Today was the day!! After 54 days in total over the last 10 weeks (not counting my hospital hiatus where I went home to get much worse) I was finally discharged again.
In case you were wondering, those 54 days equate to roughly:
- 10 cannula’s
- 40 blood tests
- 2 CT scans
- 5 x-rays
- 1 surgically removed abscess
- 2 Flexible sigmoidoscopies (camera up the bum)
- 48,ooo ml of Elemental Feed
- 1 suspected blood clot
- 7 mini Lego sets & 1 Millennium Falcon
Being discharged felt very different this second time. As I’d been there so long I’ve really got to know some of the absolutely lovely nurses and staff quite well over the last 6 weeks. People kept coming in to my room all morning with excited voices and saying how its going to be “so weird” for me to be gone, which was actually quite touching.
Then it happened. Not 20 minutes before we were leaving I had to go to the toilet (obviously) and *weird gross bit* I felt a weird sore, swollen, spot as I wiped. My heart broke. Abscess flashed into my head. I was just getting out and now the abscess was back and I’d be in here for another week sorting it out. My escape from hospital was all over before it began. Everyone I told, my mum, the nurses, even when the doctor came in, I could see the disappointment in their faces as I had of course been over-animated and excited all day… serves me right really.
A surgical consultant was called for the final word on what it was exactly and the next step. Thus began the longest and most emotional hour and a half ever. I was silent, I cried, I got so unbelievably angry and punched things, and then fell asleep. When the surgeon came in I adopted the position and waited for the news I’d been dreading. Thankfully, it never came. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but she was sure it wasn’t an abscess yet AND that as long as it was sorted before my next dose of Infleximab (4 weeks away) I could still go home. Nearly cried again at this point, hospital has made me feeble and weepy it seems.
So, MUCH happier than before and although later than planned still on my way out me and mum packed up and decided it was time to give the doctors and nurses the thank you hampers my mum had put together (yeah, told you she was amazing)
And that was that, after hugs and kind words to a select few of my absolute faves, I was outside for the first time in 6 weeks, breathing in the (in my opinion) crystal clean, fresh North London air. It was beautiful.
After a quick trip to Tesco to pick up some celebratory soya ice cream (DELICIOUS) I was back at home among my family listening to them jabber on about the TV or wind each other up as per usual. Perfect.
Jakes Crohnology 