A Trip Back To Hospital

Just over four weeks ago, I came home from hospital after spending five weeks in University College Hospital (UCH) following major surgery on my femur.

Although, by no means my longest admission and being used to hospitals after spending most of my teenage life in hospital, it was still difficult.

Previously, I spent aged 15-19 (just under four years) in hospital and aged 19-21 in a Neuro centre, so five and a half years in total away from home. Luckily, since the age of 21 I have had few hospital admissions and the ones I have had have been mainly for a week or two.

Initially, I was in critical care for the first four days and have little recollection of events. However, this may be a good thing! Then I moved to T10 south the Orthopaedic ward and spent the remaining 4.5 weeks there.

It was strange going back to UCH after so long. I spent the majority of the 4 years I was in hospital as a teenager there on T12 south- the young people’s unit. Although, I have been back for a few outpatients appointments, I have not been an inpatient there since I left the young people’s unit at the age of 19. I am now 27 years old. A lot had changed since I was last an inpatient there.

Firstly, I am now an adult and I was a patient on an adult ward. This is very different to being on an adolescent ward when there is a recreation room, activity coordinator and lots of activities available if you are well enough, to keep you entertained. Also, parents are allowed to stay the night in the accommodation provided on the children’s ward on T11. There is no provision for this once you are an adult.

Secondly, I am 9 years older and thankfully more mobile than I was all those years ago. Although, I am still a wheelchair user. I have a bit more independence, can sit in my wheelchair more, get out more and live my life a bit!

I thought going back to UCH would bring back memories. Some good. Some bad. In some respects, it did. In other respects, as the ward was so different with only the similarities being the furniture and decor it felt almost like a completely different hospital. Even the view was different as I was at a different orientation. I was looking over the business sector of the city where as before I saw the central city including the London Eye and Westminster. The Shard had also been added to the picturesque skyline since I was last there.

At times it felt like I was living some sort of parallel life. I felt like do I normally study, go to physiotherapy and hydrotherapy at White Lodge and go swimming? It felt like another world away.

It was a big operation and it took a lot out of me but I am getting there now. My leg now faces ‘forward’! Hopefully in the long term the pain, function and movement will improve a bit and it will be worth it in the end. Fingers crossed.

It is so good to now be back home. There is nothing like YOUR home and being away from it makes me appreciate it and moreover my wonderful Mum and Dad even more.

Hannah x

For further reading you may be interested in: My Stay at the Wolfson Unit