"Bowel surgery"

At the end of June 2019 I had a positive bowel screening result. The very next day I had an appointment to see the Colorectal Nurse Specialist in 5 days. She took a detailed history and offered advice and reassurance and also offered colonoscopy appointment the following week. We had made other arrangements for that date and she quickly gave me an appointment for the following week. I had experienced no symptoms apart from extreme tiredness which I put down to my age (72)

At the colonoscopy the staff couldn’t have been more reassuring especially when they found what they were almost certain was a malignancy. When my husband came to collect me, Mr Amin explained his findings to us both. Biopsies and bloods were taken and I received a phone call the next day to see how I was feeling about the potential diagnosis and to tell me I was very anaemic.

Within 2 weeks I had a CT scan and met the surgeon Mr Yalamarthi and Wendy  Cunningham, Lead Colorectal Nurse Specialist the next day for results and to discuss surgery. Fortunately there was no spread. I was given a date for operation 2 weeks later.

In August I was admitted at 8a.m and was in theatre by 9. One of the doctors phoned my husband when operation was over to tell him it all went well and I was in recovery. 

In HDU the staff again were excellent and very attentive and reassuring. I was encouraged to sit in chair and had short walk round bed. The following day I walked the length of HDU with the help of nurse and was then was transferred to ward 53. Again the care I received was excellent and being able to be more independent to shower and walk up and down the ward so soon after surgery was great.

I was visited by Jayne, the ERAS nurse and Wendy daily on the ward. Wendy informed me that I may need chemo but she would let me know when biopsy results were back within 2 weeks of surgery. I was discharged home 5 days after having the right side of my bowel removed. Jayne rang me 4 times on alternate days to see how I was coping at home.

Wendy phoned on the Friday following a team meeting to inform me that precautionary chemotherapy was recommended as 2 lymph and blood supply had tested positive and she gave me an appointment with the Oncologist. When I saw oncologist she was also very reassuring and I now start chemo next week.

I could not fault anything about the care I had before, during or after surgery. It all happened so quickly from bowel screening to surgery and the care and reassurance my husband, family and I had throughout was second to none. Every member of staff should be applauded for making a difficult situation as easy as possible. Special thanks must go to Mr Yalamarthi and his excellent surgical team, HDU staff, Ward 53 staff, Wendy and Ritchie (ERAS nurse)

I would like to reassure anyone else facing this journey that the care and reassurance given certainly makes it less of an ordeal. Being encouraged to be mobile early on following surgery definitely makes for a speedier recovery. I walked twice daily on discharge, increasing the distance daily until I was back to full mobility.