BARRIE'S STORY - An acoustic Neuroma patient

6. INITIAL TREATMENT

I am fairly determined by nature and this may have affected the way I was treated in hospital. I found that because the nurses were very busy I was given little attention. Because of my facial palsy, the affect of my right eye and the ataxia in my right arm, I could not feed myself properly. I carried on regardless and every night my wife would arrive at the hospital at the time I was given my evening meal so she could help me to eat. Every evening she would bring me a clean set of pyjamas, because I was not able to eat without getting food everywhere. Little help was provided to help me to resolve this problem. The facial palsy meant that I had lost control of my mouth on the right hand side. Food would not stay in my mouth and with no feeling around that area food would locate on my face without me realising. Later I realised that with the use of a small mirror I could detect food on my face. As well as the eating problem, I could not drink normally, spilling liquid everywhere and so I was soon using a straw to drink all fluids.

I was in Hospital for just under 2 weeks, slowly recovering from the operation. I was still using the walking frame but I had begun to move around a little without the frame. After about five or six days the incision becomes waterproof so I could have a shower. Because of my balance problem, I had to lean against the side of the shower to raise my legs, one at time, to soap them. I soon learnt that baby shampoo is beneficial in that it does not sting the eyes. Cleaning my teeth was also a problem, but I soon learnt to have my face well down in the basin and use my left hand over my mouth to keep the water in. My stitches were taken out on the ninth day and the initial weakness I had felt began to subside. Towards the end of my period in the hospital I managed to walk down a few stairs, holding onto the handrail for dear life. I did this without anyone knowing so was not very popular with nurses and doctors.

Eventually it was decided that I could be moved to the hospital near to my home and finally they found me a bed so I was moved. I had been in hospital 22 days and this was my first opportunity since the operation to see the outside world. I discovered on arrival at the local hospital that I had been placed in a 'weekday' ward, which is only open during the week. I arrived on Monday 25th March and had to go home on Thursday 28th March because of the Bank Holiday weekend. I was delighted at the thought of being closer to home but I really was not ready and I found that there was little knowledge of my condition at the local hospital.