By god they are thorough! 5 hours and 10 mins in total. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not complaining. Today I have been weighed and measured, er twice. Had urine samples done. A pregnancy test done. Pre and post Factor levels, U & E's, LFT's, haemaglobin levels, had a spirometer test, seen 4 nurses, 3 Drs and a phone chat with an anaestheiologist. And received a referral to the sleep apnoea department and the combined gynae/obstetric and haemo clinic(there was also reassuring news on the severe Factor 7 and severe Factor 10 deficiency (-exceedingly rare http://www.hemophilia.ca/en/2.3.6.php ) ladies having had complication free births at SRHH! I have also been booked on to the High Dependency Unit post operatively for 24hrs due to my breathing difficulties / low blood-oxy saturation after the last General Anaesthetic. And to minimise venous access problems we have agreed that once again a jugular central line to be placed during surgery(on average I have at least 4 IV accesses a day when in). I have been told in no uncertain terms that this is major surgery for me and I will be in hospital for 7 to 10 days and off work for a further 3 weeks. Boy. They will try to procede with the gallbladder removal laproscopically but due to potential complications may have to resort to a full slicing open(although the scar will be only 4/5 inches).I've also been put onto home delivery of Haemate P at 486000 units a year... bigger fridge needed?!
I have also learned that recombinant von Willebrand Factor is to be produced by Baxter(although it could be a couple of yrs before it hits the supermarket er NHS shelves). This is great news as it reduces the risk of viral(HIV/Hep C) and vCJD transmission to ZERO *yay* (Haemate P is an intermediate purity product)! Also found out that a high percentage (apx 35%) of those previously believed to be von Willebrands type 1 are in fact type 2M. And that an international database on von Willebrand type 3 is being set-up by the well-known Iranian Haematologist Dr Flora Peyvandi (I believe Iran have the highest percentage of type 3's-in excess of 100) and she has been instrumental in managing women with bleeding disorders. All inspiring news :-) and exemplary service.
Not only did Mike Makris (and team and Dr Baxter-Gynaecologist) save my life back in 2002 in the critical bleeding episode but they continuie to inspire me and impart a renewed trust in the NHS(which had taken a severe battering due to multiple mis-managements at Leeds).
Goddess bless them.
Alas, still no date for surgery.
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