Titanium_Man

My surgeon was happy with the thinking of the nurse practitioner when he spoke to her to ascertain why she took me off the drip / meds he demanded I was on, which was good enough for me. Complete stark contrast to his reaction when I told him about being given medication I am allergic too! I have since spoken to the anaesthetist who fessed up and apologised for her f’up, but should never have happened as it was written down. Thanks for reiterating what I’ve been told several times by several medical professionals, which has also been explained in the many pieces of literature I’ve been sent home with and have subsequently read 👍

Anyone who follows me on Instagram would have seen my recent post that depicts the changes my body has gone through in the last 9.5 years and 3 open heart surgeries, but yet to publicly share the picture of my open chest and video of my beating heart I asked the surgeon to take. perhaps a bit much for Brisky 😊

Had a very late morning just sitting in bed with Zee yesterday, which was lush! Eventually got up to pop down to the local citizens advice only to find they don’t do drop-in. We had spent 30 mins on the phone trying to get through, but no answer So, with an appointment at my GP surgery an hour or so away at this point, which was booked by the hospital before I was discharged, we went back to the pub to enjoy some more sun🤣 Arrived at the GP’s to have my INR checked at 15:50 so that I knew what meds strength of Warfarin I had to take, only to be told it was too late for that!! To be fair, the nurse went potty when she called the hospital(!) but another mild inconvenience. Kinda got it sorted in the end, but only after licking their finger and sticking it in the air. My lungs are much stronger now and I’m able to hold a decent conversation without too many pauses. I’m also able to tackle 1 flight of stairs in one go 🤘 Baby steps! I’m slowly building myself up so that by Monday I’ll be able to reach my local under my own steam! This might sound a little WTF to some, but it’s a 10 minute walk up a slight gradient normally and Zee goes back to work Monday and I need to keep exercising 😛 I need to get fit again as although I won’t be well enough to work Glastonbury this year, they’re being amazing and still giving me a ticket, food etc with no expectation of work. Bless the West Holts Stage, they’ve always been amazing with us over the years. With that in mind, I will be trying to find a suitable admin role / some way to contribute during the festival cos that’s the way I am.

So, this rollercoaster of a few days I’ve been on has challenged my positivity, my ability to bite my tongue and tested my patients to the very limits, but ultimately ended with the best possible outcome; being at home with my amazing rock of a wife, Zee 🥰 I should have actually been sent home on Wednesday, but when I moved over to the recovery ward from high dependency ward on Tuesday morning a nurse practitioner took the decision not to put me back on a drip machine that was designed to get my INR to where they wanted it. I also found out at this point that I was given some medication that I am essentially allergic too; gentamicin. This drug is the very reason why I now wear hearing aids. Despite having a conversation the night before the op and whilst waiting to be put under the next morning with the anaesthetist about this, it was used during the 8 hour operation There’s been a whole host of other issues, including promises being made by the surgeon that were not carried out by the first nurse to look after me in intensive care, that I won’t go in to. Suffice to say that I’ve had a very frank conversation with my surgeon about everything. He went a funny shade of red when I told him about the gentamicin! Anyway, finally got put back on the drip early Wednesday evening and woke Thursday morning and could see the drip wasn’t running. I knew that meant my INR was where he should be and I could go home! Having been in hospital for 20 days at this point and with it being so beautifully sunny that day, all I wanted to do was not be enclosed within four walls, feel the sun on my face and breath in some fresh air, so headed to my local pub This has been my local for the best part of 10 years and we are officially in their top three customers apparently 😇 so I got an amazing welcome from the staff that were in duty. Made me feel amazing. After about 3 hours of chilling in the sun, we headed home for a dirty KFC I’ve had a few wobbles, a couple of times where I’ve broken down in to tears over what is coming next, but I’ve still not dealt with the many, many changes to my life that have been forced upon me 😞 The big one being the need to be on Warfarin for the rest of my life, and all that entails. Won’t go into too much detail about this yet as I need to have a conversation with someone first. But it’s a biggie. I have been referred for counselling, which starts in July to try and help with the PTSD that I have had since op #2, but the biggest challenge is financials. I’m not being paid, coupled with spending the last 3 years on less than minimum wage whilst completing my apprenticeship has put us in a really challenging situation. Bless my baby bro, he’s set up a Go Fund me account, which was a very hard thing for me to agree to as in a massively proud man and have gotten to where I am in life all on my own, but we simply cannot survive with a little bell this time round.

Ello mate. Been an up and down few days, but mostly up. I’ll give a better update tomorrow as I’m absolutely zonked, but didn’t want to ignore you

Ah bugger, wrong way round. Feel free to shoot me.

I’m layman’s terms …..no redlining it. But I didn’t need to say that really, did I!

Don’t blow the bl00dy door ms off, as one Michael Cain once said 😛

Yeah, I’m getting there thanks. One more hurdle to overcome then the rest is down to me No need to change the rockers if they’re not damaged, but will definitely need to lap in whichever valves you want to put in the new head, and I would 100% use engine assembly lube as new parts are going in. If money is no object, why not replace it all, including all the various bolts, gaskets, nuts etc. I would run the Engine for a week then change the oil, making sure it’s given a few heat cycles and not extract the urine with revs during the first few days. Not an overly difficult job if you have the tools for removing the valves etc, but good luck 👍

Just boshed a very strong sleeping tablet, 2 tramadol tablets, some oral morphine and the last bit of Oxycodone, so vest get my head down before I fall asleep with my phone in my hand

Thanks mate. Continued positive messages from people such as yourself help keep my spirits up and help me keep focused. This is such a difficult thing to go through physically and emotionally (I actually start therapy for PTSD in July) all you guys on here have no idea just how much you’ve helped me keep a spring on my step and a smile on my face. Zee knows just how supportive some have been on here, she knows your names, and is very thankful to you all 🥰

Yeah, great progress. Even my consultant is surprised each day they've come to see me. Guess as this is number 3 op my body knows how to deal with it...I dunno!?!?

I'm feeling really good actually. Much better mobility today, bee walking around the ward. Didn't get across to a recovery ward as they want to sort out my INR levels first (the body's ability to clot, in Short) They weren't great, so they stuck mean a drip at 11:40 this morning, which finishes at 5am😱

Guess so, but made of titanium instead.... I'm lighter and and therefore quicker

There's much sense in this post....but the torque shove is soooooo addictive 😛

I'm still unsure about it TBH??!?!

The most important thing is that it has been regularly serviced with the correct oil. I would say correct servicing over low mileage is the better choice, by far. As for spec, a bit hit and miss. There can't be too many on the road nowadays (I'm sure someone else could be bothered to find that out, but not me!) so I personally wouldn't get too caught up in finding one with the right spec. TBH, there weren't too many upgrades and not too many people bothered with them. Look for rust under the front doors / sill area, watermarks on the rear door cards and wet rear passenger footwells. Plenty of posts on here about the usual issues with these. £2k won't get you much in the current market I reckon.

If / when you get them fitted, please remember DRL = daytime running lights and you need to switch your headlights on come nighttime. The number of idiots on the road at night with just the DRL’s on is astounding.

I do have a soft spot for these, I have to say, and bet it does go like sh!t off a shovel now!

Personally, I would take what you need from your current head as the pets fitted at the factory are superior to aftermarket stuff, IMO. If you don’t wanna do that, which would be fair enough, I would contact GSF for new parts. I bought an Erling head gasket for £24. Make sure it has the same number of holes as the one you’re taking off. What else are you missing?!

Thanks mate. even one of the consultants has mentioned that I’m always smiling when he comes to see me! So, the chest drains were removed earlier today, along with almost everything else. Just have one line in my neck that will be coming out tomorrow I feel like a new man now and am able to breath probably about 80% normal. I’m now mobile and been for a walk around the ward and should be leaving the high dependency ward tomorrow. I’m doing so well that so long as there are not set-backs (touching wood as I write this!) I might be heading home this coming Wednesday

It happens to me every now and again, which is why I had the implant under my skin on my chest a few weeks ago. Not clear what’s causing my BP to crash, even with it happening here whilst hooked up to all the machines.

After a couple of setbacks yesterday; had one temperature check that was in the 38’s and I actually blacked out as my blood pressure dropped through the floor, I’ve woken this morning to my chest drain no longer bubbling 👏 Breathing is much easier too. It’s hoped that the chest drains can now come out, which will make me much more comfortable. Winner. Thanks for all the message of support and banter…. I’ve always believed in a PMA, but even though Zee has now been through this with me twice before she’s blown away with how I’ve been Much love, awesome Brisky people 🤘

Thanks fellas. I did ask for a picture of me cut open in the end, which they duly obliged!! Not had the balls to open my emails as yet 🙈

Good shout… yeah great way to explain it to people!