I Very Nearly Died!

byNeil Little

3.6K followers

8 years ago

Shocking title I know, but this all started in May 2016.

I was admitted to hospital via an ambulance from Doctor's surgery on the 15th May 2016.
At the time I didn't know how ill I was but at the time I felt awful.
What had happened was that I had an allergic reaction to an anti inflammatory drug which had put my kidneys at what they called 'stage 3' and my liver was barely functioning.
For 24hrs I was pumped with fluids to try and get my kidneys to work again, which thankfully they did and the fluid produced was monitored hourly.
This was a horrible colour almost black.
My liver was basically shot but it's the only organ in the body that can self heal, at the time mine was functioning at about 10% so not in a good way at all.
They continued to pump fluids through me for a further 48hrs to help my liver and kidneys, this was done intravenously, 2 litres an hour.
I was told I very nearly died, not something I say lightly either, it really brought it home to me how ill I was even though I still managed to have a joke with the nurses, mostly because I was absolutely terrified.

That part over and me thinking I'm on the mend, not so.
I was still being sick at around 3am every morning, only bringing up bile but I covered one nurse in the stuff, didn't do it on purpose but I was really rough at the time.
Eventually a tube was put up my nose and down into my stomach to stop this, contents of stomach went out into a bag.
I was Nil by mouth so no food, only allowed to have water.
After numerous X-rays and a CT scans they couldn't find what they problem was but the Consultant knew there must be a blockage somewhere.
22 years ago I had a hernia operation, not in the normal places, the groin but in my abdomen.

Now I am one of those people who react badly to General Anesthetic, I don't know why but I do, it doesn't make me sick, but I tend to crash.
I told the Consultant Surgeon this and he had my old records of the original operation dug out of records, apparently when I had the anesthetic I had a heart attack and died.
At the time I was 32 years old and physically fit, so no reason for it to happen.

Now I am older and heavier and not so fit either, but he made me a promise that this wouldn't happen.
However it was in my best interest to have an epidural, it's a huge needle that goes into your spine, really painful that was, but I told the Consultant Anesthetist a young women called Pippa not to stop until the tube was in place.
It was so they could give me Morphine, you get a square around the wound where you get no pain but it can only stay in place for 72 hours.

I thought I would be in the operating theatre for about 2hrs, not a chance, 7hrs later I was waking up in Intensive Care.
They told me I was extremely ill, although I felt fine, weird that.

However then I found out the truth!

My original hernia operation had turned nasty, I had what they call a Richter Hernia where it twists and is knotted which caused it to become necrotic, rot in other words.
Plus I had 48cm or 18 inches of my small intestine removed as that had become perforated and also gone necrotic plus I had mild septicemia.

I spent 4 nights in Intensive Care was still nil by mouth although I was given a cup of tea and a biscuit because it didn't matter as all the contents goes back out via the tube, but it did taste good.

Altogether I spent 17 days in hospital was nil by mouth for 12 days, lost 14 kilos or 30 pounds.
I came out on the 2nd June 2016, the worst bit was not being allowed to drive until July, not that I could of, I was housebound and had nurses coming to see me everyday to change my dressings and administer drugs.

I have the greatest respect for all the Nursing Staff, Surgeons and every one else who looked after me and most importantly saved my Life!

The Consultant Surgeon told me I was a very lucky man and must have had a guardian angel watching over me because to have what I had and to live is extremely rare.

My liver is healing nicely currently at 46% however I am not allowed to drink alcohol possibly for the rest of my life, shame really as I enjoyed a beer or cider.

Still Becks Blue tastes okay.

All the Best

Neil