The first of The final few updates
I would first of all like to thank you all for the continued support throughout this journey.
I am home trying to get my life back into some kind of routine. Taking care of me is a big commitment which will get simpler with time.
I cannot speak highly enough of the care I received whilst at Masada Hospital under the care of Mr Ives. I at all times had confidence his care and skill...He has a method and everything is done in a certain way for a reason. Following his guidelines along with the addition of Iffy the Specialist Nurse who I might add is fantastic, an absolute professional with a depth of knowledge second to none. The care I received at Masada Hospital was excellent and those nurses really know their stuff and care. The work really hard at trying to make things comfortable and help in any way they can.
I have spoken with HR Department from Knox Hospital and we discussed my concerns. Suffice to say they are aware of the issue and I am sure this is more likely a very localised issue that they are addressing. I think that the next one of Mr Ives patients that goes there will have a much better experience which is a good outcome.
How do I feel about the decision to go to Knox to be in ICU? Let me just say there was an "incident" as I came out of the anaesthetic involving my hip...in the end they put me "out" again and I came too in ICU as per my photo. I am glad I was in ICU and not on the ward at Knox for the first 12 Hrs.
This surgery exacts a toll on your body which is far greater than I realised or expected and while your body is frantically trying to heal there is not a great deal of spare energy left. If you are overweight try and lose some of it...
but most of all get fit. I am so glad I pushed myself to the end. I have a fast initial recovery and I was able to manage my pain really well. I have been doing it for awhile and the nurses were happy on the whole with the way I was managing it so it was a win, win. Had I not been physically fit then this would have been way more difficult than it already is.
I welcome PM's or emails, I am on Facebook and I will remain in the forum. But for the moment I need to concentrate on getting through this recovery. . I will continue to update this thread but I think I have accomplished. in this thread was to give an account of what it was like to have GCS with Mr Ives in Melbourne I will be reading the forums but not necessarily responding. I have my next Post op follow up with Mr Ives and Iffy at the end of January; we will see from there what changes.
I set out at the beginning of this thread to try and give anyone thinking about GCS, having GCS or wondering what it's like to have GCS here in Australia in Melbourne the straigh forward druim on my experience which overall whaty good..
I have shared my preparation which came with its own set of challenges
introduced you to the joys of physical hair removal, we have been on a journey of jumping not just through but over and under hoops. We have plumbed the depths of despair when dates were changed and airfares and accommodation costs were teetering on being lost seeing the whole enterprise come tumbling down to the joys of things working better than I could have imagined. You were with me through the long days weeks hour and minutes wait to surgery, and there to greet me when it was behind me...You were there to witness the joy of renewal and you were there to be introduced to the realities of being post GCS life.....but now this next part, this recovery of my body and my psyche...well my dear friends, and there are so many of you, that part, is mine to do mostly on my own.... it won't be long till the next update.
Hopefully one day soon my recovery will be a small part of my life and not its entire focus. I don't imagine it will be to long before I can post update but in the meantime I will be around the forums.
Take Care
Liz
