A Messy Tale

Well the swelling's dispersed - a messy tale! which I won't detail here! and we hope Doc's right and that it was indeed only an infection - the other options are worse!

The chest infection is improving, but not gone yet - week 4 - it was the worst cold I've had in years, it even stopped me going to Yoga this week! - or was it 'man flu'?

Out Patients at St Marks on Monday - may check the swelling out with them too, then off to Ben's in Leeds on Wednesday - if there's any fuel!

At least the garden's coming on!

Would you Adam and Eve it!

I was getting on fine when, almost imperceptibly, a hernia appeared - the 'inguinal' type no less. Like I haven't had my fill of operations! It became more noticeable when I picked up a nasty cold which settled on my chest - Oh! the coughing!!

Doc put me on antibiotics - again! - and got me an appt for the hernia - 10th May, not bad for a non urgent treatment. However I woke this morning with yet another painful swelling in the scrotum - sound familiar? come home, get a bit better, book a break (5 days Gran Canaria, end of April), get swelling!

The surgery are brilliant, I just popped in at lunchtime to see if I could be seen and they said "Yes 6:40 tonight", how good is that? Doc says it's just an infection and switched my antibiotics to one that will handle both the chest infection and swelling.

The garden's finished, well the hard landscaping, we can now start the planting. Though I can only watch at the moment!

6 Weeks On ...

Well, 6 weeks post op and feeling well. I got back to Yoga this week - thank goodness - I really missed it!

Having got the flat straight we've made a start on the garden - the guys have leveled it and laid 5 ton of scalpings, the slabs arrive tomorrow, so it won't be long. Then, we get involved - the planting, then the sitting, reading and dozing begins!

So Far - So Good

Two and a half weeks post op and doing well, I'm driving again and eating well, so we may well be out of the woods. I start Yoga again on 13th March - 2 weeks and the bike beckons!

Just been to see the Urology Consultant this morning for the half-yearly cancer check - all is well!

A Week and Counting!

I've been home a week, I'm feeling good, I'm eating well, I'm on minimum pain relief, and the new colostomy, which is now for life, is working as it should be. I'm putting on weight, (I dropped to 9st at one point), and I have lost the resemblance to Dobby the house elf, but in spite of all these things we are both finding it difficult to relax for fear of it all going pearshaped again! I guess that will come in the fullness of time.

This lunch-time (Sat), we went out for our first meal for over 6 months. Had a lovely lunch in Nino's in Market Square. It's so nice to be able to walk there and back, even though it started to rain on our return. Who Cares!

The next milestone will be driving - next week all being well, then the big one! back on the bike, but that won't be for a while yet. I bought a new saddle at the beginning of August, but haven't been able to use it yet. The footpath going past us goes up river (West) to Goring and beyond, Round and down the Kennet & Avon canal (South West) to Newbury or down stream (East) through Sonning to Henley - and not a hill in sight!

Ensconced in our Flat Once More.

Despite the snowfall on Thursday night (bit worried when I looked out of the window at 1.20am to see the lawn & surrounding trees outside covered in white stuff) fortunately it didn't amount to much, and we made it home mid afternoon on Friday to our little flat. It is so good to be home, especially as Roger is doing very well. I have been "cooking up a storm" ever since, and he's been tucking in to three course meals.

Remember that scene in "Back to the Future" when his picture is fading to a negative? Well! It's kind of the opposite for Roger. You can virtually see him returning from the negative to his usual self, and it's not just the look of him either, but also his voice has gathered strength. The 'little 'ol man' voice that has been present so often of late, has disappeared completely.

We are daring to think about holidays. Only thinking at this stage, but we haven't dared to do that for a long long time!

District nurse came this morning to change the dressing and sutures are coming out on Wed. or Thurs.

Meanwhile Roger is enjoying peaceful nights away from the constant bleeping sounds of nights on the ward.

Coming Home

Roger is doing so well after his op. that his consultant has told him he can go home tomorrow (Friday), so I have extended my stay for one more night, and we will come home together.

These plans hold, as long as nothing's changed drastically by the time I get over to the ward at 11.00am. It's now 9.15am.

Last night, as he was fed up at looking at the opposite wall of his ward, I took him on a date. Just down the corridor to the Costa coffee bar, where we sat and chatted and drank hot chocolate for an hour or so, and then we made our way back to the ward.

We are so impressed with St. Mark's Hospital. The staff are wonderfully caring, and the medical and surgical expertise is second to none. What would have become of Roger had it not been for these guys??

Now we hope that we can have our lives back once more.