You Couldn't Make This Up!

Rob and I decided to take a trip to Harrow this morning to see how Roger was doing. We got to the ward only to find the corridor barred by no admittance screens. Peering around the screens we were met by a senior nurse, who asked who we were visiting. I said it was my husband and he told us that the Norovirus (the winter sickness & diarrhoea bug) had struck the ward. He said that only one of us could go in to see Roger. Not even, one at a time, and obviously the baby was barred.

I agreed to meet up with Rob and Connor later, and they went down to Costa Coffee Shop in the hospital foyer. Meanwhile I had to don gloves and plastic apron and walk to the other end of the corridor to Roger's room. The usually bustling corridor was deserted, resembling the Marie Celeste. When I got to Roger's room, I received instructions of what to do on leaving the room. I was to ditch the gloves & apron wash my hands thoroughly with this special soap and then use the medicated gel provided. On entering I found three cleaners washing floors.

Roger wasn't too brilliant. He was feeling sick and had been sick twice. His neighbours were all in the same state. Roger said he'd telephoned me to tell me not to visit, but I must've missed the call by minutes.
Just as well I'm not staying over at the hospital at the moment, or I would be stuck at the other end of the 'campus' in a single room, and not even being allowed to visit him.

Yet another spanner in the works!

Very Slight Change of Plan

There has been a very slight change of plan in that originally St. Mark's was going to liaise with the Royal Berks with a view to them providing intravenous 'top up' hydration for Roger, until he is readmitted for his op on the 2nd Feb. Now, the plan is to keep him in St. Mark's right up until his operation.

Neither of us mind this option. In fact we prefer it in terms of Roger's safety and well being. OK! It's boring for him, but he can live with that.

He is having some eating difficulties at the moment, which is a worry, in that he must at least maintain his weight and hopefully gain some before they will operate. He's back on anti emetics for his nausea.

Just when you think you've cracked it, there's yet another spanner in the works!

Watch This Space!

The Decision Has Been Made.

The surgeons have come to a decision based on their exploratory procedure on Wednesday. Sorry to say that Roger's bowel was too damaged to facilitate restoring it to the condition it was pre 2009, so now plan B is to form a colostomy like the one he had prior to the attempted reversal in August last year. He will keep this for life.

The good news for us is that they have given him a date to come back into St. Mark's Hospital to have the operation. He will go back in on the 31st. January and have the op on Thursday 2nd. Feb. after which, hopefully he will be able to get on with the rest of his life!

In the meantime they hope to liaise with the Royal Berkshire Hospital and get them to agree for Roger to go in to them periodically between now and the end of the month, (as a day patient) to be rehydrated intravenously whilst waiting. The surgeon at St Mark's realises the importance of keeping Roger rehydrated intravenously. One can only wonder why the surgeon at the Royal Berks discharged him home on three separate occasions with no such plan in place, resulting in dire consequences each time. He is still suffering the effects of dysphasia from the last time.

They're Going In!

Roger has been moved out of his side room and into a six bedded room, so no more "Billy no mates." The man in the next bed traveled from Suffolk (a three hour journey) he was discharged today, and told Roger that he was in a bit of a state when he came in, but "This place sorted me out," so that is comforting to know!

Roger's consultant saw him today. She wants to do an exploratory tomorrow. Without going into too much detail it involves two cameras and some dye.

They have all the tests from the 'Berks' and their radiologists are interpreting them. Based on all the results gathered, they will hold a case conference on Friday to decide if they are able to restore Roger's bowel to it's pre 2009 former glory. If they can't, then it's plan B (a colostomy for life) Miss Clark told him that whatever happens he cannot stay with the high output Ileostomy that he currently has. She also told him that no matter how much water he drinks, he will never, ever quench his thirst with the high output stoma he has. The only way he can quench his thirst is with intravenous fluids.

Bed with Roger's name on it!

Roger rang me suddenly yesterday (Fri) to say St. Mark's had a bed free and it had his name on it, so he left at lunchtime by hospital transport. I threw a few things into a suitcase and followed on. We more or less arrived at the same time. Roger has settled in nicely and I am in something like student accommodation. Single room with ensuite showeroom & loo and shared kitchen down the corridor.

The hospital staff here are as keen as mustard, though they seem to have Vicky Pollard on the switchboard! Still, she can't kill anyone. Though she may well make their ears bleed!!

Roger is being assessed currently, so we wait for a plan. I am writing this on a 'pay as you go' dongle, so it's a bit like doing it on a wing and a prayer. Hope it gets through!

St. Mark's Beckons!

After an unending succession of bank holidays and consequently nothing happening on the hospital front, at last a breakthrough. A surgeon at St. Mark's Hospital, Harrow has agreed to take over Roger's care. I have in front of me, the letter confirming it.

Now we wait for a bed to become available, and Roger will go by ambulance directly from the RBH to ST. Mark's Hospital, where he will have various consultations to decide on the best surgical option for him.

I will be staying up there with him, as I want to be in on all consultations and close by during the surgery. NB. May not be able to blog during this period.

Hoping it will be sooner rather than later. We want to get it over and done with now. Roger has put on a few pounds. He is now 9 stone 11lbs. He has a bizarre diet of rubbish to eat. As long as it's refined, white bread, white sugar, white rice and lots of animal fats and cream he can have it, but if it's healthy wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta he can't. It's only a matter of time before he starts on the "Maccy D's" Still! the weight's going on, and that's the main thing!