Post Op Complications Bills

In early November 2014 I began having severe abdominal pain which I had hoped was just constipation. It got so bad that I had to be taken to A & E by a friend. Doctor's confirmed that it was Appendicitus through blood tests and various screenings.

Now I was admitted at midday on a Friday, they hadn't scheduled the operation Until the next day (Saturday) at 9am.

My appendix ruptured at approx 4am Saturday morning, I remember as I wasn't able to sleep and the last thing I recall is even worse pain than I had already experienced. It causes me to black out. Thankfully I was in the hospital and it hadnt ruptured earlier when I was home alone.

Next thing I knew I was being taken to surgery. Initially I was told it would be a simple ''keyhole" surgery, but that was before it ruptured.

When I came around from the operation I was told by the Surgeon herself that it was one of the worst cases of Appendicitus she had even seen, a very pussey appendix which had spread Peritonitus to my "4 quadrants" of the abdomen including coating my liver.

So rather than keyhole they had no choice but to open me up down the middle. From just under my belly button to just above my pubic bone, a good 3-4 inches. They had to remove the internal organs/ guts that they could, thoroughly wash them and put them back in.

Obviously I was very sore afterwards but it had to be done.

Whilst under in the operating theatre I had been catheterised and I had 2 drains coming from my abdomen.

I was very out of it and unaware a lot of the time due to medication and being generally unwell.

I also couldn't eat for a week, only fluids which even then my body decided to reject, I had an NG tube inserted up my nose and down my throat. I had to be aspirated hourly, if not more to drain my stomach contents and prevent further vomiting.

I had morphine on PCA, "Y" canullas on both hands with IV antibiotics and fluids.

I eventually began to feel better after about a week post hope, I was able to begin to walk again, my bowels had opened again. Eventually my drains and catheter were removed.

All in all I was in hospital for 10 days. It was not a nice place, the worst was at night. Due to being out of it a lot I was very confused; I was in the same bed on the same ward in the same position the whole time post op. But Everyday it felt different, the curtain being left a certain way, doors and lights slightly different. It was very confusing and sometimes frightening.

Upon discharge I was given no oral antibiotics…

So 2 days after being discharged I went to my Drs Surgery to see the Practice Nurse to have my clips removed as requested by the hospital itself.

The nurse took out my clips as requested and the whole wound unhissed and reopened. It was huge!
She patched me up and sent me to the Surgerical Assessment Unit at the hospital.

There a Dr took one look at my open, infected and smelly wound and was immediately alarmed. It wasn't until the actual Surgeon who performed the surgery looked at it and said she expected it to do that and not to be too alarmed, thanks for the heads up…

My wound was packed and I was sent home.

I had to go to the Drs surgery everyday for the next 2 months to have my open wound cleaned, packed and dressed. I had several courses of oral antibiotics due to reoccurring infection.

I had to pay for each and every item used, albeit prescription charges but there was a lot.

Now my open wound is closed and I've been discharged from the Nurses which is obviously great news but having had nearly 3 months off of work which would usually have been 2 if it was as simple as keyhole.

My work were really good about it but I was only entitled to Stat Sick Pay which is £80 a week.

With rent to pay, a car, insurances, utility bills and other living costs it wasn't a lot. I live with my partner, he works full time and family have helped with money, thank god! My partner even sold his car to help us both out.

I'm due to return to work on Tuesday but because of the Surgery and muscle breakdown due to resting and being off I'm not going to be working my contracted hours straight away, they'll build up as I get stronger.

I work as a Care Assistant in a Care Home so there is obviously a lot of manual moving and handling.

I'm not looking for sympathy or a sob story but due to lack of funds we are finding ourselves in more and more debt so any sort of contribution would be HUGELY appreciated just to help us get back on our feet.

Thank you for reading, if you've managed to get this far. Lol.

:-)