"Prolonged stay"

Early Sept 2024 I was admitted to Northern Devon Hospital A&E because of a bout of uncontrolled diarrhoea and sickness. During examination there I asked, not entirely frivolously, for a colostomy. However, I was taken to the Medical Assessment Unit instead. From there I went to Alexandra Ward, under the care of a doctor and his team. I was diagnosed with stercoral colitis and put on a course of antibiotics.

10 days later Sept 2024, during a visit from my wife, who came every day during my stay, we were told I was medically fit and would be discharged that day although I was still suffering with non-stop diarrhoea. There was no discharge note, nor any care package put in place, and my wife had to drive me home with a pad to protect the car seat. Once home, my wife realised she would not be able to cope with me as I was. The following day I collapsed at home and was readmitted.

The antibiotic treatment continued together with some physiotherapy. At some point, I was transferred to Capener Ward. My vital signs improved, though the diarrhoea and now occasional sickness continued, and I was declared medically fit again. This time, however, there was a discharge note and a care package put in place. I was discharged early Oct 2024. My escape did not last long, as I collapsed again and was unable to get up. I was readmitted 2 days later Oct 2024. This time I eventually ended up in Fortescue Ward (elderly care, with a number of dementia patients). During my transfer from ambulance to A&E to the ward, my shoes and an expensive pair of orthotics went missing and were never recovered, resulting in considerable expense on our part. My treatment resumed, though a consultant on this ward, did little more than feel my stomach, or pat my knee in passing. There were no visits from the original doctor that I remember. I was also diagnosed with hyponatraemia, for which I was given additional sodium to add to my woes. I received more regular physiotherapy here, and was again declared medically fit for discharge on late Oct 2024, again with discharge note and a full care package, though my diarrhoea and occasional vomiting continued.

I received regular visits from care assistants, and occasional visits from community physiotherapists, but I gradually got weaker again and fell several days into Nov 2024 and was unable to get up. I was readmitted on that day and returned to Alexandra Ward. At this point my wife insisted on a doctor coming to see me, which they did. My wife also insisted I be put through proper tests to see what other problems I may have. After X-rays, colonoscopy, endoscopy and CT scans, which should have been done much earlier, it was discovered I also had a stomach ulcer, a pulmonary embolism and an infected fistula! Following these discoveries, the various colorectal experts had a meeting, and it was decided that I should be given two options - palliative care or a colostomy (as I had requested on admission in September). Both my wife and I in unison went for the operation, so I was taken to King George V (surgical) ward, where Mr Bain took control of my care. Even so, I was only given a 20% chance of surviving the operation. The first thing to happen was to bulk me up by feeding me through the nose, to make sure I was actually getting and retaining nutrients. Once fit enough, the operation, a loop colostomy, was performed mid Dec 2024, after which I started to recover noticeably. By this time, in spite of the bulking, I was too weak to move much  and certainly too weak to get out of bed. I had more physiotherapy. Eventually I was deemed medically fit enough for discharge early Jan 2025 - my last discharge - hooray!

During this last stay, my wife had organised a hospital bed to be added to our bedroom, which made life easier in many respects on my release. There was a full care package in place including regular care assistant visits and three physiotherapy visits per week from the local community healthcare team, who were excellent (see my earlier story).

These are the facts and dates, now to more general observations about my stays. My impression of the care I received on the medical wards was that they were too single-minded to see my other issues, when they should have organised more tests earlier on and seemed happy to let me fade away. I certainly developed hospital dementia while there. The surgical team were much more on the ball, Mr Bain in particular, to whom I owe my life. Nursing care was generally very good in every ward.

As mentioned, my wife visited me every day during the four months, meaning a 42-mile round trip, but the strain on her with all the travelling and worry about me quickly became intolerable to the extent that she was prescribed antidepressants. She was absolutely determined, though, that I recover, and when on-going rehabilitation in South Molton or Stratton hospital was offered, she refused to accept it, preferring to look after me at home, where I would get decent food in a familiar environment.

That leads me on to the hospital food. I am a vegetarian with particular dislike of spicy food and many pulses tend to make me vomit. The options on the menu were very limited for me. The food was often badly over-cooked and vegetables cold. I ate a lot of cheese, jacket potatoes and pasta. I must mention that two of the staff while I was on KGV went above and beyond. One even brought a vegetarian lasagne from her own freezer! My wife felt obliged to supplement my diet with food from home.

All in all a pretty bad and stressful early experience!