This week I have spent on the Blenheim Head & Neck ward at the Churchill Hospital
To start the weekend in a hospital is very quiet nothing changes really as the consultants are enjoying a well earned break no doubt and the nursing team is slimmed down the ward also seems quiet
I spend it mainly coughing and spluttering and using the day room as it is boiling hot on the ward even with the fan I have - one problem with the fan is it affects my coughing, making it worse😕
Lovely visits from Carol and Orlanda and we have a walk up the ward, and by the end of the weekend I don't need the zimmer anymore, so progress on that front
Monday comes along and a lot more activity, first off two drains removed from my neck, two more to go, continual checks on the "flap" still all looking good.
Physio comes around and is well pleased I am walking without the zimmer
the rest of the week is much the same except on Thursday they are looking to remove the trachy, first step is to reduce the size of this down, but right at the last minute I get a bleed so this goes ahead but won't be removed, the following day the reduce the trachy down and have 24 hours before they'll look to remove which falls on a "do nothing" weekend but they say it'll get done.
Friday is the big day, I have half the stitches and clips removed and have my swallow test, so good news on the first but the swallow test is a fail. It turns out (finding out after the weekend - no surprises there) I have a small hole below my tongue that leaks into my jaw (might explain a lot) and also some aspiration in the airway, so have to do this again.
The last drain in my neck is also removed, so just the one in my leg to go
Me with my "smaller" Trachy
Me with my "smaller" Trachy, doesn't look much different but feels a world of difference and I can talk
Saturday 28th June
To finish on a high the trachy is removed!!!🎉🎉 This is another big step ticked off
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