Interview 18
Age at interview: 62
Brief Outline: Was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 2004. 2-day stay in ICU was planned, following surgery. Transferred to general ward in private hospital. Had to have a second operation and, because of complications, was admitted to ICU in NHS hospital. Spent 18 days in ICU. Had several more operations. In hospital for 5 weeks.
Background: Occupation: retired airline crew. Marital status: married. Number of children: 1. Ethnic background: White British.
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She had to clean up after her husband because nurses took so long to attend to him.
She had to clean up after her husband because nurses took so long to attend to him.
So I called the nurse and asked if we could help because he was sick and I tried to get him cleaned up but I couldn't. We had to wait a long time. a) It wasn't nice for [my husband]. b) It was awful for me. And I'm sure for the people in and around it was absolutely awful. So from that point of view that was very, very distressing. But they did, you know, they did look after him reasonably well, but they just don't have the facilities or the staff to do it.
He remembered waking up in ICU eight days after having a second operation.
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He remembered waking up in ICU eight days after having a second operation.
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They planned an operation to actually remove the oesophagus, because that was the only way to guarantee that you would be clear of cancer. The operation was planned for June of the year 2004. That sort of subsequently came and I went in and had the operation. The operation was very successful. I had two nights in intensive care, which was planned for the operation, and then went back to the ward and the doctors came round and told me everything had gone really well.
And I was scheduled to have another operation two days later, because with this particular operation, I had a feeding tube in my stomach and my stomach had become quite distended and the prognosis was that I had a blockage to the feeding tube. So the idea was to take me in and have the operation two days later, which they duly did. I went down to the theatre, and everything was going to go, to be fine. And the next thing I remember was eight days later waking up in Intensive Care in another hospital. Apparently I had a blockage in my bowel, which then perforated, and they found something like 5' litres of liquid in my stomach. Which then created the problem of trying to resuscitate me. So in the end they had to take me from the independent hospital back to a National Health hospital with Intensive Care in an emergency ambulance. They had to wait for an ambulance with a ventilator, because I was on a ventilator. And I then spent eight days in Intensive Care to start with. I don't remember much about that. I remember certain things, but very vague.
He vaguely remembered hearing about his prospective daughter-in-law's new job.
He vaguely remembered hearing about his prospective daughter-in-law's new job.
The next thing I remember was waking up in Intensive Care on the Sunday morning, which was seven days later. And that was my full memory of the whole thing, waking up. But apparently during that period of time I did actually make movement and things like that. And I actually do remember some of the things that actually happened. One thing in particular I remember quite well was the fact that my son's fianc'e came to see me. And she had, I didn't realise it was her at the time, and she'd just got a new job. And apparently, I remember actually hearing her say, "I've got a new job" and apparently I put my thumb up, so I must have understood something. But I didn't hear, I didn't understand much else. It was when I woke up later that I remember different things.
He felt that being in HDU could have prevented mistakes made on the ward because of poor...
He felt that being in HDU could have prevented mistakes made on the ward because of poor...
Wife: But I understand that the particular hospital that [my husband] went to, they're going to try and put in a High Dependency unit, which, it will be a better transition from Intensive Care to go to a High Dependency Unit, and then go on to the ward. Because it's just like being cast off in a boat. You have this wonderful one-to-one standard of excellence and you go, and next thing you're literally fending for yourself and you're on your own. And for anyone sort of, you know, finding out about what the operation entails, and what the facilities are going to be for them, I would think it would be quite frightening.
He appreciated the doctor's direct approach and he and his wife were given all the information...
He appreciated the doctor's direct approach and he and his wife were given all the information...
The fact that he was quite direct?
Yes.
And there was no double meaning there or anything?
No, no. But all the specialists I dealt with, the surgeons as well, they explained the operation to me, what they were going to do, what it would entail and everything else, and what could happen. I mean they always say in operations that, yes, you've got a chance you might not pull through. But I mean they have to say that. But everything was fully explained to me, yes, definitely.
Did you ever feel at any stage that you didn't have enough information or that you would like more information on something that you were either having, like a treatment or the cancer?
No, at all times I was, they did keep you fully informed.
He found it helpful visiting ICU when he had a follow-up appointment because much of his time...
He found it helpful visiting ICU when he had a follow-up appointment because much of his time...
Yes, I did.
How often did you have those and what did it all involve?
Since I came out of Intensive Care, which was in the August, I went back in October and I've been back in April to see them in Intensive Care. They ask me questions about how I feel, how I've reacted to coming out of hospital, general questions like that. And they showed me around the Intensive Care, showed me where I was and everything else, and, yes, it was very interesting. The actual particular National Health hospital I was in Intensive Care does this follow-up, which is, not many hospitals do that at the moment, and I found it very interesting and very helpful and, yes, that was interesting.
Did you find the diary helpful?
Yes, very helpful. It's told me a lot of things that I didn't realise and one or two things that my wife and family had forgotten. So, yes, it was interesting, all down in black and white. It's where it's all documented, who came to visit me and this, yes, it's good, it was very interesting, very helpful.
She was very concerned about the nursing care on the ward and about her husband's wound, which...
She was very concerned about the nursing care on the ward and about her husband's wound, which...
And then of course [my husband] was really, really fed up being in there, because I mean it's not exactly, it's not conducive from my point of view for someone to get well when you're in a situation, you're in cramped surroundings, you can hear what the person next to you is saying, it's not very private. Okay, I know that there's problems and we don't have the funding and all that but, okay, I understand that.