There I lay, my face covered with a large green sheet and warm fluid flowing uncomfortably freely from my neck.
For a brief moment I though to myself, “Oh come on, I’ve just survived a major infection, open heart surgery, a surprise amputation, kidney failure and now a tiny cut in my neck is going to do me in…
Tag Archives: Heart Condition
16: A Key Moment
After over two months in hospital being pumped full of powerful antibiotics and seeing very little reduction in the severity of my infection, it was becoming depressingly clear that the previously suggested “six weeks” of treatment was going to need to be extended…
British Heart Foundation: The Ticker Tapes Podcast
A couple of months ago I was asked by the British Heart Foundation to have a chat about some of my story in an episode of their podcast series “The Ticker Tapes”.
14: With a Little Help from my Friends.
A couple of weeks into my daily routine of waking up, antibiotics, watching Frasier, more antibiotics, going to the hospital café for a dream ring (best part of the day), antibiotics, playing Minecraft, antibiotics for supper and then sleeping, my mum got a phone call from my head teacher…
7 Things We Wish People Knew About Life With A Heart Condition.
I am part of a group set up by the British Heart Foundation and a couple of weeks ago I posed the question;
What, as young adults, would we like others to understand about living with a heart condition?
There were a number of interesting and varied responses…
13: Rolling Along
I wasn’t aware until several weeks after waking up that during my long nap in the intensive care unit, an epic battle of wills had taken place over my unconscious body…
12: A Reason To Wake
I was a sixteen year old, only half a year out of his latest major open heart surgery and looking forward to getting rid of this infection in order take full advantage of the repairs and tweaks done to my heart. So six weeks in hospital was not just a slap in the face, it was a gut punch which totally winded me…
10: The Enemy Within
As a family we had spent a number of weeks preparing ourselves for what was to come. Fortunately, it would be nothing like as traumatic as the procedure I had undergone the previous year but still, any surgery comes with its worries.
Then came the phone call…
8: In The Blood
Having gone through all the stress of waiting for open heart surgery, the trauma involved in the procedure and finally the pains and worries of recovery, the last thing anyone would want to hear is that the surgery wasn’t as successful as first thought and that corrective work was required…
6: The Long and Winding Road
In the buildup to my 2011 surgery I hadn’t really noticed any problems with my health. It isn’t always so easy, particularly when the change is gradual.
However my parents had both noticed my decline and after a few visits to the hospital, the decision was made to insert a stent into an artery…
The HopScot 