was in another part of the hospital (in a different building as well!!). We had transport arranged, but no one collected us at 8am as normal. I was getting worried, but sat at the table, waiting. Then I decided to have a coffee, this will make them arrive. Nope! So I decided to sit on the sofa and wait. Nope! Then I read a magazine. Nope! Then I put on the TV. Nope! Oh dear, then at 10.45am he arrived. It was Peter, I'd met him before. We had no one else to collect so went straight to London. That was nice to hear. I'm still getting the pains so like short journeys! We arrived at 11.55am - not bad. There was no one else there. Apparently I am Mr Russells last patient of the day! I didn't even get a chance to sit down and they called my name. I was weighed (as you always are!) and then taken into the Treatment Room. This building was nice and clean looking and everyone was super efficient which was nice. Just as it should be. I'm getting to be quite an expert about the different places now! So we waited, we were told after a few minutes that we had not been forgotten. There was then a knock on the door, and Dimitry walked in. I was pleased as I was concerned it would be the other one who had repeatedly injected me! He asked how I felt about surgery. "Not too bad" says I "although I am concerned about the risks - I know you can't tell what will happen like last time, but what are the risks?" "About a 10% risk we will have to do it the old fashioned way, where we cut and take out the gallbladder rather than through keyhole surgery - 90% of the time, it happens fine and we can do keyhole". Well that's not bad. If I have keyhole, I stay in 2-3 days, otherwise a week. Can I do that? Yes of course. Although I am worried about the bleeds if they happen again, but there is risk in everything. I asked if I could have it done locally, nothing wrong with London, but it's awkward for people to get there. By this I mean Mum and John. At least he won't have to take more holiday off. It's only March and 1/2 of it has gone already. He said they have no problem with that, although they will have to visit the hospital it is being done at to explain my past history (that'll be a long meeting!!!). However if there is a long wait, or I decide to have it done in London, all I need to do is call and they will do it whenever I like. That's nice. On the way back, I met the same guy again who I'd met a couple of times before. He said "Wow look at you - you're looking so well". "Thanks!" said I "I feel a lot better since I last saw you". "Well" he said " last time I saw you I didn't like to rate your chances to be honest. I didn't think you'd be coming out of there that's for sure". Nice huh! I must've looked worse than I thought, a lot worse! So when I got back from hospital, I called Dr W and explained it all to him. He said this was fine and the best idea for me in this situation with the gallstones still in there. It would stop any future problems and worry. |
| 03
APRIL 2003 Mr Briggs, The Clinic, Park Street, Mayfair, London |
|
One day of no appointments and here I am back in London. John has had to take another day off. We arrive early though, you can't gauge traffic in London at all. We take a seat and it's not as busy as normal. "Young Karen" he calls, so in I go! He said I'm looking a lot better which is good, not so yellow. (I still have some yellow around my eye area). He asks for x-rays of both legs this time and explained about the lymphoma. It is not a separate Lymphoma, but part of the same one, as it moves around in your bone marrow. I didn't know this and it wasn't explained in the Bone Tumour Clinic. That's good to hear anyway, I think! He gets the results of the x-rays immediately (quick service here - no waiting!). He said the bones are looking good, he can see the lymphomas in the knee areas, but it's still looking OK and he's really pleased. He said I've done extremely well and that I have a good outlook on life! My sense of humour has kept me going (although it almost desserted me in the hospital I can tell you!!). All in all, everything is good, and I had to make another appointment. I felt on Cloud Nine when I came out of there. As I said the smallest things sometimes seem so good. Mind you, it also works the other way, and someone saying just one sentence can make you feel down for ages. So watch what you say to people. You might not see the whole picture and upset someone for no reason! That's my philosophy over for the day. Enjoy the weekend coming and don't take it all too seriously! |
| 07
APRIL 2003 A&E, Ashford Hospital, Cubicle 10 (sound familiar?!?!) |
|
Well, here I am again, same thing. Being sick, with the tremendous pain back again. It's so awful, only someone who has been through it can truly know how bad it feels. There is absolutely nothing you can do about - nothing. Just keep asking for pain relief. I was taken by ambulance this time, and that had to bring me here. I wanted to go to St Peters, but it was listed as Ashford so Ashford we had to go to. After lying there most of the night without painkillers I was eventually given pain relief and slept. It always knocks me out. Everytime, I think it's the relief really. I was sent home with Diclofenac tablets in the morning. |
| 08
APRIL 2003 A&E, Ashford Hospital, Cubicle 9 (what a change?!?!) |
|
Well, here I am again, same thing. Being sick, with the tremendous pain back again. The old familiar story. This time I was given pain relief and then transferred via ambulance to St Peters. I felt a sense of relief over that decision. I have a BIG aversion of Ashford Hospital after the way I've been treated there so far. It's fine for blood tests but nothing else for me. Others have been there and no problems, but me, no thanks! So an ambulance ride again for me, to St Peters this time. I slept most of the way I was so tired. |
| 08
APRIL 2003 A&E, St Peters Hospital and Kingfisher Ward, Bed D5, Bay D |
|
Well the difference in response to a patient compared to Ashford is amazing. The first words almost were "are you in pain, do you need pain relief?" by a very nice helpful Doctor who I was to see quite often after this! They took some blood and I was injected with morphine and also pethedine. It was lovely to fall asleep after all that pain. It does it to me every time. Whoever invented morphine should be a saint! I was then admitted to Kingfisher Ward, bed D5. I was VERY well looked after whilst in there and made a few friends on Bay D Ward, there was always patients coming and going and we had a good laugh whilst there most of the time. Encouraging each other and having tests and scans. I had an ultrasound scan of my stomach and guess what, there was another gallstone in there, the bile duct was quite big in one place and narrow after that. That explained the pain then. I was then on water only (sips), a bit of a nightmare, but I had got used to it in London so coped OK. I also was on no foods either, for SEVEN days. I couldn't stand the smell of food for five days so it didn't bother me, but when that trolley came round on the last two days and it smelt wonderful, then I missed it. At that time I was allowed Bovril drinks, fruit polos and water. It's amazing what the body can survive on! My ERCP was planned for 13/04, it was the same as in London, and although I appeared calm, I was a bit concerned when he mentioned cutting and bleeding. I really DON'T want a repeat of that thank you very much. So I was wheeled down to the operating room. I then had to get on this machine, it looked very flimsy, but I got on there and it was OK. I then had to lie down as before on my front with my back twisted and my left arm behind my back with my head facing to the right on the pillow with my right hand under the pillow. Awkward but I would be asleep (again I hear you say?!?!) soon. I was strapped to the bed as they don't want you to fall off!! I was given the spray in the mouth, the injection through the line in my arm, and .... zonk .... I was gone! I don't remember getting off that machine, but waking up in the recovery room. I woke fairly quickly and just dozed every now and then. Christine (the nurse from Kingfisher who had come down with me came and collected me). It had gone OK and no cutting was involved which was good. Apparently the gallstone had passed through itself and they just washed it all through. What a relief! I was back on water only after having food for one day! Still it was good to know it was all clear. I stayed for three days more and then was discharged from Kingfisher on 16/04. |
| 17
APRIL 2003 A&E, St Peters Hospital and Kingfisher Ward, Bed B2 (Bay B)and D5 (Bay D) |
|
Not even one day, not one proper day! I was back at A&E again, being sick, those dreaded pains back again. My name was called and the nurse looked at me and said "no, not you and your veins again!". Nice huh! Anyway, until they had taken blood, no painkiller. That was a feat in itself. It didn't want to come out at all, then when she went to get help, it gushed everywhere, and Mum and John had to help stop it! I was then given morphine into the line. She said I had to stay awake, all I wanted to do was sleep. I had to be kept awake as last time she said I "went funny" and it was spacey! So they can't give it to you if you're asleep, so they were all talking to me and prodding me, all I wanted was sleep!!! Anyway after all that I was taken to Kingfisher Ward again, this time to Bay B at 4am! It's normally the other patients waking me like that in the night. I hope I didn't wake too many! It was just a case of getting off the trolley and into the bed, still with that dreaded line in and fluids. How I hate those fluids! The next day I woke to more injections (the inject heparin twice a day to stop blood clots) and tablets, and then the blood lady came around. "Oh no, I thought when I saw the name, it can't be...but it is...you and your veins!" Quite a reputation I've got apparently! I went to see my old friends in Bay D and they were pleased to see me but not to know I was back in. They wanted me back there in Bay D and so did I. Bay B was mostly old ladies who did not much but sleep and read, with the occasional smile. One of the night nurses was joking around one night and we had a right giggle, but it was not appreciated by the ladies I can tell you! I was on a low fat, non dairy diet which is fine by me, as I have low fat meals at home anyway, but the low fat meals in hospital had pork, lamb, beef in most of them, and I only eat chicken and fish! Not many options open to me now apart from salads (even the tuna had mayonnaise in which made me laugh!!). Anyway to cut a long story short, after lots of asking from Bay D I was told I may be going back there if a bed was available. Next thing Sister Barbara said "come on you, push your trolley, you're going back to Bay D - we can't get any peace from them until you're back!" So I pushed the trolley, she wheeled my bed and off we went. I arrived to rapturous applause and cheers, it was lovely! I think I even blushed! Our old team was back together and we had a good time laughing and joking and chatting again. So, what happens now? Well the Docs came round each day and I was told I would be on the list for next Wednesday, I was pleased about that, but so down that afternoon, it was a whole week away!! Still best to stay put, at least I wasn't in pain at the moment and things were being controlled. If anything happened I was in the right place! However, on the Friday I saw Mr Bearne the surgeon and he said "we don't normally do this but we're going to try and get you in over the weekend". Well that brightened my day up quite a lot didn't it!!! I was over the moon, but not wanting to get too excited in case it didn't happen. It was better than Wednesday that's for sure! So I was on NBM (nil by mouth) ready for tomorrow. I had to have two units of blood too. I made them cover it up with a carrier bag as I've got more squeamish about it since the last one! It all went to plan and I was taken down to the operating room in my bed. (It wasn't as early as I was first told but I was there so didn't mind!). Then a problem. The anaesthetist was called to another case and it looked like mine might be postponed until the afternoon if another couldn't be found. Then she came back! She was going to put me out! YES!!!! Who would be that pleased to have an operation - anyone who has had gallstones that's who!! So I was prepped and then taken to the little room where they put you out. I was wired up to heart monitors and blood pressure machines and then it started, oxygen mask over the face, injections in the line (she would be putting another in whilst I was asleep as she'd heard how difficult it is!). Then my eyes closed........ ..... and I woke in the recovery room over 2 hours later. It had all gone fine, I had keyhole surgery which was good (less time in hospital!) but they couldn't get a line in, they'd tried whilst I was under but no luck (no surprise there!). I was told I could walk that afternoon, eat and drink, one bag of fluids only. I felt good! The relief was wonderful, knowing that it was out! The next day I saw the Doctor as usual (it was the one I first saw in A&E). "I heard a rumour you'd had an operation yesterday" he said, "I did" said I, "well you look remarkably well!". He said it had gone well, but Mr Bearne was swearing in the theatre apparently as my gallbladder was so twisted and scarred, it had even stuck to my liver and he couldn't get it out as easy as with others. Still they could see how bad it had been pain wise for it to do that! He left a small nodule in there as he didn't want to cut the liver about. (I was pleased about that!). It wouldn't affect anything though and is fine and will heal OK. Everyone had heard about the swearing! Oh dear, not only my veins, but my gallbladder as well. Anyway, it was all done and dusted, he'd even given me a couple of gallstones he'd got out - I didn't want them inside I definitely didn't want them outside. John did though so I sent them home for him with Mum. He loved them and they are at the moment sitting in the tube on his television, lovely huh!! He said he needs a mantlepiece now to put them on. Yuck! |
| 24
APRIL 2003 St Peters Hospital, Kingfisher Ward, D5 (Bay D) |
|
I was told yesterday I could go home today! I had my wounds checked and sprayed, they would stay on for about a week and then start to come off. It is quite sore and tender and hurts to move. My shoulder is really sore and makes getting up and down even harder, specially the beds. I won't have an electric one at home. (I was put on this after surgery as they didn't want me to lie flat as fluids and stuff builds up in your chest which needs to be avoided). So, here I am ready to go home. I had lunch before I left as it was that time of day, and it was my favourite low fat meal, sweet and sour chicken! Tasty! I have some painkillers to help control the pain of the "war wounds" I have on my stomach. I've been told again I can have to eat and drink what I like, but I'm taking it easy and just trying things out slowly - a bit nervous! The thing I've missed most is.....cheese! I'm a cheese fanatic! I was dreaming of cheese in hospital. Everyone else said chocolate or chips or prawn sandwich, me - just cheese!!! Easy to please huh! |
