Discharged

[Samazeuilh2]

Discharged by Basildon Hospital Tuesday evening. I mentioned that I nearly blacked out to a nurse and a doctor when going to the bathroom in the afternoon but they seemed unconcerned. When I was about to leave I tottered backwards and had to have help with bags. I duly arrived home and went to bed early hoping to finally get a good night’s sleep. House freezing cold. This proved impossible. I didn’t feel particularly hot but discovered my temperature was 37.8. Heart beating at about 80 but seemed to be reasonably regular. However a pulse oximeter didn’t register any reading. It’s now 0530 and I have a slightly tickly throat and occasional cough; this might have been because of talking to friends on phone a lot when I got home. Temperature still high after two paracetamol, although it briefly dropped to to 34.4. The raised temperature occurred recently in the hospital and was largely dismissed. I rang the Basildon Ward and was told to go to A and E by duty doctor at local hospital. No ambulance available. Not sure what to. Struggling to maintain focus on things. I haven’t slept for days which may because of the fast heart rate (normal after bybass). I feel they discharged me far too early. I was in the ICU on a ventilator on Sat morning, yet at one point I was to be discharged on Monday!

[Dadtoalad23]

I can’t offer much advice all a bit far out of my experience. I’m assuming though that the throat tickle is potentially from the ventilation ? It seems they want us out of hospitals asap and that’s quite scary after major surgery. In an ideal world you’d be kept in with a nice private room away from infection and be looked after properly, until discharged when strong. Sadly the nhs hasn’t got this capacity right now. Anyways you’ve been through a hell of lot, I just wanted to say good luck with your recovery and I hope you’re feeling better sooner rather than later.

[CDreamer in reply to Dadtoalad23]

I think you have a good point about staying in hospital and infection - I’m always happiest at home for recovery and can’t get out of hospitals fast enough - but we do need support at home after these events and that is what’s missing.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Dadtoalad23]

Thanks. Nurses insisted there wasn’t a capacity issue when I asked in the hospital. When I’m better I will want to address the issue with the hospital. I obviously don’t want to be ungrateful for what was in effect a life-saving operation, but I don’t think that what took place re discharge was acceptable.

[CDreamer]

Sorry to hear that and I too cannot offer any suggestions. Do you live alone? I think with all of our hospitals so overloaded and short staffed if you can stand, you are discharged mainly because there will be someone else in a critical state waiting for your bed. I remember in the ‘good old days’ - you would have been sent to a recuperation hospital - there was one very near where we lived. Sadly they are all gone now but there are a few private hotel types around - expensive but you will be well looked after.

I wonder if there is a local person who can come in and check on you daily? I know when I was ill with COVID but sent home, I couldn’t even shower on my own so found a retired nurse who cam in for a couple of hours a day, then every other day, then just a few times a week. I don’t thing I would have recovered so well or quickly without that support.

Best wishes for your recovery.

[Buffafly]

There should be council registered carers (hopefully) in your area. They are known as ‘microproviders’, you put an ad in the website and with luck get responses. I agree that it seems too early to send someone home after major surgery without support if there is no one else at home, but as already said, times are very tough ❤️‍🩹

[Buffafly in reply to Buffafly]

Can you get sleeping meds from GP? Perhaps a chatty friend can collect?

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Buffafly]

I’ve now got some from the GP. Slept well for the first time for weeks last night.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Buffafly]

I could have stayed with friends for but I didn’t think it was fair as I had a cough etc. Relatives live overseas or a long way away or are quite old. I don’t know if you have seen the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. There is a famous “heavy-breathing” scene where an astronaut is in deep space repairing or adjusting some equipment (possibly HAL). The only audible sound is his breathing. When I got home, it was like that-just the sound of my breathing -nothing else. Quite scary.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Buffafly]

I have some support from friends and neighbours, but at any rate I’m now in the local hospital after a day of fast AF which started after on eating breakfast. I’ve had blood tests, ECG and an X-ray and an am awaiting to be reviewed by a cardiologist. I may or may not be kept in. My opinion is that the Bisoprolol (2.5mg) is not strong enough to control the AF. The problem is that if they step the dose up that lowers blood pressure, and mine is already low. Missing the Sotalol I was formerly on.

[Dadtoalad23]

looks like after my CT angiogram results today I’m now joining your camp. I have moderate stenosis in a few artery’s.