Appreciation for the medical care I received
Donation protected
Hi everyone,
For those of you that don’t know me my name is Jamie, I am 28 years old, from Stubbington in Hampshire. Please see my story below, I suffered with complications after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine Our amazing health service saved my life. As a small token of my thanks, I want to raise as much money for the hospitals as possible – Queen Alexandra and Southampton General
My Story
On the 27th March 2021 I received my first dose of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine. Eight days later I started suffering with what I can only describe as ‘the worst headaches’ of my life. On the 8th April, I attended Queen Alexandra Hospital A&E, at the time I felt embarrassed to go there for just a ‘headache’ (thankfully I did go)…
After having my bloods taken, the medics found that my blood platelets were very low and that could be an indication of a bleed. I was immediately taken for 2 CT scans …these confirmed that a blood clot called ‘cerebral venous sinus thrombosis’ (CVST) had formed on my brain . I was admitted to the orange acute medical ward on C-Level at Queen Alexandra…what happened next is what I have been told, as I have no memory of it.
I suffered a 2 minute seizure and I had to be loaded with an anti-seizure medication as I started deteriorating the medics took the decision to blue light me via ambulance to Southampton Hospital Neurological Unit, where I was admitted straight into the Intensive Care Unit (ITU). When I came round, I was confused, very emotional and wasn’t aware of what was going on. I soon came to realise that I couldn’t move my arms or my legs which was extremely distressing considering 1 week prior, I was enjoying a completely normal life.
I had many tests done at Southampton General including a brain and spinal scans which confirmed I had suffered CVST, an extremely rare form of stroke that affects 5 people in 1 million every year. At the time I wasn’t aware, but my family had been told that my life could go either way and I was in a very critical condition. COVID-19 restrictions and the safety of other patients and staff meant that it was just my mum that could come see me in ICU, it was heart-breaking for the rest of my family and friends potentially not seeing me alive again .
After lots of effort, care and medications from the Hospital and ICU staff, I managed to ‘keep above ground’ and was moved to recover in D-Neuro Neurological ward. Whilst there I had the strangest, scariest and looking back, funniest hallucinations I could ever have. At this point I was getting the feelings back in my arms and legs.
My Recovery Process
My time on D-Neuro was incredible, given the circumstances. Although I couldn’t move my legs I was able to learn to eat with my own hands again. Unfortunately for them I’m a fussy eater, but they let me eat from the children’s menu… we’ll leave that there (great food btw).
Each day I was getting stronger and stronger albeit I was taking 30-40 tablets alongside blood thinning meds and injections.
As many of you will agree we all want to keep our dignity as much as possible (I am the worst type of patient as I am self-conscious after losing so much weight) the way the staff handled that for me was a huge and admirable thing. When I got enough strength to get my legs to swivel off the bed the nurses managed to take me for a shower ( I had previously had to rely upon wet wipes)…just saying… I didn’t need the toilet for 6 days, so this ruled out any of that nasty business, plus I was catheterised.
From the moment I was helped out of bed to the moment I finished showering they managed to accommodate every single need for me to shower privately and allowed me to keep all my dignity intact (which was a HUGE thing for me) I’m talking about the dignity .. nothing else ☹
Days had gone by and with the help of the physio, occupational therapist and nurses I could start to lift my legs, start stretching them out and getting the feeling of being ‘able’ to be independent again was slowly returning… Fast forward a few days and (I will leave out any gory details) the physio team wheeled me down to the gym where I had to start to learn how to walk again. Of course like anyone, I became incredibly upset and frustrated that I couldn’t walk and I kept questioning why is this was happening to me. At the same time, I tried to stay humble because people there were worse off...
Things were finally looking up… A doctor came to see me and dropped the bombshell that I would not be able to drive for 6 months and that I have permanent brain damage… the extent of this won’t be known for a while, but I have developed a stutter, incredibly jittery nerves, but despite this, I am walking again unaided albeit a bit wobbly but I am expected to make a full recovery so I can now go back to being annoying.. thankfully I am alive to tell the tale.
A story ...
I was on a ward with some excellent people who I still keep in touch with now . One story that will never leave me is one of a 76 year old man John who’s been married 55 years... he told me that when he gets out his mrs will probably have f****d with another bloke (obviously joking) and that when I was leaving he told me not to worry because he will look after the ‘crumpet’ referring to the nurses! Lol . Mark , Pete , John and Martin you all gave me some great advice and inspired me to do better things and make better choices. Seeing family was hard for most because of Covid-19 so we had to make our own little family in hospital to keep spirits up.
Thankyou
My admiration
The incredible level of care I received from QA hospital, NICU and D-Neuro at Southampton General was outstanding, especially during the tough times we are in (COVID-19). I remember praising and thanking one of many nurses/ doctors and their reply was ‘We are doing our job this is what we do’.. to me this was hard to hear because every single person providing my care and that of my fellow patients went above and beyond and it wasn’t just standard care, it was 5*. There really is not enough room for me to put everything on here about what happened. If I could name and praise every single person at the places I spent, I would.
For anyone who has ever been a patient at any of these 3 places, had family there, will know the incredible efforts the staff go to. I want to show my gratitude and thanks and and I hope you join me in donating, in raising funds for them. I throughly enjoyed being on the ward given the circumstances, it was a great pleasure getting to know patients there and nurses . You all have a place in my heart.
My Goal and fundraising
My main priority is to raise as much money as possible and make sure all the staff get the recognition they deserve and the equipment they need!
I have initially set this target at £3k.. of course it would be incredible if we can all work together and smash that target and keep going, after all these people saved not just my life but many other on a daily basis.
I am going to do a bike ride for the journey I took from home -Queen Alexandra Hospital – Southampton General ICU – Home in Stubbington, which I believe is 44 miles. I am planning to do this on Saturday 24th July.. I can’t do it any sooner because I still have the clot on my brain and apparently I should be on light duties!!! Hopefully by this date the doctors will say I am fit enough.. bear in mind 3 miles on a spin bike in the past has melted my legs, so I need a bit of a build up!
Please join me by donating so we can raise as much as possible to provide funds to make our medics and nurses lives easier at work.
I would like to thank all my family, friends, my employer Bovis Homes / Vistry Group and work colleagues for their incredible support. You have all been my strength and have made my recovery process so far as great as possible.
Most of all, to all involved in my care, once again: Thank you for saving my life!
For those of you that don’t know me my name is Jamie, I am 28 years old, from Stubbington in Hampshire. Please see my story below, I suffered with complications after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine Our amazing health service saved my life. As a small token of my thanks, I want to raise as much money for the hospitals as possible – Queen Alexandra and Southampton General
My Story
On the 27th March 2021 I received my first dose of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca Vaccine. Eight days later I started suffering with what I can only describe as ‘the worst headaches’ of my life. On the 8th April, I attended Queen Alexandra Hospital A&E, at the time I felt embarrassed to go there for just a ‘headache’ (thankfully I did go)…
After having my bloods taken, the medics found that my blood platelets were very low and that could be an indication of a bleed. I was immediately taken for 2 CT scans …these confirmed that a blood clot called ‘cerebral venous sinus thrombosis’ (CVST) had formed on my brain . I was admitted to the orange acute medical ward on C-Level at Queen Alexandra…what happened next is what I have been told, as I have no memory of it.
I suffered a 2 minute seizure and I had to be loaded with an anti-seizure medication as I started deteriorating the medics took the decision to blue light me via ambulance to Southampton Hospital Neurological Unit, where I was admitted straight into the Intensive Care Unit (ITU). When I came round, I was confused, very emotional and wasn’t aware of what was going on. I soon came to realise that I couldn’t move my arms or my legs which was extremely distressing considering 1 week prior, I was enjoying a completely normal life.
I had many tests done at Southampton General including a brain and spinal scans which confirmed I had suffered CVST, an extremely rare form of stroke that affects 5 people in 1 million every year. At the time I wasn’t aware, but my family had been told that my life could go either way and I was in a very critical condition. COVID-19 restrictions and the safety of other patients and staff meant that it was just my mum that could come see me in ICU, it was heart-breaking for the rest of my family and friends potentially not seeing me alive again .
After lots of effort, care and medications from the Hospital and ICU staff, I managed to ‘keep above ground’ and was moved to recover in D-Neuro Neurological ward. Whilst there I had the strangest, scariest and looking back, funniest hallucinations I could ever have. At this point I was getting the feelings back in my arms and legs.
My Recovery Process
My time on D-Neuro was incredible, given the circumstances. Although I couldn’t move my legs I was able to learn to eat with my own hands again. Unfortunately for them I’m a fussy eater, but they let me eat from the children’s menu… we’ll leave that there (great food btw).
Each day I was getting stronger and stronger albeit I was taking 30-40 tablets alongside blood thinning meds and injections.
As many of you will agree we all want to keep our dignity as much as possible (I am the worst type of patient as I am self-conscious after losing so much weight) the way the staff handled that for me was a huge and admirable thing. When I got enough strength to get my legs to swivel off the bed the nurses managed to take me for a shower ( I had previously had to rely upon wet wipes)…just saying… I didn’t need the toilet for 6 days, so this ruled out any of that nasty business, plus I was catheterised.
From the moment I was helped out of bed to the moment I finished showering they managed to accommodate every single need for me to shower privately and allowed me to keep all my dignity intact (which was a HUGE thing for me) I’m talking about the dignity .. nothing else ☹
Days had gone by and with the help of the physio, occupational therapist and nurses I could start to lift my legs, start stretching them out and getting the feeling of being ‘able’ to be independent again was slowly returning… Fast forward a few days and (I will leave out any gory details) the physio team wheeled me down to the gym where I had to start to learn how to walk again. Of course like anyone, I became incredibly upset and frustrated that I couldn’t walk and I kept questioning why is this was happening to me. At the same time, I tried to stay humble because people there were worse off...
Things were finally looking up… A doctor came to see me and dropped the bombshell that I would not be able to drive for 6 months and that I have permanent brain damage… the extent of this won’t be known for a while, but I have developed a stutter, incredibly jittery nerves, but despite this, I am walking again unaided albeit a bit wobbly but I am expected to make a full recovery so I can now go back to being annoying.. thankfully I am alive to tell the tale.
A story ...
I was on a ward with some excellent people who I still keep in touch with now . One story that will never leave me is one of a 76 year old man John who’s been married 55 years... he told me that when he gets out his mrs will probably have f****d with another bloke (obviously joking) and that when I was leaving he told me not to worry because he will look after the ‘crumpet’ referring to the nurses! Lol . Mark , Pete , John and Martin you all gave me some great advice and inspired me to do better things and make better choices. Seeing family was hard for most because of Covid-19 so we had to make our own little family in hospital to keep spirits up.
Thankyou
My admiration
The incredible level of care I received from QA hospital, NICU and D-Neuro at Southampton General was outstanding, especially during the tough times we are in (COVID-19). I remember praising and thanking one of many nurses/ doctors and their reply was ‘We are doing our job this is what we do’.. to me this was hard to hear because every single person providing my care and that of my fellow patients went above and beyond and it wasn’t just standard care, it was 5*. There really is not enough room for me to put everything on here about what happened. If I could name and praise every single person at the places I spent, I would.
For anyone who has ever been a patient at any of these 3 places, had family there, will know the incredible efforts the staff go to. I want to show my gratitude and thanks and and I hope you join me in donating, in raising funds for them. I throughly enjoyed being on the ward given the circumstances, it was a great pleasure getting to know patients there and nurses . You all have a place in my heart.
My Goal and fundraising
My main priority is to raise as much money as possible and make sure all the staff get the recognition they deserve and the equipment they need!
I have initially set this target at £3k.. of course it would be incredible if we can all work together and smash that target and keep going, after all these people saved not just my life but many other on a daily basis.
I am going to do a bike ride for the journey I took from home -Queen Alexandra Hospital – Southampton General ICU – Home in Stubbington, which I believe is 44 miles. I am planning to do this on Saturday 24th July.. I can’t do it any sooner because I still have the clot on my brain and apparently I should be on light duties!!! Hopefully by this date the doctors will say I am fit enough.. bear in mind 3 miles on a spin bike in the past has melted my legs, so I need a bit of a build up!
Please join me by donating so we can raise as much as possible to provide funds to make our medics and nurses lives easier at work.
I would like to thank all my family, friends, my employer Bovis Homes / Vistry Group and work colleagues for their incredible support. You have all been my strength and have made my recovery process so far as great as possible.
Most of all, to all involved in my care, once again: Thank you for saving my life!
Organizer
Jamie Roe
Organizer
England