So how are things after the last five years. Overall life is very good, lead an active life and back to working full time.
Here’s my list of the good and bad five years on:
Take Omeprazole 2 x 20 mg a day. Find what works for me is to take one before bed and another 12 hours later. Sometimes in the night I may take a couple of Gaviscon tablets. For the last year have been taking Creon capsules as I have trouble digesting fats.
Lost three stone after surgery down from 15st 6 to 12st 6, within six months was up to 13st then started to lose weight and this has now settled down to around 12st 2lb. Would have liked to get to around 13st but no matter what I eat can't put any more on, something a lot of people would be envious off. Still enjoy most foods and have a good appetite. Try to eat little and often, do though sometimes overeat and suffer for it after! Eating sometimes sets of a bout of coughing, bread especially. Found I could not tolerate red wine and coffee after the op, keep trying and recently have been able to manage the occasional coffee and red wine.
Still get pain in my ribs, shoulder and my right side. These have slowly got better over the years or perhaps I have just got used to them. I used to run a little before the op and tried to get back into it however, I seem to struggle with my breathing on the hills and living where I do there are lots of them have not continued with this. Tiredness can still be an issue, pre-op I managed on five hours sleep a day but now need at least ten and still have a nap at lunchtime sometimes. Wake up most nights with discomfort in my chest and sometimes this makes me vomit lots of fluid.
Had physio after leaving hospital and while in the gym found I enjoyed the rowing machine. Two years later in my local I got talking to a couple of gig rowers who suggested I gave it a try. This I enjoyed and found to be a great way to get fit. I now row a couple of times a week and compete in races all over the west country and even rowed on the Thames for the Queens Jubilee in 2012. We also train hard on rowing machines once a week. I do still suffer, especially, in the mornings with discomfort in my chest and cough up lots of fluid, this can last sometimes for a few hours, yet vigorous exercise seems to clear this up within a few minutes. Will recommend Pilot Gig Rowing to all that live in the South West, have a look at gigrower.co.uk/ . Apart from the aches, pains and discomfort I'm fitter and stronger than I have ever been in the last ten years.
Back to work full time now. Did though step down from a management position and now have a less challenging role. Took me nearly two years before I returned to work and then gradually increased my hours. The company I work for have been mostly very understanding. Helped that the company’s occupational health nurse used to be a theater nurse that had experience of this surgery. She made sure I was allowed as many breaks as I needed and banned me from lifting more than a kilo as well as making sure sure I was never under pressure to do more than I felt I was up to.
