Week 44 of 2021 started with me in bed in my apartment in pain, and ended up with me back in the hospital questioning why I was ever released.
Friday, October 29th.
Today I spent most of the day in bed, I was in a lot of pain and have been told I can only take 3 paracetamol a day.
Saturday, October 30th.
I was in a lot of pain again today but was cheered up by being able to watch the Leicester v Arsenal game from the bed which is now in my living room. Arsenal won 0 - 2 and the scoreline did numb my pain a little.
Sunday, October 31st.
Once again I am in a lot of pain today but I can watch the Arsenal ladies play Brighton ladies. Arsenal ladies win 3 - 0. This afternoon the pain gets too much and whilst going to the toilet I notice that blood is dripping from the wound in my stomach. I make the decision to try to get back to the hospital as I am worried something is wrong.
I am unable to get an ambulance using the phone numbers on my ASSSA insurance card, I message my neighbour Liz as she speaks Spanish and may be able to help me get an ambulance. After a lot of trying an ambulance is called but the driver won't take me as my insurance is private and he can only take state health patients. He calls the numbers on my insurance card and after a lot of arguing he gets an ASSSA ambulance to come out.
The ambulance driver stretchers me out to his ambulance but will not take me to the hospital unless I pay him €70 first. I pay him the money and get a receipt to claim the fee back from ASSSA.
On arrival in hospital, I am taken to a room, put on antibiotics and pain killers and have the wound in my stomach, from the hernia operation cleaned. One of the staples is removed from the wound and I have lots of blood taken for different tests. Later in the night, I am given extra painkillers to help me sleep.
Staples in wound after it has been cleaned at hospital.
Monday, November 1st.
I woke up in pain and throughout the day I am drip-fed painkillers and antibiotics and have more blood tests.
Tuesday, November 2nd.
I woke early when they change the antibiotics and painkillers in my drips. I am still in a lot of pain. A Dr tells me that I will be seen by the surgeon again this evening so he can maybe remove another one of the staples in my stomach.
This evening my bed is pushed down to the small room where they prepare you to go into the theatre. It is not long before I am pushed through to the theatre. The surgeon looks at the wound and I am given an epidural which quickly paralyses me from the chest down. A sheet is placed in front of my face so that I can't see what is going on. I am not knocked out this time, although I can't feel any pain I am aware of everything they are doing as they remove the staples and then prod, poke and manipulate the wound. They sow me back up but quite amusingly they have not been able to get a needle into a vein in my arm to take blood samples and reconnect the antibiotics and painkillers. After around 8 goes the surgeon himself has ago and is able to find a vein to connect me back up to a drip.
I am wheeled back up to my room where I am given more painkillers before falling asleep.
Wednesday, November 3rd.
I am awake early as they change the drips in my arms and feet which are now feeding me antibiotics and painkillers. I have a tostada for breakfast and shortly after a nurse arrives to change the dressing and clean the wound.
I ask the nurse to photograph the wound, as it is swollen I can not see what it looks like. I am surprised to see a flat piece of rubber tube coming out of my navel. She then uses a large needle to inject something into the wound to clean it, this is quite painful but not as painful as it was before the second operation.
Stitches and tubing in the stomach of Alan Morris
Thursday, November 4th.
I woke early and I am given antibiotics and painkillers. After breakfast, a nurse cleans the wound by squirting some sort of brown fluid into it and around it before then cleaning it and redressing it. It may be because of all the drugs and the boredom of a hospital stay, but today after having the wound in my stomach cleaned again I allow my alter ego, Agent Sharky, to take over my posts for the duration of my stay in the hospital, Agent Sharky will be making regular reports.gent Fisher made an aborted rescue attempt today, it wasn't successful but he promises to try again soon.