Titanium_Man

So, my recovery has been a little two steps forward, one step backward since I got home. In all fairness, this is completely my fault as I’m a determined little bugger who won’t sit still. Plus, the weather has been mostly great and just wanna be out in the fresh air and sun! The first day I was discharged, as you all know, I went straight to the pub(!) Zee drove us there and all I had to do was sit and talk lots to the staff. This first day conversations were hard as I simply couldn’t talk much. Despite this, I still managed a 40 minute chat with my mum on the phone that evening. Would have probably only taken you guys about 5 minutes to say the same things, but hey! Next day was the start of gaining some sort of mobility back. Up to this point I had managed to walk up and down the ward corridor, probably about 75 meters in total. I live in a 3-story townhouse and really struggled getting up the first flight of stairs on day one and had to stop a couple of times. By day two I could manage the entire first flight in one go Went up and down these a few times during the course of the day, ensuring that I had rest between. Holding a conversation is now much easier, but still needing to pause for breaths. Day 3, which was yesterday, I decided I was going to walk to my local. This was always a short-term goal and wanted to achieve this by Monday (tomorrow) as Zee is back to work and I might get bored 😇 Although I had to stop on the way there (it’s technically uphill from my house) it’s a good 540 meters door to door according to Google maps. Good progress. Chilled in the sun for a few hours, had some decent pub-grub then walked home in one go ready to watch the FA cup final. As I said at the start of this post, two steps forward, one step back ….. sleeping at night has been difficult to say the least. I’m not having much problem getting to sleep as I’m on strong paracetamol throughout the day, but after 4 hours of being led down to sleep and the meds wearing off I am woken by the discomfort 😞 Not managed more than 4 hours in on go…. But no change there really as it’s been like this since 2015 op, but now with my lungs hurting. Zee is adamant that it’s ‘cos I’ve been pushing myself too far this early. She might me right, but no pain no gain as they say!! Today I’ve promised Zee that we’ll stay at home today as it’s meant to be raining, according to my weather app, but the sky is showing me something different at the minute …… I must be good and stick to my promise!!

Thank you, Ryan. It really means a lot to me. It honestly does. 🥰

Thank you, J.R 🥰 I’m not usually an emotional guy, but all the generosity shown this evening and the above words have absolutely caught me by surprise and has made me leak 😪 It wasn’t my choice and not something that I would decide I was doing, but my baby bro was adamant that he wanted to help in some way shape or form and this was his way. It is far too early to see where my life is going to lead after this recent hiccup, but I know I won’t let this beat me and something good will come of this.

🥰

Bless you guys. I’m really humbled by your generosity. 🥰 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-during-a-difficult-time?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

‘Cos it is kinda obvious that someone who was not on Warfarin on admission to hospital but is at discharge would be given even the most basic of Information so not only can said person avoid getting themselves in trouble, but also be aware of the need for (initially) almost daily tests until the ideal dose is found. Anyway, by-the-by As for the pics on Instagram, you’re not missing a whole lot TBH! Certainly not as bad as the still image and 4 second video clip of my chest being open showing my heart beating away that I asked for and received from the surgical team

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

Unpopular opinion; the bum is an out hole not an in-hole 🙃

Thanks Wino. No booze for me, the the fresh air, sunshine on my faces and to be with familiar faces, not inside of any walls

Cheers Mick, but pub garden is first port of call as is sunny here in Bristol today 😁 then my comfy chair 🤘 The first rays of sun for 21 days

The strength of three 😛

After 20 looooong days in hospital, culminating in my 3rd open heart surgery (and now a change of username 😛 ) I’m going home today 🤩

Now I’ve re-read this, yes ….. well, I’ll change it from love to like cos it’s still good Nosh!

You’re only getting a like from me if it was a proper bbq and not a cheating outdoor cooker type!

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!?!?