25/05/2024
My son has now returned home from Southampton General, after a hellish experience with pneumonia and complications.
Have a read of his Post...............
'So, this is something I wasn’t expecting to write after starting off with a mild fever followed by a cough and then some sore ribs - all taking place over the last three weeks. Took the usual pain relief but had no energy to do my usual weekly exercises/groups/gym. Got some antibiotics Thursday last week thinking that would put it to bed.
Roll on last Saturday at midday and the most awful constant stabbing pain in the left side of my ribs and around my heart came on. I knew it wasn’t a heart issue but the fear of not knowing where this came from along with an increased HR and the constant pain made it all the worse. Calming myself Louise dropped me off at A&E whilst she parked the car with the girls.
Bent double I stumbled my way to the entrance where a copper helped me inside. Managed to give my name and get seen whilst trying to keep things calm by keeping my HR down and so to the pain. It seemed near impossible at times. Bless the members of the public who asked if they could help me or grab me a drink. I was checked over with tests and X-rays but sent home after some morphine and new meds.
Saturday night was a struggle. Sitting upright in a chair, each breath painful. When getting up to go to the toilet or having the slightest cough, the effort it took to control my breathing to help minimise the constant pain was intense. No change by the time Louise rang 111 Sunday midday. They sent an ambulance and I was taken in. These new bloods and X-rays showed a huge shift in my numbers and that half my left lung was now covered by an infection. I was told on Sunday I had been diagnosed with bronchopneumonia on the Saturday but this wasn’t mentioned to me!
Over the nights and days that followed the pain to breath let alone get up & walk 5m to the toilet was just non stop & indescribable. I don’t know how to describe it.
I’ve been on oxygen since Sunday as my left lung isn’t working due to the infection and my breathing isn’t great. The plan was to drain my left lung on Monday but they couldn’t find safe access. Same plan again for Tuesday, we got all the way to the fluid under a local anaesthetic but it couldn’t be drained due to the thickness of it. Next step a CT scan so they could send it to Southampton to prove to them this required surgery, which cant be done at QA. Mentioning I physically couldn’t lie down was met with it’s ok we have drugs to help with this - but the drugs weren’t working and the pain was still sitting at a 9/10.
Wednesday 9am I get told I’m having a CT scan. Knowing it needed doing as I had no options left and desperate for the pain to end I explained the issue again! They soon understood whilst watching my feeble attempt.
Two people lowered me down and it was a dark time but somehow I kept my breathing under control. After an eternity or 5 minutes it was over. The same chap told me I could get up. I looked at him, couldn’t talk and after what felt like an hour, two people helped me up to a sitting position.
One thing I’ve learnt about hospitals is that nobody actually knows what kind of pain you’re in or what your situation is. Do notes get read? I quickly learnt what meds I was on and at what intervals so buzzed 30 mins beforehand as it’s not a quick process due to staff busy elsewhere and two people required to administer certain drugs.
All this time the antibiotics can’t fight the pneumonia due to the infection in my lung (Empyema), stopping them from working. This lasted until Thursday afternoon where the pain let up slightly. Finally, some good signs. Saturday - Thursday had consisted of being at ease most in a chair and sleeping with the back rest on the bed at its highest level. Thursday and Friday night was the chair and a few presses of the button to lower the bed back rest. Not much but huge benefits.
So after Wednesdays CT scan the request went in from QA to Southampton to take me as being operated on was the only solution. Thursday afternoon they had accepted the request. It was hard to not want things to move quicker and just get over there but Friday morning came and confirmation of a free bed. I got transferred yesterday afternoon and was told not long after I will be operated on today. That’s still the case, looking between 5-7 this evening. Pain wasn’t good last night but slept ok. My ward experience (though only 2 nights so far is for another day). So grateful to have my own room at QA. Here’s to one post op.
Desperate for surgery to go ahead, to clear the Empyema and then I can finally start the recovery process. All small steps & one at a time. All going well the drains exiting me post op will clear the remaining infection, final checks can be done to confirm it’s gone and maybe I can go home Tues/Wed. Here’s to a smooth and successful operation with no long term issues. I’ve been told there shouldn’t be any as the procedure to clear it is a common one 🙏🤞x
I can’t thank my wife Louise enough for all the love and support she’s given me 😇 thank you sweetheart x
11 days in hospital. Surgeon stated that it was one of his most tricky cases.
It started as many bugs may start.'
Pretty scary stuff.
