Day 43 – A complete oil change

Wednesday 21st October 2009

I was about to take a bite out of my breakfast sausage sandwich when Kermit came. Because my blood pressure was still very low I had had to remain lying flat. Eating bran flakes wasn’t a good idea so had to have a sausage sandwich. I was rather glad Kermit came when he did as I now had an excuse to leave it – it was horrible !!!!

Kermit looked at my blood drainage bottle and told nurse Sarah that he wanted the drain removed and a theatre suction one put in its place. He then explained that the infection had eaten away all the muscle in and around my hip so I now had a huge cavity.
“Muscle acts like a sponge”, he continued, “so with you not having any left, there isn’t anything to absorb the residue liquid”.
“There was no sign of any infection in the wound”, he added, “which is some good news”.
I asked what would happen if the wound continued leaking. He explained that an ultra scan would be taken of the cavity then a drain would be fitted.
“Will there be anymore trips to the woodshed”, I asked.
“I don’t think so”, he smiled.

As I was still having problems with one of my lines young Natalie came to have a look at it. She squeezed it and I yelled out in pain. It was so bad that it brought tears to my eyes. She went to get nurse Lisa, who did the same as Natalie, and I gave her the same reply….
“The veins gone”, said Lisa, “so the line will have to come out”,
I wasn’t amused as I had mentioned to Wilma last night that the vein looked like it had collapsed but she continued to use the line.

I had to have yet another two units of blood (that would make a complete ‘oil’ change…) later that morning as my blood pressure was still very low, and apparently, I was looking very pale. I’d only had one unit of blood when the line had to be taken out of my hand as it had become very sore and swollen.

Kermit was informed and he was not amused as I still had another unit of blood and a bag of antibiotics to have. He put a call through to A&E asking for an anaesthetist to come and put another line in.

Once again I was wired for sound in both hands, which made having a bed pan a little difficult. Kermit had issued orders that the nurses had to keep an eye my fluid level as I must drink more than I was weeing. I spent most of the day on a bed pan….