"Ward 11Z"

I recently had Osseofix and Augmentation surgery at the Royal and got there at 7 am but the ward 11Z wasn't open so waited downstairs until 7.30 am. Went back upstairs at 7.30 am and was shown the consent form again by my Surgeon and the nurse went through everything with me. They were all really nice.

After my partner and friends had left I was asked to get changed and was then taken down to the operating theatre although it was around 9 am then. The porter pushing the bed was jokey and really funny had a laugh with them.

Inside the theatre, I was told I was going to have a warm blanket put over me and that was really a nice feeling but as the cannula went in it didn't feel right but I was starting to go under so couldn't say anything. My Surgeon decided I needed 5 cages with Augmentation which was why I was in the theatre for about 2 and a half hours and not an hour as first thought but my partner was not told anything so when he rang he was sent on a wild goose chase to see where I was. I was in recovery for around 5 hours and when my partner called (all in all about 6 times) my name wasn't even on the board of Ward 4A as I was still in recovery. As I had been there so long I asked a student nurse for a catheter and they looked confused and asked why? I told the student I wanted a pee why else. "Can't you use a bed pan?" was their reply, "err no I have had spinal surgery how do you expect me to balance on a bed pan on the bed?" They said, "I can bring a commode!" "I said no bring me a catheter unless you want me to projectile pee all over the bed and it is you who will have to clean it up! in the end, the student got someone to come over and fit a catheter and then I got a second grilling and this member of staff wasn't gentle shoving it in either but then the student nurse goes "Oh my god it is oozing everywhere!" and my reply was "Exactly!" When you have been out of it for over 8 hours you need a pee and any pressure on my stomach now will make me pee none stop so to save my dignity what's left of it a catheter is a much better thing to use rather than a bed pan. Soon after I was taken to Ward 4A. I had chicken Tikka for dinner and loved every single morsel hospital food is just 5-star awesomeness to me. The patients in the ward were lovely. One sadly had dementia, one was very quiet, and one was very confused but the other two ladies were great to chat to. Most of the nurses were nice too but they had no idea how to use a PICC Line (as I have weekly chemo so need it) their excuse was always that is nothing to do with us it was put in by Clatterbridge) so I had to endure more needles and a cannula when it could all have been done through my PICC line. At one point it was not dressed properly and very grubby, but sorted out by staff at Clatterbridge. However, they should train nurses to use PICC Lines as it is a lot easier than using needles in the veins. Not a bad stay at the Royal although not perfect and didn't get my Codeine Phosphate back!