On the 1st July I am taking part in the open sea swim, from Bournemouth pier to Boscombe Pier. This is something I have never done before, but I am looking forward to the challenge! 

Back in 2018 my dad fell critically ill and was rushed to Southampton hospital with an aortic aneurysm, had a tear in his ascending aorta, with the chances of survival being slim due to the severity of the tear and how sudden the aorta ruptured. After 11 hours of surgery, an intense recovery plan and months later, my dad was back to work and back fighting fit. 

However, thats not the end of it. 

2021, my dad fell ill again and was taken to Poole hospital. Tests were carried out and we were told the dreaded news that my dad had endocarditis and again, needed open heart surgery to clean and replace the artifical ( prosthetic) heart valve. This meant hours worth of surgery, again. Months went on and my dad was back home again, fighting fit. 

November 2022, possibly the worst ending of any year for myself and my family. Back in hospital my dad went, endocarditis striked again! After a month of IV antibiotics to control the infection, my dad went for surgery. 

This time it was different, very very different. The surgeons carried out the same surgery but faced a lot of difficulties.  We got that dreaded call, that no never ever wants to receive. The surgeons were fighting to save my dads life, due to him losing a dangerously large amount of blood. The valve not wanting to stitch to the healthy tissue, stitching further and further into the heart. 

After 14 hours of surgery, 14 hours of the unknown, 14 hours of the surgeons working extremely hard,  my dad was brought back to CICU. Weeks worth of recovery went by, till we found out my dad suffered a severe stroke on the operating table, causing significant damage to the brain. 

After months in hospital, intense recovery and physio and the best work and support from our NHS, my dad a well loved husband by my mother, a well loved son and uncle, was home. Living a slightly different, but well managed life. 

 This is what I call, a new normal. 

Without the British heart foundation, this level of research to saves peoples lives, could not happen!

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