Alo-ha;
"So, what's with two posts in one day?" I hear you ask. Well, my initial post was really all about setting some ground rules - this one is to catch you up on how we have gotten to this point, skipping the really boring parts and trying to gloss over the more embarrassing ones somewhat.
Right, all strapped in? Good - here we go!
- 30th Aug 1987 - I enter the world at Norwich hospital; son to Adina and Steven Ward, although not for long. Not too long after my birth I was given up for adoption and, within a few weeks, I was the new son of Ian and Kathy Spaxman - my mum and dad.
- 1987 to 2001 - I grew a bit, played a bit, learned a lot and forgot a lot of it.
- July 2001 - Wow, what a month! Every kid's dream came true for me this month; a holiday to Disney Land with my parents, brother, sister in law and niece! This was a fantastic holiday, visiting every park, but on the final night I was pretty ill. We thought it was just a tummy bug at the time, but the symptoms continued to re-surface for quite some time after returning home.
- August 2001 - Symptoms of the 'Florida Sickness', as we subsequently named it, resurfaced and I was taken to see my GP. Diagnosis was psychosomatic illness and I was sent away with some holistic medicine to take.
- January 2002 - Symptoms are still persisting sporadically; I have now been off school for 3 months. My dad feels that I might be faking things to avoid school, but mum seems to believe me. I'm taken back to my GP, who again dismissed it as psychosomatic. Just as we were going to leave, my mum turned to the doctor and asked him to weigh me - something that he more than gladly agreed to. As I was stepping on the scales, mum requested that I take my t-shirt off too. So I did. Cue the doctor sitting there gaping, as this 14 year old boy weighs in at just over 5 stone and looks like he's come from a third-world country. End result: referred to a consultant at Hinchingbrooke Hospital for more tests and weight-gain drinks.
- February 2002 - Finally admitted to the children's ward at Hinchingbrooke. The consultant didn't even bother seeing me before writing to get me admitted - my symptoms were that bad! The proceeding tests are going to be glazed over heavily, but suffice to say they were really embarrassing and painful. The moment I came round from the tests the consultant came up to me with the results - Suspected Crohns Disease. Now, at 14, you wouldn't really expect me to know too much about this 'rare' disease; well I did. Just a few days before being admitted I was browsing daytime TV and came across a documentary about severe Crohns sufferers (although it didn't mention it was severe), and so there I was lying in the hospital bed and terrified out of my mind!
The consultant wasn't 100% certain on their diagnosis though, so it was off to the Royal Free in Hampstead, London, for a second opinion. Cue the same tests run as those at Hinchingbrooke and unfortunately, for me at least, the same diagnosis. Great.
- Feb 2002 - October 2010 - Much occurred over this time, but I don't want to dwell on it. Suffice to say, I've been on pretty much every medication available to treat Crohns and none have been successful.
- October 2010 - This memory sees me sat in the consultation room opposite Mr. Bekdash, gastro-surgeon for Hinchingbrooke Hospital. I've gotten to the point of being so ill that I'm no longer at work and medicines are unable to help me anymore. Mr. Bekdash now proposes some radical surgery - an ileostomy - which would solve a lot of my underlying issues and also help me in moving forward in life. No date is discussed, but the understanding is that it will be ASAP.
- 13th December 2010 - Here I am, lying on a gurney and about to be wheeled into the surgical theatre. Building up to the surgery I have spoken with Mr. Bekdash many times and it has now been decided that instead of a normal ileostomy, which can be reversed at a later date, I am now to have a panproctocolectomy. Google it if you wish to know what that means, I don't wish to discuss it at the moment. Right, so into the theatre we go. The anesthetist come up to me, waves his hands in front of my face to distract me and, whilst doing this, puts the anesthetic into my cannula. I have just enough time to realise what he's done and let out a "You sneaky bastard." before...
... Zzzzzzz.
Wait, what the hell's going on?!?? Oh. I'm back on the ward. Woah, what's going on with my stomach? There's some sort of random bag attached to it and tons of metal staples round my belly button. Ooo, there's my PCA button; I'm in a bit of pain so I'll push it...
... Zzzzzzz.
- 22nd December 2010 - Have been told by the doctors that I can go home today. Fantastic!
- 27th December 2010 - District Nurse comes to remove the staples from my stomach and the stitches from my nether regions. Unfortunately she's forgotten the staple remover, will come back later on, but even worse she's found that the skin around my stitches has started to break down and die! Cue a dash to Hinchingbrooke A&E to get it checked. I'm admitted back onto the surgical ward again.
- 31st December 2010 - Released again, but only for the weekend. They've removed my staples and my stitches, but unfortunately there were complications. My stomach wound developed a cavity underneath the skin, so split back open after the staples were taken out, and will need to heal naturally from within. Expected recovery time 8-9 weeks. Even worse, my nether regions had to be debribed (dead flesh cut away) and has left a HUGE gaping hole. Expected recovery time 11-12 weeks. Still, at least they've let me out for the weekend.
- 4th January 2010 - This day went well. Went back to the hospital after my 3 day weekend away and thankfully was allowed to leave again. Now is the time to return home, relax and heal.
- 5th Jan to Now - Healing, healing, TV watching, game playing and more healing. Very boring time and also quite depressing. Spent a lot of time on the Ileostomy Association forums talking to others like me. It helps. IA Forums
So, that's us all caught up now. Stomach wound's mainly superficial now and nether regions are healing okay, if a lot slower than my stomach. So, expect some better posts from now on!
Because life is worth more living.
- David
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