"Thumbs Up For The Spire Bristol!"

I have always had problems with the "time of the month" (safe to say I won't be going into detail about that! ) so I went to my GP at The Family Practice in Cotham.

The lady doctor I saw was fantastic and really listened to my concerns. She advised a referral to a Gynae dept would be the best course of action. Naturally I was very nervous but she made me feel comfortable and wrote extra notes for the referral regarding past experiences and my fears.

Not a few days later, a letter dropped onto my doormat giving me a choice of five different hospitals! Very impressed with the speed and choice, I picked the Spire Hospital in Redland. It had the shortest wait time for an appt and it was free to me as an NHS patient.

Fast forward 2 weeks, and I was sat with a lovely male Consultant. He had read my notes extensively and advised a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy with mirena coil. He was reassuring in his manner and very informative. I went away from the consultation feeling very positive. A few days later, I had another letter that stated my op would be in two weeks time! So from initial GP appt to op date was about 5-6 weeks! I was so impressed with the service.

So, Dec 2011, I walked into the Day Surgery unit to be greeted by smiley, friendly nurses. I was shown to a side room which was immaculate and just for me as I was staying in overnight. The nurse advised I would possibly be operated on first or second, they were unsure at that time as they were examining another patient who may have needed to go first, which was understandable. I appreciated being kept informed.

I was given gowns and stockings straight away, and was given privacy to get ready. Information was checked, the consultant popped his head in to say hello and make sure I was okay, then I only had to wait approximately an hour before I was wheeled down to theatre. The nurse and anaesthetist made me laugh so much, surgery staff were popping their head out to see what we were giggling at! Thank you so much for helping me relax before putting me under, I went to sleep with a smile on my face.

Unfortunately for me, I always end up having horribly vivid nightmares with anaesthetic, and this time was no different. I woke up gasping and teary, but the recovery nurse was right there with me and making sure I was okay. Anti-sickness meds were given straight away, and the consultant popped through to let me know everything had gone okay. He stayed a few minutes to talk to me and help me relax again, and I really appreciated it.

Back up on ward, and I was offered tea and food which was accepted very gratefully! Thank you to the catering lady for making me laugh and making the best cuppa! The food tasted great too.

Painkillers were given and the night shift nurses popped in to say hello. They helped to get me comfortable as the gas pumped in made me feel bloated and uncomfortable. Due to that, not much sleep was had but that is the after effect of this surgery, so I cannot fault the nurses or HCA. They did everything they could and I am so grateful.

Later that night, I needed them to help me to the bathroom, which they were quick to do. Unfortunately my wounds had bled a little, so the nurses stripped and remade the bed before I was even finished in the bathroom! Like greased lightning they were! I apologised profusely for making the mess but they were so lovely and understanding. It's quite common for that to happen after that surgery so they really didn't mind clearing that up.

Morning came with another lovely cuppa and wonderful breakfast, then the consultant visited and prescribed painkillers for the week (Boy I didn't realise how much I would need them at that point! ) then told me I was good to go home. Post-op leaflets were given along with a 2 week ETA for my results letter, and I left the ward waving goodbye to those wonderful people. I received my letter just over a week later, and it was all good news.

Thank you to every single one of you that I came into contact with, from my GP at the start, to the surgery staff, cleaners, nurses and consultant. Each and every one of you were fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble, despite the amount of patients you had to look after. I truly felt looked after. Bless you all.