Thursday 12th October 2017 is a date that will always be etched in our minds. The day our world stopped turning.
Jeff had been called in for tests following routine bowel screening but as he had no symptoms, was feeling really well, fit, not losing any weight etc. All the signs were that he was in the 90% who get called in on a false positive. How wrong you can be.
We were told that day that he had a tumour in his Sigmoid Colon and that it was almost certainly cancer. They had taken biopsies to check. He would be operated on within 62 days to remove part of the bowel including the tumour and would have a CT scan in the meantime to determine the extent of the cancer. We put those 62 days to the best use we could, walked as much as we could to get as fit as possible for his op; went racing at every opportunity and tried to fill our time with anything other than worry (easy to say). The CT scan took place and showed that the tumour was confined within the bowel - biopsy had confirmed that it was cancer.
November 21st was admission day and the op was performed the following day. 5 hours in theatre and another 5 in recovery. I can honestly say they were the longest 10 hours of my life. The op went well but unfortunately the recovery didn't. By day 3 (when in theory they would have been starting to think about discharging him the next day) he had been unable to eat or drink and things didn't seem to be doing what they should. He was horrendously bloated and extremely uncomfortable. This theme continued with him getting weaker and worse each day, and then on the Monday night (day 5) he started to run a fever.
Intravenous antibiotics started immediately and he was whisked off for an emergency CT scan that morning. We had been warned that there were quite a few possible complications with the surgery, most of them had something like less than 5% probability. The CT scan showed that he had a few:
Paralytic Illeus (nothing was passing from his stomach through into his bowel, which was why he was so bloated and why he couldn't eat or drink anything).
Pneumonia (because his stomach was so distended, his lungs had not had room to function properly).
Anastomatic Leak (the join in his bowel had not quite sealed and was leaking gas into his abdomen - this was the most scary as it potentially meant the op would need repeating)
Infection in the Join (for obvious reasons the bowel is an area that is prone to infection and the leak had probably led to this)
So immediately a nasogastric tube was inserted and the contents of his stomach were drained - this drain then had to stay in place and it was nil by mouth (although he hadn't really taken anything for days as he had felt so crap and bloated) for the next 5 days. This allowed the bowel to rest and along with IV antibiotics was the best hope of the leak healing without further surgery. To watch the man you love being so poorly when he had walked into hospital as fit as a flea to all intents and purpose was so very hard, but it was nothing to what he was going though.
After 5 days of nil by mouth and IV meds, his bloods were showing signs that things were improving so he was allowed to start sipping at liquids and swallowing tiny amounts of soft food - it's the first time I've bought baby food in my life. The euphoria when the first few sips and swallows didn't reappear via the drainage tube was immense.His gut had started to work. He was finally making progress. The following day the tube was removed and he came off the drip that had been keeping him alive for the last 12 days. He could now eat proper (soft) food, albeit tiny amounts.
Monday 4th December, he was finally allowed home. He was weak, sore, tired, bloated and over a stone and a half lighter than he was when he went in, but he was home. The first couple of weeks at home were very difficult but we were both just so pleased that he was on the mend and at home. Christmas didn't happen in our lives but by New Year, Jeff was strong enough for us to join our friends for a couple of hours at the start of the evening.
Since then it has been a question of gradual recovery. As his appetite has increased, so has his weight and gently walking a little further each day has helped regain some strength too.
Through all of this Jeff has remained cheerful - even though there were dark moments when getting out of hospital at all was beginning to look doubtful - and has never complained.As I type this, 9 weeks and a day after the op, I am so proud of him for his positive attitude, his strength and determination and the fact that today for the first time it felt like we might, one day, get back to what we consider normality.Just a mile up and a mile back, but what an astounding achievement.
Our world is turning again. Slower than before for now but it's definitely turning. We feel so lucky. Lucky that we have NHS screening; Lucky that we had the most amazing Consultant. 14 days in hospital and he was there for every single one of them. Saturdays, Sundays; often he would visit Jeff 3 times a day. Always first thing in the morning (before 8am many times) and still be there at 7 in the evening. Sareth Avula, our Knight in shining Armour.
So if you've made it all the way through this post, well done and I hope if nothing else you will take one lesson from our experience. National Screening saves lives. Never; Ever throw your Poo sticks on the fire.
