Day 8 (Monday)

I was woken up by nurses to take me to Endoscopy unit in the hospital. I was sedated for 30 minutes whilst a camera was stuffed down my throat by my surgeon. The results were what he expected, the camera was the size of a 50 pence piece and it passed through but was tight. There was swelling in the area but he did say that the tissue is healing really well and doesn’t forsee it being an issue going forward.

I have a follow up Endoscopy in a couple of weeks where they will stretch open the opening to allow food to pass through better, meanwhile I remain on fluid diet and not pureed. That will be intoduced to me slowly over the coming days. Soup is good, as was my Frappacino from Costa earlier today too.

Move day – I finally leave ICU after spending a full week there. I got to know the team so well that it was sad to leave them, but I moved to the Nuffield Hospital (room 33), which much more relaxed visiting times of 8am to 8pm, but they are not strict on it. The hospital is right next to the hospital I was at (Royal Surrey County Hospital). It’s antipated I’m here three more nights to start with, with the hope I return home Thursday.

I have three goals to achieve:

• Be dependent without Oxygen
• Chest Physio to help recover my damaged lungs
• Eat Pureed food

Once I achieve those, I will be allowed to go home. It is what is is I guess, I’m fortunate to have private healthcare to be in a very comfortable room on my own, with my own private bathroom and shower.

I had a shave and shower this afternoon and it felt amazing!