"care of patients after heart bypass surgery."

Anything else?

Post heart bypass surgery, on my second night in intensive care, nursing staff tried insisting that I take sleeping tablets.having never taken them before I refused.during the night staff were seen to be using a corner bed space that was screened off to get a few hours sleep.I dont mind that but it makes me wonder as to the real reason for insisting on me taking the sleeping tablets. During my time on the recovery ward I came to the conclusion that there are two types of nurse. The dedicated, caring, kind , professional who although under extreme pressures puts the patient first, and the nurse who needed a job to pay their way in life. Whilst on the recovery ward I needed to wear surgical stockings to cover the wounds on my legs where the donor arteries had been removed. These wounds were leaking and the stockings had to be changed twice daily. After the 1st day I was informed that patients were only allowed two pairs of stockings and had to send the soiled pairs home to be washed.I refused and told the nursing staff to leave them on until my surgeon did his rounds. They were changed just before he arrived. At the time of my surgery I was 23 stone and lucky to be given the operation and took a little longer to recover.I was told by my surgeon that I needed an extra day to recover before he would discharge me and the sister arranged for me to be sent to a recovery unit in bispham.I understood this would be for one day releasing the bed in the ward.however, I found out that the unit in bispham is run by nurses and they need 7 days to ascess patients .on explaining this to the surgeon he turned to the ward sister and told her to keep me in the ward for an extra day.she was not impressed or happy with this at all. Having said all this I am now 14 stone and never felt better. Many thanks to the surgeon and his team and to the dedicated caring nurses on the wards. They know who they are.