The day of my operation came and the professor came to see me, he explained what was going to happen and that unfortunately it did mean the full length of the previous incision would need to be opened up for access.
When I came around from the anaesthetic I thought it was the same day, it wasn't however, I had been in ICU for 3 days, nurses told me that I had been very poorly after the operation, they had given me 2 units of blood and started me on very strong Antibiotics. Knock on the door, in comes Daniel the physiotherapist who had previously seen me on my last visit, “I'll be back tomorrow to start getting you mobile David” he said, get some rest until then. I tried to rest but was rather uncomfortable from the pain, leg was heavily bandaged and a drain kept snagging on the bed rails. Physio was hard for the following week but I managed to push myself through, Daniel had done all he could now it was down to me, I managed to get a stool by the sink so I could wash myself down but had to rely on the carers to wash my left foot.
One morning I looked down at my leg and noticed the oozing again, I was frightened this time because I knew this was the exact reason I was admitted in the first place.
Oozing yet again!
The professor came in to see me the next morning and asked the nurse to fit a vacuum pump to my leg, I had no idea what on earth he was talking about so I asked him, he politely told me the vacuum pack helps to draw out the infection whilst healing the wound.
Here's an explainer..
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-vacuum-assisted-wound-closure
I had this in place for about 8 days, it was taken off and a smaller vacuum replaced it, OMG the alarm bell on it, due to loss of suction or pressure was doing my head in, I asked the nurse if it was a necessity and she said “until the chamber was empty of fluid it had to stay on,” 4 days later it was removed much to my satisfaction. I had been in hospital 5 weeks at this point recovering from what seemed to me the hardest and most mentally draining 5 weeks of my life.
I'd been bombarded with fluids, antibiotics via IV, had two vacuum pumps fitted and subjected to intense physiotherapy. My body was weak I was mentally drained and was missing my rock Nicola. I was allowed to go home the following week and given a regime I must agree to, rest but keep the leg moving, the community staff would come out daily for the next 3 months to give me IV antibiotics and check the wound, take bloods and blood pressure.
Gradually whilst at home I started to get a good appetite and started putting weight on, it sounds silly but it made me feel and look better for it, I was able to walk 10 feet and back using elbow crutches, most of all my dignity got better having banished the Commode to the outhouse! Weeks then months passed and my first check up went well, all was moving forwards albeit a little slowly.
My follow up scan was clear too (3 monthly). This was the case for the next follow up too, on the 3rd scan (CT PET) two lymph nodes lit up, oncology was concerned that this could be sinister but the professor at the ROH thought it was highly likely still enlarged from a recent skin rash on my leg. He arranged for me to be seen again on the 20th October for another CT scan, I'm hoping all goes well.
I guess this journey has taught me to stay strong, even in your darkest moments reach out to loved ones for support, remember they are suffering too, watching a loved one go through this ordeal is hard, I know because the woman looking after me, my rock, my wife Nicola has a brain tumour debulked in 2013, it was and still remains one of the most mentally draining periods in my life. Now together we face yet another period because it's grown back, she has had 28 cycles (days) of radiotherapy, now we await the results.
Never surrender to Cancer it will take you, fight and ask God for guidance.
Thank you for reading my story, may God bless you and give you strength to face whatever challenges come your way.
David. 🙏