July 2013 - yet another trip to hospital

It is almost unbelievable to imagine I could end up in hospital again after all this, but I did....last Friday night Saturday 12th/13th July 2013.

On Friday I went to the doctors to get another sick certificate as I was clearly still not well enough to return to work. I mentioned my bad back whilst I was there, I have a 'reduced sensation' spot near my Coccyx and a tingly feeling down my left leg and my foot a bit numb. The doctor really perked her ears up when I said this, and she seemed to take it very seriously. So much so, she said she would ring Southampton Neurosurgery unit for some advice and ring me later.

She did indeed ring me later, Southampton wanted to see me and do an MRI scan - right then this evening. Good lord.

So in we trooped to get to exactly the same ward and unit that I had my Pituitary surgery in back in May, a bit spooky to be returning so soon. So I checked in at reception, "oh yes Mr. Hall we have your bed ready".....my bed ready?! I was astounded. A slight gap in communication it seems, but not only did the hospital have me as an urgent case, they were prepared for surgery the next day depending what the MRI scan showed. Essentially what they were worried about, was that I had trapped a certain set of nerves by my Coccyx, that if it all went wrong would leave me double-incontinent for the rest of my life. So despite protestations to the contrary, Deb left me about 1am to be yet again in D-Neuro ward. I had all the usual interruptions during the night, Obs, blood tests, questions and more questions. I was 'nil by mouth' in the morning, just in case of needing an operation.

So in the morning a doctor turns up, he seemed a bit puzzled. "Have you had an MRI scan he asked", "no" I replied. He said, what about the shooting pains in your legs, on a scale of 0 to 10 how would you describe the pain, I said "zero", I haven't got any pain....and I never said I did. Off he went. A while later, a gaggle of doctors returned, and I fully described my discomfort and how it came to be. Well it seems the lack of pain, and ease of movement swung it for the consultant. In fact the consultant said I didn't need to be in hospital, he would book me an MRI scan as an outpatient just to check nothing was untoward and I could go home. So Deb picked me up about 1.30pm and home we went. Another hospital scare I could have done without....unbelievable.