So after the horrendous experience with the NG tube and all of that, I sort of just plodded my way through the next few days with the tube out. I made sure that I was up and walking, I made sure I was able to shower, I was trying to eat foods that didnt upset me, all of the above, trying to increase my strength every day. In all of this (as a cohorted ward) me and another lady (much older than myself) were moved to Edgefield and EVENTUALLY the consultant came round to see me and simply said to me “When would you like to go home?” Now, I think that this was on the Monday, so I was just shy of a week out of surgery and I had been told a week to ten days after surgery would be the in hospital recovery time. I was absolutely buzzing, ever the over-achiever I was over the moon that the consultant was asking me.
After replying with “Well, uh, as soon as possible?” He said that I would be able to be discharged that day and so the chaos ensued to try and get everything sorted that I would need to return home with.
This always takes a whole lot longer than I think it should, and it is all to do with the Pharmacy. What happened in my case was a number of miscommunications with the Pharmacy led to a major delay and I wasn’t discharged until about 5:30pm. Very frustrating.
EVENTUALLY I was released to Jordan, who came and collected me (and all my belongings) from the ward and by god was I pleased to see him. He wheeled me out of the hospital and into the SNOW! Yes, I missed that little fact, it had been snowing while I was in the hospital and I missed it all. So he wheeled me out, we got in the car to freedom (I mean home). And so we started the recovery at home but as with everything, it did not quite go to plan, read my next blog to find out more!