"Ultrasound and Gynaecology department"

Thank you Maureen. As the day of surgery approaches, I'm getting more nervous. I spoke to the Consultants secretary yesterday to double check the length of my stay and she was friendly, polite and as helpful as she could be.

My surgery has now been done and most of my experience was positive. The nursing and surgical team were all brilliant. The only complaint I have is about the quality of the meals on offer. I have a gluten sensitivity so avoid all items containing gluten. When I came out of surgery there was nothing available for me to eat and if I hadn't thought ahead and brought some fruit from home I wouldn't have been able to have anything until dinner time. Dinner had to be ordered for me as nothing was sent up with the other patients meals and when it arrived it was barely edible, mince the texture of sand huge mountains of tasteless lumpy potato and overcooked cold green beans. I managed to eat about 10 mouthfuls. Breakfast wasn't much better, for an institution supposedly wanting to encourage healthy eating practices there is a lot to change. I was offered a white roll with jam and butter or rice Krispys for breakfast, I pointed out my gluten sensitivity and they then split another gluten sensitive ladies scrambled eggs in half, even though I told them not to worry as I had brought an apple with me and would be happy to eat that for breakfast. I didn't eat the eggs as for some reason they smelled like dirty feet and were very unappetising.