26/06/2020
It has been a very long time since there has been any activity by myself within this group. Firstly I need to apologise to all the member of the group. The last two years have been immensely difficult. My husband and myself have gone through a couple of very personal tragedies and health battles on my behalf. End of January this gave ne the hardest fight of my airway stenosis life.
On the morning of Sunday 26th January I started suffering chest pain 10 days after being discharged from Derriford hospital recovering from a viral airway infection. By the evening the chest pain was radiating from my left side of my chest to my armpit into my left shoulder blade. I called the out of hours GP, who sent a paramedic to my home. I was spiking a 37.8 temp, for the week prior to this I had severe headaches, ringing in my ears, sweating but no cough at all. As I was boarded into a ambulance I suffered an airway spasm so assumed it was another air infection. I went to hospital had a chest x-ray and bloods. My bloods were through the roof but chest x-ray was clear. I had a long tiring night of airway spasms and no sleep.
On Monday 27th January whilst my best friend was visiting me in hospital I suffered another airway spasms. This spasm was the hardest of my life and a battle I could not win. I was rushed to theatre, I assumed I would be woken up hours later. Unknown to me I was put into a drug induced coma and taken to the Intensive Care Unit (also known as Critical Care Unit), upon which I stayed in for 12 days.
On Tuesday 28th January whilst in the coma my chest was x-rayed and my left lung was found to have viral pneumonia. Within that 12 day coma I developed right sided hospital pneumonia. On day 11 of the drug induced coma a tracheostomy was put in situ but unfortunately hours later for whatever reason the tracheostomy became dislodged. On Day 12 of the drug induced coma a second tracheostomy was put in situ. I was then gradually awoken from the coma.
As I woke up from the coma I was only able to turn my head side to side. I could not move any aspect of my body, I was literally completely physically debilitated, confused, very scared and unable to communicate to to the post operative tracheostomy in situ.
I spent a further week in intensive care being gradually rehabilitated from self feeding myself, self personal care to standing a few steps with a zimmer frame. Over time I was detached the tubes and wires from all the machines I was connected too. The nursing care I received was phenomenal, I will be forever thankful for the wonderful medical nursing care which saved my life.
I was moved to the ENT ward spent almost two weeks abilitating, self caring for the tracheostomy. Seen and treated by a nutritionist, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietician. By the time I was discharged managing to self care and walking small distances with a zimmer frame. Yet again the medical and nursing care was phenomenal and I will be eternally thankful for the rest of my life.
Since being discharged I have been on and still on a long journey of rehabilitation physically, mentally and emotionally. It has been such a long exhausting journey which has been continuing as I live day to day with a tracheostomy which has come with a lot of its own problems.
The second thing I wanted to discuss was when I first took over this page I was excited and passionate about airway stenosis. especially as I have lived with it myself for 46 years. I wanted to see where I could go with it but felt frequently as times this page was being compared and members advised to go to other pages. I felt my confidence knocked and passion diminished. I feel that all of us who live with airway stenosis have so much experience and knowledge of living with this condition. I feel that we should embrace all support groups and give encouragement to what each of us can bring to each other in all groups. I am a full supporter and member of a few of the groups and think they are all outstanding and excellent. This page was originally founded by another airway stenosis member. Someone who I admire greatly and was honoured to be given the opportunity to run this page. Though it has been a difficult few years I am determined to keep fighting forward in life and with in this group. I hope that I can go forward within this page. I am open to new ideas and embrace all advice and guidance to what will help to improve this page.
I wish everyone to be safe and well especially in the crisis we are facing.
Best Wishes
Kelly Stephens
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