"I felt like I was a "bother""

Post my liver transplant, I was sent to Todd ward. I was was on Liver Intensive Therapy Unit for 7 days, 5 of which I was still out and did not wake up.

Upon arrival I was greeted by a very nice nurse who helped me get settled, even though I was still very groggy. The next day I was looked after by another nurse. They remembered me from a previous visit when the liver proved non viable.

Over the course of the first week in the ward, I was pretty helpless, but gradually coming round to being fully awake and aware. 

Every day that these 2 nurses were working, I felt cared for, and we enjoyed chatting whilst blood was taken or things needed answered. After the first week, however, things started to go downhill. With the exception of the two mentioned, and one other nurse who started assisting me, I felt like I was a "bother". Some other staff members seemed uncaring, or like everything was an issue, and their bedside manner was nil. At one point I was woken at 4am with a staff member hitting my bed in a raised voice, telling me to breathe properly, because my sats had dropped. Just a terrible experience. It actually got to the point were I felt I was going crazy, as every time someone left the room, the door was closed and there was no communication. I had few dealings with another staff member, but any time I did, it was unpleasant and completely null of empathy.

After 23 days I was finally getting out, due to a delay from some complications. For 4 days after, I had to fast for a scan, only for it to be cancelled. At this point myself and my partner (who had already returned to Northern Ireland) were feeling so unsettled about all of the information we received. We had been promised a discharge, to the point were we had been told the flight had been organised. On day 29, I was informed that I was finally being discharged on day 30.

On that morning my partner called the aviation company get an ETA in London and subsequent arrival back in Belfast. She at this point was told Kings had cancelled the flight at 5-6pm the previous evening. No communication until I asked was this correct. A staff member explained it was, and seemed like they didn't care a lot. At this point after saying nothing at all, and not complaining, I raised my voice for the first and only time. I told them how unacceptable this was, and I'm not proud to say, I used 1 expletive in that dialogue. They rightly rebuked me for same.

Then on the Dr's ward rounds I had the unpleasant experience of being spoken to by a certain doctor. When I complained to them, they told me to calm down (I wasn't uncalm, but clearly at the end of my tether), and they told me they had received a complaint about me being rude and aggressive to their staff members. I knew I had been outspoken earlier in  my exchange, but they told me they had several. They then explained I should be more thankful as somebody had to die to save my life. This horrified me, and they continued to tell me how privileged I was that they had saved my life, and how if it happened again I would have problems. When I questioned this I was told I don't want to find out. I was totally disgusted, and already very upset about still being Kings. What should have been one of the best times in my life, was dragging me down. Later that date, the other Dr that had been attending with them came back to explain they had come to the decision that everything had been organised for my discharge and repatriation on day 31.

That next morning I was up and showered and getting ready. My bloods had been taken for tests and just awaiting the results. A staff member came in to confirm and told me to get packed up. I asked if all was ok with the test results, to which they replied, and I hope it was tongue in cheek, that they don't care about the results,, they're kicking me out. Around 1:30 I heard a familiar and welcome voice, and went to the corridor to confirm. It was indeed the nurse from Air ambulance, who had accompanied me on the first failed visit to Kings. Finally... And I was discharged.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend Todd Ward on Trip Advisor, a very unpleasant experience.