"4 Days on Neurosurgery Ward N2 Following Major..."

Wow where do I start.

I recently spent 4 days on N2 following major surgery to complete the removal of a C5 Schwannoma that was compressing my spinal cord.

I would say that I am quite used to the Hospital environment as over the past 10 years I have unfortunately required 4 other surgeries to remove Schwannomas from my legs, however with this one being in my neck and requiring a lengthy procedure with more than the odd night in laid up I was a little more apprehensive about the whole thing, whilst the thought of the actual procedure didn’t bother me it was more around how I would be mobility wise and able to cope.

My first night following surgery was spent on K2 high dependency ward and although I was very groggy couldn’t ask for anymore care than I received, at lunchtime the following day I was moved to my new home on N2 and this is where my recovery really began.

From the very first second I entered the ward I was made to feel very comfortable and important, every new member of staff made a point to introduce themselves before saying another word and assured me that nothing was too much trouble and that all I had to do was ask, the ward itself is spotless, relaxed and feels like it is run very efficiently with everybody knowing what they should be doing and when. The visiting hours of 8-8 are superb idea which meant my wife had the flexibility to visit prior to work meaning she didn’t have to battle rush hour traffic etc to get there late at night and therefore leaving an evening visit for relatives who lived closer, I also liked that fact there was a strict rest period of 1-2 and a mandatory 2 to a bed system in place that was always adhered to, the hour was a nice little rest for the patients following lunch and medication and the visitor cap meant that the room never felt over crowded.

The staff, I could sit here and name names but feel that would be very unfair as it’s a large ward and I only got to meet a small part of the team in my little corner, it’s clear that you are all a great team and from the very top to the very bottom are a credit to your individual professions, I did notice the the odd stressful situation or awkward patient at times which is natural and also is something that could quite easily get on top of the best of us, but at no point did any of the staff let this affect their professional presence or the way that went about their duties.

There’s probably more that I could say but don’t want to bore you (probably did enough in 4 days) so I would just like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for helping me through what has been a very testing time in my life, I believe in the NHS we have the best medical service in the world and a lot of people take it for granted, you guys train hard, work hard to provide the best care you can and it shows.

Please pass on my comments and gratitude to the entire team and keep up the excellent work

Many Thanks