I have always in my life tried to keep fit and healthy especially after having a Thyroid Cancer issue in my 20s, I truly thought that was my scariest time of my life , but the circumstances that affected me, that started on the 26th November 2024 have really changed my opinion.
I am Normally very fit and well , I trained twice a week, looking after my patients to get them back on track in their lives after injury and in need of rehabilitation.
I found I was on the receiving end of patient care, 26th November 2024, I started suffering abdominal pain, which became very acute, I found myself heading to A&E at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, all signs pointed towards my appendix , then blood tests, and a MRI changed that !!.
A young doctor ,that was heavily pregnant at the time saw me, I will admit I was worried about her she was obviously tired, but she was also very committed to her job she said . “Steve , the MRI shows you have a problem with you colon it looks like your staying with us !”, followed by .”We are looking sepsis as well”.
Being ,pushed to a ward ,many things cross your mind, I remember not having a great nights sleep ,doctors coming looking and discussing potential treatment with me all I wanted was to be out of pain.
The next morning I met the senior consultant, he felt that very strong antibiotics were going to save the situation .
During the next few days ,I felt very out of it, in every physical form imaginable, I could not eat and even drinking was a chore, but after a few days I felt slightly better then at the end of the week I was discharged.
Great I could get back to normal life, but that was short lived, within 24hrs, it was back to A&E found myself readmitted to hospital.
Further acute abdominal pain, a lot worse , this time ,surgeons and their teams very much on the scene . I was also having pain in my shoulders near a big muscle called “Rhomboids ” . Scans , MRI’s and more urgent blood tests .
A surgeon when he got the results ,rushed to see me . ” Steve , we have to operate on you urgently .”You have a Necrotic Gallbladder and your Colon requires surgery urgently !!!!!.
There are no words to describe that news , Fear , In trepidation, being told such news brings many feelings to your mind and body .
Yes , I have a faith . I am a Christian and believe firmly in a God who walks with us in the good and bad times . I will say it took all my faith that day and I asked my wife to ask people to pray, my other strong belief in God is not deaf or blind. He knows and see our needs , I am so Thankful he does
Being rushed to the Operating Theatre ,meeting the surgeon and his team . the procedure called a “Hartman’s “.
Being told , my chances of getting through it, that was the last thing until I woke up in ITU a number of days later .
Tubes coming out of my chest . Being pumped full of heavy drugs such as Ketamine, Morphine and Fentanyl I felt rather out of it .
I think having major surgery you can either sink or swim mentally, as I said I look after quite a lot of patients, I am very used to looking after others , but my being in ITU was certainly not on my radar.
Determination ,kicks in ,Sepsis ,major surgery takes it’s toll. this has ravaged me physically and mentally, losing two stone in weight , being unable to wash myself or lift a cup I just was not me and felt so weak.
“I wanted to get better and every day is a school day” I had to kick in to my grey matter.
You never stop learning about the human body and this was a opportunity for me to learn more about mine and what I needed to do to get back to being me again.
Watching , chatting to staff nursing, and medical you can pick up a great deal from them .
the frustration I had when I did not get answers ,drove me up the wall , as I have always said,
“Health is physical ,physiological and psychological”.
I knew I needed to Exercise but building up slowly and also reading for a while I felt like I had brain fog and could not keep a conversation going , let alone read a page in a book , I stated with my hands , I had no grip properly so it was difficult at first , but things started to come together , then the arms, I improvised with ,small plastic bottles with water in a weights, slowly building up by adding a bit more water , then when I was allowed out of bed what a shock I felt like I could not stand let alone walk.
It was a bit of a struggle, but I was determined to get there, so set small goals each day, I was shocked when I saw myself in a mirror how much weight I had lost and how ill I looked, the other thing was cold , even thought the heating was on , as anyone that goes into the hospital knows, I still felt cold ,at the same time craved fresh air.
By this time It was getting near Christmas I was then moved to another ward and I got a window so I got my fresh air but wrapped up, by this time I could walk to the door of the ward ,it did wear me out though .
I was discharged on New Years at the time there were concerns about Norovirus and I was vulnerable so was better off at home .
Unfortunately sepsis and every thing else can leave it’s mark and I have been back in hospital I had a pulmonary Embolism, again a bit of a shock and very scary.
I have been home since the 1st February 2025 slowly ,climbing that hill of rehabilitation, learning to adapt eating ,sleeping getting back into a sleep pattern was difficult flashbacks and some nightmares still linger along with the “What ifs, yes I question everything and still ask why me?” progressive exercise is working .
I still have a long distance to go to even get to be where I was.
Things still have to be assessed by the medical teams, there are still some issues sepsis does not let go that easy and yes I still have problems that have to be sorted out, I have adjusted to the changes in my body I no longer feel that it is not me .
“Do I want to go back to work as a Therapist ? ” of course the answer is yes I do ,but part time when I am fit and able.
A big lesson I learnt in hospital is “Life is precious you never expect things to go wrong, but they can and they will we just have to adjust and deal with them the best we can, and that we will get the best support that we can get , we need to be very thankful for the people to get things right, I am thankful for all my friends a family that have supported me and will continue to do so.
I know I am not a patient ,patient and I want to be back there for my patients, I will be back for them as soon as I am able .
Get Fit Stay Fit Norfolk is to stay fit for all aspects of life, so we all can add to it and reap the benefits .
