Will Smith

Hi my name is Will Smith and I was 36 years old when I was in hospital for kidney stones, I had a massive brainstem stroke which has left me unable to speak or move. My right arm has recently started to move and now the movement in the left is coming back slowly.

In May '03 I went on holiday with my family to Bude in Cornwall with what I thought was flu. Whilst there I got worse and saw 2 doctors who finally tested my urine which had blood in it. So an ambulance was called, the nearest hospital was 60 miles away in Barnstaple. Whilst there the consultant told me he had found a kidney stone and that I had bacteria in my blood. I was going home to Middlesex on the Saturday so he said I could go home with antibiotics until I was admitted to hospital at home.

When I got home I went to the GP with a letter from the Barnstaple consultant. I was sent for more blood tests and was found to still have bacteria in my blood. The Doctor ordered me an urgent urology appointment, which came for the 19th of June. In the meantime I was in so much pain I was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital. They kept me for 3 days as I had a high temperature. I was sent home on the Friday with painkillers. On the Sunday I went to my parents in Essex but was so ill I slept the whole time. I went home and went to bed, at about 11pm the pains in my side were unbearable and an ambulance was called. They took me to Barnet General Hospital, I spent the night in A & E and was admitted to the ward at 6am next morning where the doctor told me I would need a CT scan as the X-rays revealed nothing. Three days passed and I still had not had my scan.

On Wednesday the 18th June '03, my wife and 4 children had gone home and my brothers were visiting me. I got up to go to the toilet, I had a headache all day and couldn't focus properly, when I got back to my bed I couldn't see and began to scream as it was very frightening. After that I don't remember much, my brothers said the doctor was shouting at me to tell him what was wrong, my wife said they called her in and I was being sick and screaming and my eyes would not focus. I was admitted to intensive care where they found I had had a brainstem stroke with infarct, also my heart valve was infected and leaking badly. They told my wife I had bacteria in my blood and that the last hospital didn't know this, but each time I went into hospital I told them about the bacteria in my blood. I had a Traccy a hinkman line and a peg feeder. My first heart bypass became infected, after 4 weeks I had endocarditis. The Heart Consultant wanted me to wait on antibiotics for 4 weeks but my body had other ideas, my heart was failing, my kidneys stopped working and I had to be helped with my breathing. I was transferred to the Heart Hospital and had a second heart bypass on Sept 18th '03. I had internal bleeding and had to go back to theatre. After a few days I was transferred back to Barnet HDU where I stayed until November. The nurses were very good both in intensive care and on the ward.

On the 26th November Iwas transferred to the Regional Rehab Unit at Northwick Park Hospital, what a disappointment! The nurses were great, but not the physiotherapy or the speech therapy, although the psychologist who was my keyworker was excellent. They wanted me to go into a care home but I wanted to be with my family so on the 6th of April '04 I went home - not to my house as it needs adapting. I have 2 carers 3times a day and night nurses who turn me half way through the night. The equipment I needed is turning up slowly but being home is the best therapy for anyone. I've been in hospitals for a year and home for 3 months, now it's great to be home. In the rehab unit I made some great friends and my family stuck by me. I still can't talk or move, but hey I'm home. My only communication is writing and my computer and of course staring.

This was my story, by Will Smith.

Thanks to Will for sending in his profile. Anyone else who would like to share their story can send it along with a photograph (if you're not shy!)

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