What's wrong with me?!
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Yesterday was a generally good day, probably the best so far. Comfortably did the most walking and balance wasn't too bad. I was given more day leave and I believe that's set to continue until I get discharged.
My dad collected me at 10am and we went for a spin in his M6 which was great fun. My brother and his partner were down and a few of us played a board game which was so good fun. My only problem was my stomach peg was hurting quite significantly yesterday when I laughed, coughed, stood up straight or took a deep breath in but after some rest it did settle down.
I slept for a good 5-6 hours but I'm currently awake at 4am now.
I also walked, with my dad, back to neuro icu and saw some of the lovely drs and nurses who cares for me when I was basically a cabbage and they were amazed with my progress. The Dr said the thing with neurological injuries like this is.... Time. He said be patient and it'll come.
Only thing stopping me coming home now is when the Dr's are convinced by the nurses/sister that I'm capable of caring for my trachy. Well, this evening was a good step forward because a nurse saw me change my own dressing and clean the inner tube/canula and she said she'd write in the notes I'd done it independently.... So that's a big step!
This thread has truly helped keep me going I think. It has allowed me to vent any of my issues, frustrations etc as well as the good things, had yielded some great advice as well as an awful lot of friendliness between, effectively, total strangers. One of the reasons I absolutely love pistonheads.
SureI'll be back later
Best regards
Ross
My dad collected me at 10am and we went for a spin in his M6 which was great fun. My brother and his partner were down and a few of us played a board game which was so good fun. My only problem was my stomach peg was hurting quite significantly yesterday when I laughed, coughed, stood up straight or took a deep breath in but after some rest it did settle down.
I slept for a good 5-6 hours but I'm currently awake at 4am now.
I also walked, with my dad, back to neuro icu and saw some of the lovely drs and nurses who cares for me when I was basically a cabbage and they were amazed with my progress. The Dr said the thing with neurological injuries like this is.... Time. He said be patient and it'll come.
Only thing stopping me coming home now is when the Dr's are convinced by the nurses/sister that I'm capable of caring for my trachy. Well, this evening was a good step forward because a nurse saw me change my own dressing and clean the inner tube/canula and she said she'd write in the notes I'd done it independently.... So that's a big step!
This thread has truly helped keep me going I think. It has allowed me to vent any of my issues, frustrations etc as well as the good things, had yielded some great advice as well as an awful lot of friendliness between, effectively, total strangers. One of the reasons I absolutely love pistonheads.
SureI'll be back later
Best regards
Ross
Great news Ross. You really are doing brilliantly.
They're always going to be paranoid about you being able to look after the Trach and Peg sites, simply because of the risk of infection and other complications. I've never had either myself, but I know plenty who have had them and the care of them has to be scrupulous from what I've seen.
You are making great leaps forwards and once you get home, then if your experience is anything like mine, your pace of recovery seems to double when you're home. It must be to do with being more relaxed.
Well done and keep up the good work. Oh and more info on the M6, I do have a soft spot for them as they are really quite silly. Which in my book is a very good thing!
They're always going to be paranoid about you being able to look after the Trach and Peg sites, simply because of the risk of infection and other complications. I've never had either myself, but I know plenty who have had them and the care of them has to be scrupulous from what I've seen.
You are making great leaps forwards and once you get home, then if your experience is anything like mine, your pace of recovery seems to double when you're home. It must be to do with being more relaxed.
Well done and keep up the good work. Oh and more info on the M6, I do have a soft spot for them as they are really quite silly. Which in my book is a very good thing!
IforB said:
Great news Ross. You really are doing brilliantly.
They're always going to be paranoid about you being able to look after the Trach and Peg sites, simply because of the risk of infection and other complications. I've never had either myself, but I know plenty who have had them and the care of them has to be scrupulous from what I've seen.
You are making great leaps forwards and once you get home, then if your experience is anything like mine, your pace of recovery seems to double when you're home. It must be to do with being more relaxed.
Well done and keep up the good work. Oh and more info on the M6, I do have a soft spot for them as they are really quite silly. Which in my book is a very good thing!
Bought just over a year ago with less than 1500 on the clock. Sakhir orange with full, extended black leather interior (so that includes the dash board etc), bang and olufsen stereo (about £3500 option.... It's amazing!), it's almost fully specced except it's not got carbon brakes and isn't a CP car. It's an awesome GT car and really rather rapid. They're always going to be paranoid about you being able to look after the Trach and Peg sites, simply because of the risk of infection and other complications. I've never had either myself, but I know plenty who have had them and the care of them has to be scrupulous from what I've seen.
You are making great leaps forwards and once you get home, then if your experience is anything like mine, your pace of recovery seems to double when you're home. It must be to do with being more relaxed.
Well done and keep up the good work. Oh and more info on the M6, I do have a soft spot for them as they are really quite silly. Which in my book is a very good thing!
Oddly, I have no interior pics! I'll get some soon. Anything else you'd like to know?
SpeckledJim said:
E65Ross said:
The greeny-blue mazda was replaced earlier this year with the S5 cab. The S5 is the V6 turbo one. Nice enough but the interior is a bit disappointing (though a nice colour combo.... Half black/red leather) but it should be a coupe and not dull white. My old man bought it for the Mrs as that's what she wanted. It's quite quick but not my cup of tea, dad doesn't like it much either.... Different kettle of fish I guess but much preferred his E92 M3 he had before which you could easily get for the £30k or so he spent on the S5.
Are there many people on your ward to chat with through the day? Im guessing everyone there has a story to share with you. Salgar said:
E65Ross said:
This was my bedside view last night... Amazing or what!
What is the thing that looks like a sponge dildo?Some of the nurses are rather tasty I must say!
Some of the people in my ward are lovely, some less so. Trouble is I can't really talk much at the moment anyway!
E65Ross said:
This thread has truly helped keep me going I think. It has allowed me to vent any of my issues, frustrations etc as well as the good things, had yielded some great advice as well as an awful lot of friendliness between, effectively, total strangers. One of the reasons I absolutely love pistonheads.
You can't believe what I would have given for access to something like pistonheads when I was I hospital for a month in 1978! All six of us were imobile or in traction and we didn't even have a remote for the TV!Feel really old now
Ross, Just wishing you a speedy recovery. I know we share interests in the mighty Saints and running and I hope that you are back watching the Saints and back training soon. Having read your story, I decided to push on from my operation in Jan and have decided to enter a half marathon and hope the injury holds out.
I know from reading here that you want to be active and best wishes for a fast recovery
I know from reading here that you want to be active and best wishes for a fast recovery
Visiting this thread always puts a smile on my face now, even though we are mostly strangers here many of us held our breath each time we dropped by during your procedure and aftermath Ross. Picking up these progress reports now is a great lift.
I'm in Belgium on a trip that's been planned for months, just as I arrived I came down with the Christmas lurgy, laid in the hotel room feeling like death warmed up and cursing my luck.
One quick read of Ross's latest update and it's a shower, a handful of paracetamol and hit the bar. This thread is great for perspective!
croyde said:
You are making me feel a right lazy fecker who should stop moaning about my minor problems.
Thanks
So true croyde. Thanks
I'm in Belgium on a trip that's been planned for months, just as I arrived I came down with the Christmas lurgy, laid in the hotel room feeling like death warmed up and cursing my luck.
One quick read of Ross's latest update and it's a shower, a handful of paracetamol and hit the bar. This thread is great for perspective!
Thanks, makes me feel much better.... There's always someone worse off
Back home again and watching sky sports, the Saints Chelsea match. Managed my first semi decent length walk outside.... Walk round "the block" which is a little over 0.4 miles. I did some walking at hospital earlier and I'll do more tonight too.
Legs still feel like jelly but I think that's just total loss of muscle bulk and that's going to take weeks of regular walking to sort.
For now it's hard to get into a proper routine with being able to come home, not being able to, waiting for nurses to do stuff etc etc but for when I'm back I've drafted up a list of various arm exercises with light weights (eg bicep curls, upright rowing etc), core stability (eg planks and side planks, quadruped exercises etc), leg work (eg squats, calf raises etc) which I can make sure I do once discharged.
My only issue now is, where I'm nearing discharge, is what happens with speech and language therapy. I need to ask because these are the guys who not only help with speech, but also determine my swallow ability and when I can get back to drinking fluids and, hopefully eventually, solids.... So ultimately they determine when this trachy and stomach peg come out. I'm hoping for something simple like once a week outpatient appointments....om sure you'll agree that it's absurd I should stay in hospital 24/7 to wait for 1 appointment per week which lasts around 5 mins. One of the main nurses thinks I'm good to go home myself now, and she's written that in the notes I believe. Just need to wait to hear what happens about speech and language. My swallow also appears to be JUST beginning to taks a small amount of saline down. At this rate I could potentially be drinking fluids in January.... But who knows, progress may slow and so on
Stomach peg is also still really quite painful today. Dr had a quick look and listen with a stethoscope and said not to worry all seems ok but, as already said, I can't take a deep breath in, laugh, stand up straight and coughing really hurts.
Will be aiming to get back to hospital around 5pm. I'm being moved to a more quiet bay tonight, same ward though so that'll be nice. I hope it's the same staff because I think the current staff are brilliant.
Coming back home and seeing my car is also both quite nice and depressing.... It's something to look forward to, but I know I won't be able to for ages. I was contemplating either SORN'ing it or selling but, even though it'll cost a lot, I think I'll keep it insured and get a friend or family member to drive it once per week for a good 20-30 miles, mostly motorway miles. I have a very good battery charger but it's quite large and I have no garage. Ideally I'd have the car in a garage with the charger in 24/7....but the battery in very hidden in the boot so it's charged under the bonnet which means the bonnet needs to be left ajar and I'd need an extension lead going to the car.... I can't leave the charger and extension lead outside so I think I'll just see about plugging the charger in for a good few hours once or twice a week.... What do we think of that?
Ross
Back home again and watching sky sports, the Saints Chelsea match. Managed my first semi decent length walk outside.... Walk round "the block" which is a little over 0.4 miles. I did some walking at hospital earlier and I'll do more tonight too.
Legs still feel like jelly but I think that's just total loss of muscle bulk and that's going to take weeks of regular walking to sort.
For now it's hard to get into a proper routine with being able to come home, not being able to, waiting for nurses to do stuff etc etc but for when I'm back I've drafted up a list of various arm exercises with light weights (eg bicep curls, upright rowing etc), core stability (eg planks and side planks, quadruped exercises etc), leg work (eg squats, calf raises etc) which I can make sure I do once discharged.
My only issue now is, where I'm nearing discharge, is what happens with speech and language therapy. I need to ask because these are the guys who not only help with speech, but also determine my swallow ability and when I can get back to drinking fluids and, hopefully eventually, solids.... So ultimately they determine when this trachy and stomach peg come out. I'm hoping for something simple like once a week outpatient appointments....om sure you'll agree that it's absurd I should stay in hospital 24/7 to wait for 1 appointment per week which lasts around 5 mins. One of the main nurses thinks I'm good to go home myself now, and she's written that in the notes I believe. Just need to wait to hear what happens about speech and language. My swallow also appears to be JUST beginning to taks a small amount of saline down. At this rate I could potentially be drinking fluids in January.... But who knows, progress may slow and so on
Stomach peg is also still really quite painful today. Dr had a quick look and listen with a stethoscope and said not to worry all seems ok but, as already said, I can't take a deep breath in, laugh, stand up straight and coughing really hurts.
Will be aiming to get back to hospital around 5pm. I'm being moved to a more quiet bay tonight, same ward though so that'll be nice. I hope it's the same staff because I think the current staff are brilliant.
Coming back home and seeing my car is also both quite nice and depressing.... It's something to look forward to, but I know I won't be able to for ages. I was contemplating either SORN'ing it or selling but, even though it'll cost a lot, I think I'll keep it insured and get a friend or family member to drive it once per week for a good 20-30 miles, mostly motorway miles. I have a very good battery charger but it's quite large and I have no garage. Ideally I'd have the car in a garage with the charger in 24/7....but the battery in very hidden in the boot so it's charged under the bonnet which means the bonnet needs to be left ajar and I'd need an extension lead going to the car.... I can't leave the charger and extension lead outside so I think I'll just see about plugging the charger in for a good few hours once or twice a week.... What do we think of that?
Ross
Already notified insurance and DVLA. DVLA contact my consultant and they talk it out.
I'm not using the car but I'll keep it insured, I'll have to let them know I'll have a friend drive it.... Who knows, because I'm not driving and it'll he used so infrequently my premium may go down and I'll get some money back!
I'm not using the car but I'll keep it insured, I'll have to let them know I'll have a friend drive it.... Who knows, because I'm not driving and it'll he used so infrequently my premium may go down and I'll get some money back!
Only just found this and have read it all over the last couple of hours. You young Sir and not only a legend but also such a role model for the younger generation and I salute you wholeheartedly for it
I have had 3 major operations on my head due to birthmarks and the s
t you get at school, the last when I was 15 and had the whole side of my neck from my ear to my adams apple cut open, along with skin grafts from behind both ears and the nerves cut in the right side of my head (still not proper feeling there now at 47), over 250 stitches and six weeks to take them all out. Felt like absolute crap for ages but nothing compared to what you have gone through, all the very best for a long and healthy future mate
I have had 3 major operations on my head due to birthmarks and the s
t you get at school, the last when I was 15 and had the whole side of my neck from my ear to my adams apple cut open, along with skin grafts from behind both ears and the nerves cut in the right side of my head (still not proper feeling there now at 47), over 250 stitches and six weeks to take them all out. Felt like absolute crap for ages but nothing compared to what you have gone through, all the very best for a long and healthy future mateEdited by coopedup on Monday 29th December 11:28
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