"Leg surgery"

I arrived at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital terrified! I hadn't had a hospital stay for over thirty years and was now facing the removal of a large malignant tumour in my thigh. I was operated on the same day and the turning point in my fear was when I was prepared for anaesthetic and confessed my fear to the team. Straight away a calmness and reassurance was there that swept away everything and allowed me to give myself over for the relatively large procedure with total confidence. I was going to be OK, I knew it.

After surgery, with the focus on recovery and getting me slowly up and about, I found myself surrounded by staff who went above and beyond to support, help and encourage me. Facing a large operation is a worrying thing. But I came through it all, feeling good, positive – all because of the special teams that looked after me. I just can't praise this hospital enough.