Home Sweet Home !!

As per the previous posting I was due for release on Saturday, and this would have been after 4.30 due to the Olympic Men's cycle race passing by the hospital, and the road closures which were in place.

After being moved down to the private room on thursday I was informed on Friday afternoon that I would have to move out due to an emergency case. Not wanting to spend another night in the main wards I asked if I could be discharged late on Friday evening. Just after this request I was sent down to X-Ray, and on the way I bumped into two of the surgical team who carried out the operation. Not wanting to miss an opportunity I spoke to them about a Friday evening discharge. They asked how the physio was progressing and I told them that all was fine and that I had been passed off that morning. They both agreed that Friday evening would be OK !! 

I had already spoken to my son Tom to check availability so I phoned him to confirm. The plan would be for Tom to get a train to Brentwood Station after work, and Jane would drive there to pick him up. Tom would then drive to The Brompton and collect me. to arrive approx 7ish.

This cunning plan would also mean I could relax in my own home and watch the opening of the Olympics. Unlike most plans this one went well, Tom and Jane arrived about 7.15 I was ready to go, having already got my prescriptions sorted with the pharmacy department, and my discharge paperwork completed with the medical team. We left the hospital and started the drive back to Tiptree, hoping to arrive by 9.00. The drive through London went really well, we went via Hyde Park, and up the Edgeware Road, picked up the A1 and headed towards the M25. The M25 was unbelievably empty, as was the A12, which we think was due to people staying in to watch the opening ceremony. On the M25 the Red Arrows flew over us at a low level in formation getting ready to fly over the Olympic stadium, brilliant sight.

We made it home dead on 9.00 and were able to watch all of the opening ceremony. Finally going to bed around 1.00. This morning I rose at 11.00 after a good nights sleep. I feel OK. just a little sore when I move around. My movements have to be slow and calculated. I have to do deep breathing exercises and coughing in order to bring up the residue of flem & blood that remains in my lung after the operation. This is most important and has to be done every hour to ensure that I don't get a lung infection.

I think I broke another record being discharged 3 days after a major operation, previously being told it would be a minimum of 5-6 days. When I spoke to the surgeon in the morning he said the the operation had gone extremely well. The tumour was removed with a good margin around it, also 4 other small nodules were removed. All the remove nodules would go to pathology for assessment. I will find out the results later.

So now I'm resting at home, and hopefully in a few days or so I'll be back to full strength. I have to mention the mountains of pills I'm on. 12 in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 14 in the evening. On top of those I have this morphine liquid for any instant pain relief, 10 mins after tacking it everything starts to float around for an hour or so, brilliant and cheaper than drinking !!