Sleep latency testing was frustrating they didn't listen, they invalidated some of there own results and couldn't understand why I couldn't get out of bed, into the car for them to get an early morning blood gas. It takes as least two hours to get me up and out on a good day.
I had a routine follow up with spinal and I had developed a worrying curve above my fixator and a forward bend that was impinging further on my lungs. Volume recruitment was now three hourly day and night or I slipped into a semi conscious carbon dioxide world of nightmares. I was to have a two part surgery, side curve fixed with internal cages then my rods removed, bones broken and reshaped a week later.
We went to NZ, it was joyful and we spent precious time with our kiwi dgds, bought them a new pony, took them on a road trip and all sobbed at the airport when it was time to go.
I was so ill with jet lag when we got home, I slept and vomited for two weeks and then it was preparing for the op, it was cancelled twice and took place in. March.
ICU for a few days, HDU for a few more then onto the spinal ward, my least favourite place on Earth.
I'd had a meeting with the ward manager before I went in, volume recruitment training offered, detailed information about caring for me. I did everything to make it easy for them.
For legal reasons I can't go into details of the mistakes made, but they were plentiful and mind boggling.
My second surgery couldn't go ahead because I'd become oxygen dependant. Respiratory doctors got involved and after numerous blood gas samples were taken I finally got answers.
A very pompous professor of respiratory medicine rocked up next to my bed and said "you have a paralysed diaphragm"
The conversation went:
Sea: I beg your pardon
Prof: your diaphragm is paralysed
Sea: and that means
Prof: well it's why you can't breathe effectively and are retaining toxic levels of carbon dioxide
Sea: did it happen during surgery
Prof: no, it's clearly been that way since 2007 and we can't understand how you've survived.
Sea: I beg your pardon
Prof: when you broke your neck the damage to your spinal cord paralysed your diaphragm. It's why you didn't drown, you simply stopped breathing. You can't breathe lying down, the medical term is orthopnea, I'm surprised nobody picked up on it.
Sea: you're telling me that for ten years I've lived with a life threatening injury that nobody noticed.
Prof: well it's not normally something you survive without ventilation so nobody would have been looking for it, I've never seen anyone survive and be able to breathe effectively.
Sea: what the fuck! What the actual fuck!!!!!! So what happens now
Prof: you need to be moved to HDU, your very interesting. There isn't a bed right now but we will move you as soon as we can.
Off he trotted