Sunday 3 April 2016

Life Changing Experience

13 days ago I wrote a blog just before I had to leave home for day surgery but didn’t have time to post it so thought, I would do it the next day.  Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as I had planned and I was rushed back into hospital the next night by ambulance and then spent 8 days in hospital. 

A friend wrote the following quote as a facebook post last weekend after visiting me in hospital and it sums up how the last 13 days have been:

Scary how in the blink of an eye your whole life can change.. Love and appreciate what you have and if you don’t, then do something about it.  Life is short and very fragile…

I have only got through the past couple of weeks with support from family and friends.  Being told that all operations were being cancelled, so that I could go down to theatre is probably the most frightening experience in my life and I keep reliving that moment over and over again in my head.  However, as the quote above suggests, I need to move on from that and enjoy what I have in life, as the past couple of weeks has shown me how precious life is.  I’m very lucky to have such wonderful family and friends who have rallied round us as a family and offered ongoing support for us.  At the moment I have 8 weeks expected recovery time, but I also have an appointment with a consultant in 4 weeks time to see if I need further surgery.  Currently, just getting up and having a shower is wiping me out.  I’m also not allowed to lift anything for 8 weeks and for anyone who knows me will realise I’m going to find it hard to restrict what I do for that length of time as I’m an active person by nature and rarely sit down and do nothing!!  The day before my original day surgery I clocked up 17,000 steps and I think I’ll be lucky if I manage that in the next month or so.  

There have been some positives to come out of this experience – I’ve lost 8lbs in weight as was nil by mouth for the majority of my stay in hospital!  After dreaming of my Easter Egg that was at home waiting for me, I’ve yet to touch it, as I’m not overly hungry, but I’m sure that will change in time.  The best thing to happen though is how our three kids have risen to the challenge that has been thrown at them.  It is hard for our two ASD children to have their routine changed without warning, but they have coped in their own ways - being hooked to the iPad watching the same cartoons or hibernating in their room.  They have also learnt that Daddy is able to help them like Mummy can and they can now go to both of us for support, rather than relying on me, as I'm generally the one at home whilst Daddy is at work.  Our daughter who rarely shows any empathy sent me so many text messages to say how much she missed me and wanted me to be back home, as well as making me lots of get well cards.  She found it hard to visit me in hospital, as did our youngest son, as it wasn’t the most pleasant environment for them.  For five days I was on a ward for hip replacement patients, as the it was only ward that had a spare bed and I was the youngest by 30 years.  It was total sensory overload for our youngest son, as a hospital ward is not an environment he has ever had to come up against before and with all the machinery, noises, patients calling out etc, it was too much for him to cope with.  Our eldest son has showered my in hugs and kisses and has become my protector.  To keep them occupied they have all learnt new skills and are helping out at home.  Our two eldest children both know how to use the washing machine and dishwasher and all three of them are willing to do extra chores and pull together as a family.  As I can’t bend down at the moment, our youngest son is picking up everything in sight with a grabber tool and it’s become his new toy. I’m so proud of the three of them and although I wouldn’t want them to have gone through this experience, I think it has made us stronger as a family.