Ok, here we go:
As you know Trod was due in to hospital last Thursday to have part of her Thyroid removed, she got bumped – this wasn’t the greatest news as although my sister is as tough as old boots (let’s put it this way you wouldn’t want to run your shopping trolly into her or crash into her car
) she suffers from anxiety in this sort of situation.
So, we gear ourselves up for the new date of the following Sunday and the operation on Monday. By the time Trod gets to the hospital she is just about controlling her stress levels, however before long things have become very difficult for her and she is falling fast into a full blown anxiety attack. After a succession of medical staff come and go they eventually decide that it might be a good idea to move her to a side room. Anyway to cut a very long story short we spent a long night waiting for the next morning. Luckily the surgeon had moved Trod to first on the list after recognising the seriousness of her anxiety (by the way forgot to say that she did actually have a date before all this to go in to hospital, but she cancelled the operation before she even got there!)
So, Monday morning arrives and by this time Trod is beside herself, Sparrow (her partner) and I tried very hard to keep things under control but we were failing! And to be very honest, hospital staff really were not helping, they didn’t seem to understand her anxiety nor how to help her! We managed to get her to the operating theatre and breathed a huge sigh of relief when we handed her over to the staff and her friend, a recovery nurse who had very kindly changed her shift to be there for Trod . Thank God, we think and take ourselves off for a well earned full English breakfast, although we couldn’t face the black pudding!
We go back early to await her return – she returns after an hour and a half, proceeded by a nurse who says they haven’t done the operation and the surgeon will be up to explain! It transpires that they had the wrong paper work, the paper work said to take out the left side when the surgeon knew it should be the right side, so they couldn’t do the operation! Both of us inwardly groaned as we knew that we would have to do this all over again and that Trod would again be put through this trauma. We could totally understand why they hadn’t proceeded but, oh my goodness
Oh, hang on --- where's the fish link!?
– When we went for Trod's ultra sound and biopsy to check which side needed to be taken out we spied a rather sad looking fish tank on one of the wards ;o( - sorry, it’s the only link we can think of! Anyway, she had a blooming great big needle stuck in her throat, was she bothered, not one bit!
So, operation is re-scheduled for Thursday………………..here we go again!
Thursday comes and we arrive at the hospital for seven fifteen, the time we had been told to arrive! The admissions office doesn’t open till seven thirty, fifteen minutes of waiting in a corridor for someone who suffers with severe anxiety! We eventually get sorted out but only after I tell the very unhelpful staff member that if she doesn’t hurry up and sort the ward out then my sister will have a full blown anxiety attack in the middle of the corridor and I will not be responsible for what happens – interestingly enough they then sort out her ward!
Up to the ward we go, I manage to speak with the staff before they meet my sister, what a difference from the other ward – they immediately ask what trod needs and put her in a side room. Trod was very anxious and her anxiety levels were rising but the staff kept to how I had asked them to deal with her and gave her excellent care. We managed her stress and gave her an environment that meant she could stay in control – she was again very anxious but we had everything under control and staff worked with us instead of against us. I should add here that on the other ward there had been two excellent HCAs and one nurse who tried their very best, but of course they were not the ones who were making the decisions about my sister’s care – if they had, I suspect things would have been a lot better for Trod!
Anyway, Trod goes down to surgery where the lovely anaesthetists were waiting, along with her surgeon, all along this group of theatre staff gave her the best care and consideration, I can’t thank them enough.
After approx. five hours she returns and you would never have know that she had been so anxious – she now just has to wait for the histology report!
Gosh, I had intended this to be an amusing report – but just can’t find the humour in any of it – so apologies that I have used you all for therapy
Seffie x