On the Last Lap......

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Hi everyone 

Just to update anyone who might be interested in my journey I finally had my operation on the 24th of September. I was surprised at how calm and relatively collected I was on the trip to the hospital!

All the necessary injections (including that interesting beast the Epidural) went without tol many problems and I went under straight away. When I came to I apparently informed everyone that I'd been watching Man City getting thrashed and was disappointed to be woken before the finish!

I cannot fault the ICU team and the very chilled atmosphere in the unit. I was dreading moving up into a general ward but once again shouldn't have been as I was ushered into a private room with views over the surrounding Cotswold hills.

Physically I was up and walking on day 1 with no dizziness issues. Pain control is paramount and I found that liquid paracetamol is my best friend in that respect, tramadol not so much!!

Starting to eat solids is a strange one, I've got a decent appetite and sense of taste but gauging how much to have is a difficult one. Presumably it's a case of trial and error! 

Anyway apparently I'm doing fantastic and today (Day 7) I was even asked by the doctors if I wanted to go home! 

I think I'll take a rain check on that for the moment!

Any questions please fire away Thumbsup

  • thank you so much for this insight, if all goes to plan should be going through the same christmas/new year, depending how and when chemo/radio goes, is it always an epidural, think my surgery will be remove the oesophagus and pull the stomach upMask cant wait to try normal food and put some weight back on, keep us updated on how its all going, and thank you

  • Well done Bob hope you now have a speedy recovery. 

    Amazing how quickly you’ve move through the process. I was day 1 op, day 3 up and walking. Day 5 into ICU as I stopped breathing. Then back to HDU after 7 days in ICU, Then onto a ward after 21 days, I did find the ward challenging and one night had a go at one of the other patients about the noise (completely out of character for me) I did apologise the next day. I was finally out and home after 28 days. 

    As for waking up I did something similar, I shouted at the nurse “have you even fed the dog” as soon as I said it I realised and said sorry. She quiet amusingly said “well that’s a new one” so must happen a lot. 

  • Great to read this as it is such a positive.  The whole experience is so different from one person to another and I believe that reading stories as positive as yours can only help others going forwards. 

    I wish you on-going success in your recovery

    Lowe'

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  • Fantastic news Bob. You are certainly sounding very chilled and a bit pleased with yourself, which you have every right to be.

    Hope you’re home soon, carrying on with the recovery.

    Take care, Julie 

  • So pleased everything has gone well for you Bob, such a remarkable recovery so far, long may it continue.

    Take care

    Angie 

  • Oh Bob, I'm so pleased for you! It's all gone smoothly. Yay! There is guidance around how much to eat. The dieticians should have told you...I can't quite remember but it was something like no more than the size of the palm if your hand.  Its a bit tricky because you essentially have go against a life time of learning around how much to eat when you feel hungry.

    Onwards and upwards!

    Take care

    Sx

  • Hello Bob

    Great to hear all went well for you, thanks for updating us. One day at a time.

    Take care Jennie SparklesSunflower

  • Fantastic news! Thanks for the update x

  • Well done! Excellent update. 

    Take care,

    Amanda