It's been over 6 months since we started down this road - what a journey!
There is a bit of a lull in things at the moment, we'll resume in May with the reversal of the stoma, meanwhile I just need to get stronger. I'm almost 11st again but Zannie is trying to build me up to 17st before I go back in in May!
We've put the house back on the market - 3 viewings booked already!
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
March already!
I'm progressing well and putting on weight - but struggling with having other people doing jobs I would have done - and hopefully will be able to do again one day.
The garden is now looking good - thank you Mike!
The chippy is putting Suzanne's treatment room back to normal, the flat roof people are coming soon and the plumber is due tomorrow (Friday) - thank you Dorothy.
All this is to put the house back on the market next month so we can down-size, ideally to a one-bed flat in Caversham. Our plans to over-winter in Crete have slipped a year.
We went to see 'Alice in Wonderland' last night, strange but worth seeing, the 3D effects were amazing.
The garden is now looking good - thank you Mike!
The chippy is putting Suzanne's treatment room back to normal, the flat roof people are coming soon and the plumber is due tomorrow (Friday) - thank you Dorothy.
All this is to put the house back on the market next month so we can down-size, ideally to a one-bed flat in Caversham. Our plans to over-winter in Crete have slipped a year.
We went to see 'Alice in Wonderland' last night, strange but worth seeing, the 3D effects were amazing.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Driving again!
Hurrah! I'm driving again - how good is that! - it was a bit odd at first but it came back to me quite soon and we ventured out for a bit of lunch and the cinema yesterday - 'The Lovely Bones.' 'Tea at the Regal', where oldies get a cuppa with their film, was good and felt like a big step forward. It's odd how you lose confidence when you've been out of the loop for 3 months - and going out with 'bags' was a bit nerve-racking - or is that too much information!
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Upwards and Outwards!
I hesitate to speak too soon as I've been wrong before but I think I'm on the mend, feeling a bit stronger each day. The weather's been so grotty I've not got out for as many walks as I would have liked but it's a bit better today.
You know how much I thought of the guys on Hopkins Ward well they have a team in the Reading Half Marathon - Team Robbie - in aid of a robot - affectionately called Robbie, that can do operations! they've had it a year and it's proving to be the future, trouble is they need a million quid! If you should be feeling generous you can support this very worthy cause at - http://www.justgiving.com/claire-blades2
I hope to be driving next week so that will be a big step forward.
You know how much I thought of the guys on Hopkins Ward well they have a team in the Reading Half Marathon - Team Robbie - in aid of a robot - affectionately called Robbie, that can do operations! they've had it a year and it's proving to be the future, trouble is they need a million quid! If you should be feeling generous you can support this very worthy cause at - http://www.justgiving.com/claire-blades2
I hope to be driving next week so that will be a big step forward.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Home Again...............Naturally
Got home Monday evening after a gruelling 2 weeks on Castle ward dealing with Empyema in the pleural cavity - don't ask! - it hurts! I had a chest drain and a camera down my throat to the small intestine - not recommended! Hay Ho! home now and feeling better than for a long time.
Castle ward staff were great, on a par with Hopkins, very on the ball and caring, a number of female Dr's and male nurses! maybe that's medical compared to surgical?
More soon - R
Castle ward staff were great, on a par with Hopkins, very on the ball and caring, a number of female Dr's and male nurses! maybe that's medical compared to surgical?
More soon - R
Saturday, 23 January 2010
What a difference a day makes!
I went to see Roger in hospital on Wednesday afternoon. He was very poorly indeed. In fact the worst I've ever seen him!
I returned home that evening with heavy heart. I got the phone call about 6.30pm. It was from the senior registrar on the chest ward. She told me that Roger has what's known as an empyema. A complication following pneumonia.
My medical dictionary gives the following description: "pus in the pleural cavity, usually secondary to infection in the lung or in the space below the diaphragm. It is a life threatening condition which can usually only be relieved by surgical drainage of the pus." She explained that they wanted to do just that, and they wanted to do it that night, and she was inviting me to come back in, so as to be near.
I rang Rob and Suze, who came tearing round to me. They hadn't eaten, so started to assemble a quick snack. Whilst that was happening, I had another call, this time from his GP to find out what was going on. I had hardly replaced the receiver when another call came from the hospital doctor. They had decided to wait until first thing the next morning. A) Because the patient before him was taking longer than expected and B)It was felt that it would be better to embark on it when everyone was fresh. In the meantime they had cross matched 4 units of blood, which he was about to be given. His haemoglobin count had sunk to 6. A normal male would have a count of around 12.something.
The next day was my birthday. The kids stayed with me and I went into the hospital feeling like a bit of chewed string. The thing I clung to was that nobody had telephoned in the night, so that was a positive! When I reached Roger's bed, he was sitting up, with a normal skin colour. The lights were on and somebody was home, as they say! He looked so well, I thought he must've already had the procedure, but no! It was all due to the blood they'd given him. He said he'd had a comfortable night.
Typical Rog, all he could do was apologise for not doing something for my birthday!!
We all went down with him to the department for his procedure. Then whilst he was in there(about 1hr.30mins) we went for a birthday lunch. I found myself suddenly hungry. Later he was back on the ward and everything went well, so we left him in peace.
I thought it was safe enough to pop out and see the latest George Clooney offering. Well! it was my birthday! Thankyou to everyone for the avalanche of birthday cards and flowers.
Suzanne
I returned home that evening with heavy heart. I got the phone call about 6.30pm. It was from the senior registrar on the chest ward. She told me that Roger has what's known as an empyema. A complication following pneumonia.
My medical dictionary gives the following description: "pus in the pleural cavity, usually secondary to infection in the lung or in the space below the diaphragm. It is a life threatening condition which can usually only be relieved by surgical drainage of the pus." She explained that they wanted to do just that, and they wanted to do it that night, and she was inviting me to come back in, so as to be near.
I rang Rob and Suze, who came tearing round to me. They hadn't eaten, so started to assemble a quick snack. Whilst that was happening, I had another call, this time from his GP to find out what was going on. I had hardly replaced the receiver when another call came from the hospital doctor. They had decided to wait until first thing the next morning. A) Because the patient before him was taking longer than expected and B)It was felt that it would be better to embark on it when everyone was fresh. In the meantime they had cross matched 4 units of blood, which he was about to be given. His haemoglobin count had sunk to 6. A normal male would have a count of around 12.something.
The next day was my birthday. The kids stayed with me and I went into the hospital feeling like a bit of chewed string. The thing I clung to was that nobody had telephoned in the night, so that was a positive! When I reached Roger's bed, he was sitting up, with a normal skin colour. The lights were on and somebody was home, as they say! He looked so well, I thought he must've already had the procedure, but no! It was all due to the blood they'd given him. He said he'd had a comfortable night.
Typical Rog, all he could do was apologise for not doing something for my birthday!!
We all went down with him to the department for his procedure. Then whilst he was in there(about 1hr.30mins) we went for a birthday lunch. I found myself suddenly hungry. Later he was back on the ward and everything went well, so we left him in peace.
I thought it was safe enough to pop out and see the latest George Clooney offering. Well! it was my birthday! Thankyou to everyone for the avalanche of birthday cards and flowers.
Suzanne
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
I Must Learn to Button it!
Why oh why did I open my big mouth? On Sunday it was all going sooooooo well! Monday morning at 5.00am Roger started to cough and cough and cough. The doctor came to see him and it seems that the infection he has on his chest has defeated the strong, massively strong antibiotics.
By early evening he was back in hospital, having become very poorly.
Went to visit him this afternoon, and he has been admitted to a chest ward, so at least they are experts in dealing with his condition. He is still very poorly, but they've put in a line intravenously and are giving him Tazacin and Teicoplanin. Apparently they are the medical equivalents of Domestos.
If he cannot clear the lungs by himself, then they say they are going to have to drain them. By this they mean surgically I presume, as this was said to Roger, and he relayed it to me.
I heaved a sigh of relief to have the whole of last night pass without a dreaded phone call to go in.
Every hour the phone doesn't ring can only be good for me, as it means he's fighting and winning!
It's a waiting game..........................................
By early evening he was back in hospital, having become very poorly.
Went to visit him this afternoon, and he has been admitted to a chest ward, so at least they are experts in dealing with his condition. He is still very poorly, but they've put in a line intravenously and are giving him Tazacin and Teicoplanin. Apparently they are the medical equivalents of Domestos.
If he cannot clear the lungs by himself, then they say they are going to have to drain them. By this they mean surgically I presume, as this was said to Roger, and he relayed it to me.
I heaved a sigh of relief to have the whole of last night pass without a dreaded phone call to go in.
Every hour the phone doesn't ring can only be good for me, as it means he's fighting and winning!
It's a waiting game..........................................
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