(To read my cancer story from the beginning start here – April / May 2018 – You Have Cancer)

2 days at home then a near trip in the Air Ambulance

I had finally been discharged from UHCW and Elizabeth was taking me to my parents house in Stratford-upon-Avon where I was planning on stopping at for a week or two as I was still a bit of a mess and didn’t really want my wife and kids seeing me looking like that, it was also far easier for my mum to look after me and was easier for district nurses, closer to doctors surgery, physio, etc.

We got in and my mum had set the spare room up for me with everything I needed, she even had a little bell for me so I could just lay in bed and ring it if I needed anything 🙂

The doctors had stressed the importance of getting as fit as possible before my radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions started, had arranged physio sessions in Stratford and told me to go on good 30 minute walks if I could manage it.

They had also arranged for a district nurse to come round, change dressing on my leg, check my belly scars and keep an eye on mu trachy wound and the dripping from my neck/under chin.

Her 1st visit was quite long as we had to fill in lots of paperwork, I had been given loads of dressings from the hospital and she also ordered a load more in, I had bags and bags of different things, later that day I also had my 1st supply of Fortisips from the Nutricia home delivery service (they were absolutely brilliant)

The delivery was a bit of a shock, I was on about 5 or 6 a day, you don’t realise how many this is a month until you see a months worth being delivered in one go, about 8 boxes of 24 in a box.

I was also having Nesquik Banana milk shake with ice cream and my mum did some lovely cottage pies.

The next day I walked along to physio at Stratford Hospital, was given some stretching exercise to do and told to keep having walks, with my parents living by the canal I decided I would make sure to have a good walk along the canal at least a couple of times a day.

I was a bit wobbly on my legs and got tired easily but was generally feeling OK until about the 3rd day of being discharged from hospital when I was laying on my bed and blood started coming out my mouth

When I say coming out, I don’t mean trickling it was literally gushing, I remember getting to the top of the stairs, trying to call my mum and as I did the blood flow got worse.

My mum got half way up stairs, saw me and immediately called 999, as she did this the blood was coming out like a hose pipe, I tried to speak and blood then started coming out my nose, I staggered back in to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed, next thing I remember is my dad’s face up against mine as I lay on the bed, then nothing.

No idea how long I was out for but next thing I knew was 2 paramedics cutting of my blood drenched t shirt and getting a drip in to me, I don’t know how but the bleeding appeared to have stopped,I was drifting in and out of consciousness though.

The paramedics were great, talking to me all the time and trying to keep me awake by then 2 ambulance ladies arrived and a guy in an orange jump suit, I heard them talking about getting me in the helicopter and also about how to get me downstairs, they then mentioned bag and 2 minutes later had it in the room ready to put me in to get me down the stairs.

I think the thought of being taken out in a bag woke me up a bit and I remember insisting I was fine and could get down the stairs on my own, they ummed and arred but eventually let me make my own way down the stairs and on to the stretcher which was outside the front door.

I heard them all talking again and they decided the ambulance would take me to Coventry rather than the Air Ambulance, boy was I relieved about that.

I was pretty much awake by now so off we sped to Coventry with sirens blaring and lights flashing

More coming soon here – Back in hospital »

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