Tracheostomy news

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I travelled to QMC Nottingham yesterday for what is hopefully the last of the planning and preparation for my jawbone reconstruction surgery.  It was a hectic day, I had 7 appointments one after the other, and I met most of the team who will be looking after me.  

I'm one of those people who just likes a general idea of what is going on.  Nothing too detailed and everything explained simply.  I thought I'd got a pretty good idea about my forthcoming surgery, but I had a major wobble when I found out that I'm likely to be in hospital for 3 weeks and I'm going to have a temporary tracheostomy.  I think the enormity of what I'm facing finally hit me then, my hands were shaking so much that they had to rescue the cup of tea I was holding at the time. Charts, diagrams and models were produced in an effort to help.  It was all too much information, and it was like being back at school where I failed "O" Level biology.  

I was mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day.  The hospital transport home was late.  We then had to collect a patient from a nearby hospital and he was still having his radiotherapy.  This meant we hit the Friday rush hour traffic.  I was trying to cheer myself up by eating a little snack.  I raised a spoon of strawberry jelly to my lips just as the car braked suddenly.  The jelly slid down my scarf, cardigan, t-shirt and jeans, and ended up in my handbag.