Another resource for the patient journey

Way back in 2004 I posted to this site my impressions of surviving an "Ivor Lewis" surgery.

Thanks to another survivor who has been clever enough to find some notes written by a nurse recalling what needed to be done for one 71 year old patient being nursed through the aftermath of this intensive surgery.

Just go to http://www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/hospolic/stvincents/1993/a07.html

While the documentation is from 1993 I suspect that the process is still in use and will continue to provide a guide for nursing staff and at the same time provide a considerable help to those who are about to undertake the journey for the first time.

I can recall that my biggest fear (after the fear of death of course) was how I was going to survive the impact of the surgery and what it was going to be like to wake up after the operation with all the tubes and things hanging out of me.

I could not imagine what that must be like and I have to say that I was kept awake at night with all sorts of nightmares about the then unknown.

While I have the view that it is better to confront the unknown and learn as much as possible about it to enable that confrontation to be somewhat useful and directed this may not be the view of others who read this site.

If you are one of those who prefer to just rely on your doctors and the other staff at the hospital where you are going to be treated to know what they are doing and to do it well - then do NOT read the documentation.

If however you are a control freak - like I suspect I am, then it's probably a good idea to read and get to know as much about what it is that is likely to happen to you and what you can look forward to in what people refer to as the "patient journey"

While this is merely the write up of just one person's journey - perhaps by reading it the fear can be reduced and the reality more easily confronted. There is no guarantee that your journey will be the same or indeed similar - each person's situation is after all so very different.

The choice is yours - but do let me know what you think - if you feel like it of course!