"Incredible care I received while in hospital"

I spent two weeks in Raigmore hospital in Inverness this summer on ward 5C and ward 4B while I recovered from pancreatitis and jaundice and had to have my gallbladder removed surgically. I was very scared, in a lot of pain but was blown away at the exceptional and personalised care I received from the dedicated nurses, auxillaries and doctors.

Everyone went above and beyond to ensure I was as comfortable as possible, always reassuring and constantly adjusting my care to suit the current symptoms. Even when the nurses were understaffed, especially at night, they still gave an exceptional level of care and never made any of us feel rushed- however for their sakes I don't think this should happen as these dedicated workers have enough stress and should be fully supported. 

On the ward, I followed the medical staff's advice to a T but was so grateful how open they were to adjusting care when it was clear it wasn't working, as long as you showed that you were genuinely trying they were always happy to amend things e.g. I was vomiting a lot and was trying to eat but it was very hard so one very kind nurse Sheila got me frozen lollies as they were easy to eat, gentle on my system and meant I was getting much needed hydration besides my drips. I cannot tell you how grateful I was to have that option and what a difference that made.

Another time was my throat had narrowed significantly from all the stomach acid and nurse Kirsty offered me painkillers in liquid form rather than tablets to make it easier to swallow. What a difference that made not having to struggle to always take my medication. They noticed these things and offered adjustments to make my stay a lot more comfortable. Nurse Nicole also ensured I always had a fan and was able to keep cool when my fevers were high. These may sound like small things but I can assure you, in the moment they are unbelievably soothing and offer some serious relief in a painful and scary time.

The nurses and staff also offered a significant amount of emotional support and reassured me that I was on the right track. They comforted me during disappointing times, when I had a fever the day before my scheduled surgery and they had to reschedule it. They could see my disappointment as I had been having a very hard time with the antibiotics and had been struggling to manage the nausea of them but had persevered for the surgery. Luckily it only got moved two days and the fever finally cleared and the staff celebrated with me with a nice cup of tea when my temperature was finally normal. 

The surgical staff also were very kind and were very happy to answer all my questions. I was nervous about the anaesthetic as it was my first surgery but the team explained everything clearly and allayed all my fears. I shouldn't have been nervous as the surgery ended up being very straightforward and removed pain I had suffered from for years.

My advice for anyone in hospital is to trust your medical team and follow all their advice but if something isn't working, speak up in a respectful and timely manner- they want to get you better so they will work with you. Also keep a note of questions and unless urgent, bring them up when the nurses do the rounds to check vitals or the doctors do their rounds in the morning- don't always be pressing the buzzer as they have lots of other patients and its important to respect their time too. It's also okay to cry. You are human and no one will judge you. Crying is a normal reaction to pain and fear, it will release the pressure and the staff will show you so much kindness so you know you aren't alone.

I cannot say enough good things about the exceptional care I received and thank you so so much to the team for going above and beyond to help get me better and home again- pain free and going from strength to strength. 

Special mention

Ward 5C: Nurse Kerry, Dr Blessed, Andrew, Marlena, 

Ward 4B: Nurse Theresa, Lily, Nurse Kirsty, Nurse Leah, Linda, Nurse Nicole, Nurse Liv, Anna, Nurse Rebecca, Ward manager Sarah, Nurse Jamie (ICU), Dr Abdelwahed and my junior doctor.