Chapter 1: The Beginning of my ordeal

This has been 7months in the making and to be honest this time in my life has been one of the most difficult times I have ever endured in my life. To some it may seem extreme but I have felt and thought things that in all honesty have scared me. This has all happened in the space of a year after suffering a traumatic event in my life. People probably go through these things every single day, but everyone deals with it in their own unique way. Some good some bad and some completely go off the rails. For me personally it was numbers 2 & 3 in that list and even now I am still undergoing treatment. There are things that my family and friend will probably read in this that they didn’t know about my situation and that was my choice. I couldn’t tell you about it because I didn’t know how and I didn’t understand it myself. So how could you?

My inspiration for writing this blog and explaining my struggle is my Wife she is an amazing woman who has had to endure so much in the last 12 months that most people don’t have to endure in a lifetime.  I commend her in how she has dealt with it and took in her stride not without her own problems and this is the reason I commend her. Bear in mind that at the time of my situation my Wife was 36 weeks pregnant and was also caring for our 2 year old daughter at the time. Kerri I have not said this enough to you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for me in the last 12 months and for sticking by me through all of it. I know how hard it has been on you.

My story begins on the Monday 28^th of May 2012. I was to go Broad green Hospital to undergo a hernia repair. Straight forward I thought admitted at 0700am in the morning and was due to be released later that afternoon after undergoing my surgery.  My wife took me in and dropped me off it was a simple goodbye a quick kiss and “I’ll call you when I’m done”.  “Ok babes love you”. Unbeknown to me this was only the start of my ordeal. So here I am sitting in my hospital bed waiting to be called down for the straight forward surgery I was there for. Now don’t get me wrong I know that any operation carries its risks believe me I’m not so naive and I had gone over the worst case scenario’s in my own mind. I have not been the luckiest man in the world but by no means had i been the unluckiest. Never did I think the worst case scenario would happen to me as it was “straight forward surgery” this is what I was lead to believe. I am feeling relatively relaxed, nervous of course but quite relaxed looking forward to it being over and done with and getting home to my wife and daughter.

I was called for my surgery at 1030am and I was lead down the corridor in my fancy night gown and hair net. I was taken into a room with a bed and 5 people in waiting to put me to sleep and take me into theatre. A little more nervous now as I lay there with a mask on my face just lying there waiting to fall asleep. There is a man talking to me about general stuff my wife, my family and the last thing I remember.

I didn’t then wake until 4am Tuesday morning in the Intensive Care Unit in the Royal Liverpool Hospital. I woke up choking on the ventilator pipe that was down my throat as I was unable to breath for myself. This was just the beginning of my journey.

Chapter two will follow.