Another scar or two!

Some of you will have seen this on social media, others only follow me here – and I feel the need to put the whole story together. Two weeks ago I woke up just after midnight with a nasty pain in my tummy, rolled over and went back to sleep – like you do! I woke about 3.30 and knew straight away I needed an ambulance. I dialled 111 then woke Roger, asking him to tell Tony & Ailsa in the morning that I’d gone to hospital. I remember being surprised Roger stayed up with me instead of going back to bed; clearly I was already really unwell…

I have zero recollection of the trip to Hawera, Hawera A&E and an x-ray or the trip to New Plymouth. I vaguely remember being on the hall in A&E in New Plymouth and wanting pain relief but couldn’t get anyone’s attention. I don’t remember the Doctors, but sort of remember going for an MRI and Mr Farrant talking to me about surgery.

I woke up much later in the day, having had a hole on my stomach/bowel repaired. My plumbing is weird after weight loss surgery, so it was technically bowel, but acting like stomach. There was a *lot* of goop in my abdomen so it seems it had been leaking for a while. The surgeon said I’d had a painless ulcer which had ruptured.

I spent a few days on IV fluids, catheter and nasal feeding tube. The feeding tube was the last to come out. I was a bit stressed about them removing it, and when I mentioned it to Mr Farrant he did it straight away, so I didn’t have time to fret. I did manage to get him to wait long enough for me to put Pink on. He laughed and said it was the first time he’d performed to music! I listen to music when they do anything like IV lines etc so I can zone out and not fuss. And boy, did I get through some IV lines…

Mr Farrant said a couple of times that I nearly died – not the first time I’ve had a bad thing happen, and reminiscent of the aspiration pneumonia. Being me, I’m healing well and tolerating softish food. I am finding my brain is fuzzy, thanks to the general anesthetic, whereas my knee replacement was done with a spinal block so I didn’t suffer any brain fade. He recommended a further two weeks off work from last Tuesday then part time, and I’m meeting with my manager Fiona and Jill (our H&S person) to come up with a ‘return to work’ plan tomorrow after I go for blood tests.

What am I left with? A lifetime of anti-ulcer meds, some spectacular bruises – which are fading rapidly – and a bunch more scars on my tummy. I seem to collect them, like others collect stamps or teddy bears. I have a 5″ one from major surgery almost 30 years ago and 10 small ones from weight loss surgery and this drama. Still, better scarred than dead any day 🙂

I’m hugely grateful to the ambulance service, Hawera & NP A&E, staff on ward 3B at Base, family – especially Ailsa who once again was by my side through medical drama, friends, colleagues and my Twitter friends who provided love, care and support.