This Post is dedicated to the following people
The thoughtful caring Zena who has been an absolute Rock and is now a friend
The lovely “Alison” who I now consider a friend who has her op in October
“Rugbymad” who also has his op in October
“Laura” who has flown in from Dubai and had her op yesterday so probably in HDU
Can we please have these people in our thoughts and send them virtual Hugs and Kisses xx
It’s 07.30am on Sunday 16th September 2018 . I’m now 11 days post op and the pain relief has finally arrived ( Oxycodone ) and kicked in im sleeping at night the last 2 nights I’ve managed at least 6 hours each night which has made the world of difference to my demeanour as I’m thinking about other things now other than pain.
I’d remembered prior to my op a number of people had recommended a “V” pillow so on Friday I asked for one and have used it for the last two nights wow it’s made a world of difference to feeling comfortable in bed and has helped in me dropping off if you pre op go out and buy a “V” pillow for when you get home you won’t regret it
I have my blood pressure and my oxygen levels checked every morning by the nurses after breakfast and every morning the results have been really good even the nurses say they are surprised how good the results are such a short time after the op which is a great thing to hear.
Yesterday morning when one of the staff brought me my early morning coffee ( 7am) and drew the curtains it was a glorious day so I decided a walk was definitely happening after breakfast so I put on shorts and trainers instead of jeans now I’m the youngest here by about 10 years but these ladies still have a cheeky side . One of the ladies whose name I won’t mention who is “91” years Young said “Pete were you a professional sportsman as you’ve got lovely muscular calf’s and thighs I need a toyboy are you up for the job ? “ I was gobsmacked and for once I didn’t know what to say so i just told her she couldn’t afford me !!! We all forget that the brain is a wonderful thing and whilst the body wears out we are still 21 in our heads. I’ve met some amazing people here especially a lady called Joan who is 93 self sufficient sharp as a button and talks so much sense it’s unreal I was sat chatting to her for about two hours last night and it was truly fascinating.
Ladies forgive me in advance for this but there is something I need to mention to any men who are reading these posts as I know it’s something they worry about but it gets swept under the carpet. I got my first “erection” yesterday since the op and it was a real weight off my mind it’s not something the doctors tend to talk about but it is such an important thing for a man. So in essence the engine starts it’s just whether I can go through the gears and drive away but that’s for further down the “road” crap pun I know 😂😂
I decided to go for a walk along the sea front managed about 1 mile ( half a mile each way ) it was glorious and a bit of a boost for me it was only a steady pace but I still felt good . Today I’m going to try to just go a little further and my goal the folliw8ng day ( Monday) is to stick to the same distance but quicken up the pace. But we will have to wait and see how today goes first.
Sam my best buddy from St Thomas’s hospital was allowed home yesterday without the need for a pacemaker fitting I was absolutely over the moon for her as she can now concentrate on her own recovery plan and try to get a glimpse of normality again.
If you’ve read all my posts you will know that I had to have an extra CT scan the day before my valve replacement as there was a growth on my Thymus Gland which had been identified by my CT scan of 26th July 2018. The Thynus Gland was removed as part of my operation ( apparently this is normal and part of the procedure ) and the growth was sent to laboratory for tests. It’s been an anxious time as you can imagine. On Friday I received a call from Amanda Bott ( Mr Young’s No 2 ) who told me she’d been given the results of the biopsy and the tests had found that the growth was.............” NON-MALIGNANT Yes NON-MALIGNANT “ wow !!! I can’t express what that means to me I literally cried tears of joy it had been a tough few days the potential outcome always at the back of your mind and now I’d been given the all clear . Another hurdle achieved. I must say writing these posts has been very therapeutic for me and been an outlet to get things out in the open .
All of you lovely people out there that have taken the time to not only bother to read the posts but to take time out of your day to respond and wish me luck I cannot thank you enough so big hugs to you all and whatever stage your currently at I wish you all the best for the future
Enjoy the rest of your weekend my friends and stay positive it’s the only way
Pete xx ❤️❤️
