chappers
New Member
How are you doing Beefy? Hope you are recovering nicely. Let us know how you're doing pet X
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bigbeefybuilder update
- Thread starter bigbeefybuilder
- Start date
How are you doing Beefy? Hope you are recovering nicely. Let us know how you're doing pet X
mad midwife
New Member
BBB hope you are ok, I am out on day two and have never experienced pain like this! I'm really hoping it gets better soon, I'm hoping all is well with you, update us when you can, sending hugs xxxx
mad midwife
New Member
Is anyone in touch with BBB I'm really worried as we haven't heard from him and it's now 7 days since his op?
bigbeefybuilder
Member
Hi,will be putting a operation day to present day letter on here writen by my wife.I'm ok now but wait for update.
Just want to know where do I post up date of my operation? BBB
Maphillips
New Member
Nice to have you back safe and sound
xkirsty88
Active Member
Really glad it all went ahead and you're well BBB! Looking forward to your updates. Congratulations!
Kirsty
Pleased you're ok.
Lilacglittergirl
Fit and fantastic!
Good to hear from you Beefy. Have been checking this thread every day ... Hope you are doing OK. I'd add the update to this thread, as there are lots of us following it. Hugs x
bigbeefybuilder
Member
Life beyond the operation....so far
Really touched by all the comments on here checking how I am and I am now in a position to be able to give you all an update on things:
Weds 30.10.13 - The day I have been waiting for over 3 years for was finally here. I arrived at Thornbury just before 7.00am and was on the ward by 7.40am to find that I was first down. 2 blood samples and a meeting with Mr Ackroyd and Dr Murray (anesthetist) later and I was robed and stockinged and on my way to theatre by 8.15am. I was expected back on the HDU unit (because of my sleep aponea) by 10.30am but it was 12.15pm before I was back so my wife was a little frantic but I am told everything went well. I was keen to know if my liver had shrunk enough for the by-pass I wanted and I am really pleased to say that it had. Pretty much out of it for the rest of the day but I was in really good hands with the HDU staff, Deborah and Manny. As I was keen not to have a catheter fitted I was also up and out of bed to pass urine - was a bit of a struggle for both me and staff but we soon got the hang of it!
Thurs 31.10.13 - Still on HDU for the morning but having regular sips of water and peppermint cordial and tea as I had horrendous wind and my first food - a yoghurt! I was moved to my own room by lunchtime but there was a concern over my oxygen levels as I was only reaching low 80's - normal levels should be 94-96. Staff monitored things every hour off and on oxygen but I just could not get above 81-82 unaided so I was moved back to HDU on Dr Murray's say so. He felt that it was probably something to do with the anesthetic and morphine combination but wanted me checked and also suggested I use my CPAP machine as well.
CPAP and oxygen together was impossible because my CPAP is a nose based one which relies on me breathing in an out of my nose with my mouth shut BUT to use the oxygen mask I had to have my mouth open so in the end I could not breathe at all! In the end the CPAP was removed and I was back on oxygen again but still my levels were not getting any higher. So I spent the night on HDU.
Fri 01.11.13 - Really bad day. First thing in the morning I saw Mr Ackroyd who said that medically I was ready to go home; this was also confirmed by the HDU nurse and added to the fact that the hospital was closing at the end of that day so the water system could be flushed out I was advised I would be discharged. Rang my wife and patiently waited for pick up.......at 1.00pm when my wife arrived to take me home we were both devastated by the news that Dr Murray had overruled the discharge and instead I was to be transferred to the Northern General Hospital for further monitoring. I really wanted to go home but I knew in my heart that it was about making sure I would be safe so in the pouring rain I was ambulance transferred to the other hospital accompanied by Manny (one of the HDU nurses).
I was transferred to Firth 8, a ward with male and female units, and put in an 8 bed male section - arrived about 4.00pm. Lots of form filling in and regular monitoring by staff on my oxygen levels but no real changes to them. Had my first taste of 'real food' - pureed potato, cauliflower, carrot, meat (that resembled cat food in both texture and taste) and some green stuff. Managed the cauliflower and potato but nothing else. I had not lost my taste for milk though and preferred this still to water. I suppose I was a bit nervous about my first lot of food as I had no idea how my new stomach would react - I took it really steadily and stuck to things that I was comfortable with but was full after the bits I ate. I continued to make regular trips to the loo - now unaided walking to the bathroom at the end of the ward - although pooing turned out to be a different matter. I just could not go and wasn't sure if this was normal although I was eventually assured it was down to my change in food intake and nothing to worry about.
Saturday 02.11.13 - Worse day. The ward overnight was horrendous - alarms going off all over the place and staff not bothered in the slightest, lights did not go out until 11.00pm so no chance of sleep before then anyway, a patient screaming for help throughout most of the day and night and despite asking for things that I thought were relatively simple - lactose for my poo problem, cream for a sore on my backside (bed sore), an extra pillow, a fan as the ward was so hot - I got none of them. I can't tell you how much I wanted to go home. My levels of oxygen were still below the magic 94-96 mark and so the doctor was not happy to let me out but I was getting more and more down. My wife and I discussed things and decided to wait until I had my next set of levels done - last ones done at 12.30pm, next ones to be done at 4.30pm.
By the time my wife came to see me in the evening things had taken a rather worrying turn and we decided that I was going to discharge myself the following day regardless of what the staff said. Not only had I been served a fishcake for my tea - yes you read it right - but my levels at 4.30pm had also been accompanied by a bogus set of entries on my chart at 2.00pm as well which no member of staff owned up to having taken. I spent most of that visit time crying in my bed which upset my already worried children and my wife as well. Having consulted with her sister who is a nurse and who has also had the same operation my wife was convinced that I would be safe to discharge myself and so we informed the staff of my intentions to do so.
I expected a fairly similar night to Friday which in the most part was the case with the noise, heat and lights but added to that was an unprovoked attack on me by another patient. A gentleman with dementia had taken to wandering the ward night and day and in the early hours of the morning on my way to the bathroom he had to be restrained by staff from thumping me. While a good 20 years older than me I was clearly not at my best and it really shook me up.
Sunday 03.11.13 - Discharge day. It took some doing but at 2.30pm I was on my way home. Still had to fight to get a chair to move me from ward to exit and my medication from the pharmacy as the medication I was given at Thornbury had mysteriously disappeared in the 2 days I was there! I cannot tell you how happy I was to get through my own front door however it appeared that I had not come home alone...I had developed a stomach bug which saw me at the toilet every hour or so and in a horrible state for the next 24 hours.
To date - Feeling loads better now. Had a shower and all my dressings changed - ouch ouch ouch! If you are particularly hairy in the chest/stomach area a quick shave before the operation would be a good idea! Had my stockings changed - very funny and the wife was exhausted afterwards. Being stabbed daily with blood thinning injections - which the wife is enjoying a little too much in my opinion. Went out for the first time today for my blood tests and have my staples out on Friday. Been eating pretty well with no problems at all - my wife is surprised each time with how little is in the bowl she gives me but how full I am afterwards. Ooh and also down from 147Kg to 139.50Kg already.
All in all it was worth the wait. I am really glad that I fought so hard to get the operation and I am really grateful for the support of my Consultant at Barnsley Hospital, Dr Uchegbu, who never gave up and fought my corner every step of the way. I have had a follow up call from one of the HDU nurses at Thornbury which was lovely as she said she had been thinking about me over the weekend and had been praying for me - it is staff like her who make all the difference. Will keep you all posted as to how I am doing but it is really good to now be on the 'other side'.
Really touched by all the comments on here checking how I am and I am now in a position to be able to give you all an update on things:
Weds 30.10.13 - The day I have been waiting for over 3 years for was finally here. I arrived at Thornbury just before 7.00am and was on the ward by 7.40am to find that I was first down. 2 blood samples and a meeting with Mr Ackroyd and Dr Murray (anesthetist) later and I was robed and stockinged and on my way to theatre by 8.15am. I was expected back on the HDU unit (because of my sleep aponea) by 10.30am but it was 12.15pm before I was back so my wife was a little frantic but I am told everything went well. I was keen to know if my liver had shrunk enough for the by-pass I wanted and I am really pleased to say that it had. Pretty much out of it for the rest of the day but I was in really good hands with the HDU staff, Deborah and Manny. As I was keen not to have a catheter fitted I was also up and out of bed to pass urine - was a bit of a struggle for both me and staff but we soon got the hang of it!
Thurs 31.10.13 - Still on HDU for the morning but having regular sips of water and peppermint cordial and tea as I had horrendous wind and my first food - a yoghurt! I was moved to my own room by lunchtime but there was a concern over my oxygen levels as I was only reaching low 80's - normal levels should be 94-96. Staff monitored things every hour off and on oxygen but I just could not get above 81-82 unaided so I was moved back to HDU on Dr Murray's say so. He felt that it was probably something to do with the anesthetic and morphine combination but wanted me checked and also suggested I use my CPAP machine as well.
CPAP and oxygen together was impossible because my CPAP is a nose based one which relies on me breathing in an out of my nose with my mouth shut BUT to use the oxygen mask I had to have my mouth open so in the end I could not breathe at all! In the end the CPAP was removed and I was back on oxygen again but still my levels were not getting any higher. So I spent the night on HDU.
Fri 01.11.13 - Really bad day. First thing in the morning I saw Mr Ackroyd who said that medically I was ready to go home; this was also confirmed by the HDU nurse and added to the fact that the hospital was closing at the end of that day so the water system could be flushed out I was advised I would be discharged. Rang my wife and patiently waited for pick up.......at 1.00pm when my wife arrived to take me home we were both devastated by the news that Dr Murray had overruled the discharge and instead I was to be transferred to the Northern General Hospital for further monitoring. I really wanted to go home but I knew in my heart that it was about making sure I would be safe so in the pouring rain I was ambulance transferred to the other hospital accompanied by Manny (one of the HDU nurses).
I was transferred to Firth 8, a ward with male and female units, and put in an 8 bed male section - arrived about 4.00pm. Lots of form filling in and regular monitoring by staff on my oxygen levels but no real changes to them. Had my first taste of 'real food' - pureed potato, cauliflower, carrot, meat (that resembled cat food in both texture and taste) and some green stuff. Managed the cauliflower and potato but nothing else. I had not lost my taste for milk though and preferred this still to water. I suppose I was a bit nervous about my first lot of food as I had no idea how my new stomach would react - I took it really steadily and stuck to things that I was comfortable with but was full after the bits I ate. I continued to make regular trips to the loo - now unaided walking to the bathroom at the end of the ward - although pooing turned out to be a different matter. I just could not go and wasn't sure if this was normal although I was eventually assured it was down to my change in food intake and nothing to worry about.
Saturday 02.11.13 - Worse day. The ward overnight was horrendous - alarms going off all over the place and staff not bothered in the slightest, lights did not go out until 11.00pm so no chance of sleep before then anyway, a patient screaming for help throughout most of the day and night and despite asking for things that I thought were relatively simple - lactose for my poo problem, cream for a sore on my backside (bed sore), an extra pillow, a fan as the ward was so hot - I got none of them. I can't tell you how much I wanted to go home. My levels of oxygen were still below the magic 94-96 mark and so the doctor was not happy to let me out but I was getting more and more down. My wife and I discussed things and decided to wait until I had my next set of levels done - last ones done at 12.30pm, next ones to be done at 4.30pm.
By the time my wife came to see me in the evening things had taken a rather worrying turn and we decided that I was going to discharge myself the following day regardless of what the staff said. Not only had I been served a fishcake for my tea - yes you read it right - but my levels at 4.30pm had also been accompanied by a bogus set of entries on my chart at 2.00pm as well which no member of staff owned up to having taken. I spent most of that visit time crying in my bed which upset my already worried children and my wife as well. Having consulted with her sister who is a nurse and who has also had the same operation my wife was convinced that I would be safe to discharge myself and so we informed the staff of my intentions to do so.
I expected a fairly similar night to Friday which in the most part was the case with the noise, heat and lights but added to that was an unprovoked attack on me by another patient. A gentleman with dementia had taken to wandering the ward night and day and in the early hours of the morning on my way to the bathroom he had to be restrained by staff from thumping me. While a good 20 years older than me I was clearly not at my best and it really shook me up.
Sunday 03.11.13 - Discharge day. It took some doing but at 2.30pm I was on my way home. Still had to fight to get a chair to move me from ward to exit and my medication from the pharmacy as the medication I was given at Thornbury had mysteriously disappeared in the 2 days I was there! I cannot tell you how happy I was to get through my own front door however it appeared that I had not come home alone...I had developed a stomach bug which saw me at the toilet every hour or so and in a horrible state for the next 24 hours.
To date - Feeling loads better now. Had a shower and all my dressings changed - ouch ouch ouch! If you are particularly hairy in the chest/stomach area a quick shave before the operation would be a good idea! Had my stockings changed - very funny and the wife was exhausted afterwards. Being stabbed daily with blood thinning injections - which the wife is enjoying a little too much in my opinion. Went out for the first time today for my blood tests and have my staples out on Friday. Been eating pretty well with no problems at all - my wife is surprised each time with how little is in the bowl she gives me but how full I am afterwards. Ooh and also down from 147Kg to 139.50Kg already.
All in all it was worth the wait. I am really glad that I fought so hard to get the operation and I am really grateful for the support of my Consultant at Barnsley Hospital, Dr Uchegbu, who never gave up and fought my corner every step of the way. I have had a follow up call from one of the HDU nurses at Thornbury which was lovely as she said she had been thinking about me over the weekend and had been praying for me - it is staff like her who make all the difference. Will keep you all posted as to how I am doing but it is really good to now be on the 'other side'.
Flickalicious
Bit of a weirdy! XD
Bloody hell. Well done you I hope your journey from here is a good one. You've done amazingly so far xXx
I hope your journey from here is a good one. You've done amazingly so far xXxSimilar threads
