Friday 28 March 2008

BLIPS AND THINGS

I have had trouble getting onto internet at this hotel. Next year they tell me they will have free wireless access, but at the moment it's a nightmare. My laptop "dongle" can't pick up a signal, the TV access won't allow me onto blogger.com, the USB port in the room costs £15 a day, which I refuse to pay, and the machine in reception, which I am using now, costs £1 for 10 minutes and was not working yesterday. So I have to type very, very fast to get good value for money. Yesterday I struggled to post a blog using my BlackBerry but that didn't seem to work either.

The news is that we have been have been told OG may be able to come home for the weekend provided his Xray today doesn't show up any "leaks" in his new plumbing. Unfortunately, he has continued to experience severe "blips" (translation for DogLover - episodes when his blood pressure drops and he feels so bad that he thinks he is dying and continually bangs on to me about it until I want to kill him myself. I never signed up to be a nurse!).

I am terrified of taking him on the 75 mile journey home because he is so frail and when we do get home there is no district nurse c0ver for the weekend which makes me feel very insecure.

BUT, once there I may be able to pursuade him to take some food. The trouble in the hospital (and I'[m not moaning, only making an observation) is that the heavily accented girl comes around to take his lunch order at 1000 when is is not feeling hungy. Because he is slightly deaf he can't make out what she is saying and feels like puke anyway so he says he doesn't want anything. She sighs and goes away. I think she takes it as a personal insult or maybe she is on a bonus related target. Anyway, the end result is that he is eating very, very little. At home we can be more spontaneous and maybe I can pursuade him to have a little titbit now and then.

Next week he will come back to the hospital again for a few days to be "finished off" as it were. All the drains will come out and final checks made to ensure all is working well. Then we will have to return to the clinic once a week for 6 weeks for more of the above. Fingers crossed this will all work. And fingers doubly crossed that the cancer hasn't spread. We are still waiting for that news.

Apart from the fact that he feels so awful all the time they are extremely pleased with his progress and had told him right from the beginning that he would have good days and bad days for a while, especially when he got home. Help!

10 comments:

Maggie May said...

Glad he's doing well & that he might be coming home soon & then your work will really begin!
It is important that he eats. Nourishing soup would be a good idea & toast. Wouldn't it be possible to have a word with some one about that?

aims said...

I'm with Maggie - talk to the hospital about the food and the woman who takes the order...

As for home - it might just be the best thing for him...having some home-cooked food and your attention...of course that makes you a 24 hour nurse which is going to be really hard and exhausting..

Anonymous said...

Fingers crossed indeed. Why don't the hospital staff realise he isn't eating enough? Keep us posted.

Crystal xx

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Let's hope he is feeling better soon. It's so hard to watch someone you love and not be able to do anything much about it. Thinking of you. M xx

Anonymous said...

We know OG would rather eat at home than anywhere else, so maybe this will do some good. We're made to take nourishment and, hopefully, this will get him started. With diabetes, I'd hate to suggest milk shakes, but in this instance I'd do what it takes to get nourishment started. I'd say it doesn't matter what, just EAT. Love you.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

This eating business is the stubborn and grumpy side of OG. After the operation he was told he needed to eat and he did. Then he felt nausious and had no appetite.

No amount of persuading or cadjoling would tempt him and the nurses are not allowed to force feed (unfortunately!). In all fairness they did their best, as we all did.

When it came to it they decided that he should stay in another day so I go to fetch him this morning and, fortunately, I am not barred from force feeding him so don't be surprised if you hear a few yells coming from our house tomorrow because he is the worlds worst patient and I am the worlds worst nurse!

laurie said...

i think people really do heal better at home, in familiar surroundings.

i hope you can coax some food into him. in the meantime, the hospital is doing wrong by him by not bringing him a good nourishing lunch and dinner every day, whether he asks for it or not.

Jean Genie(us) said...

I look out over the river of an historic town (they all are!!!) of Lincolnshire and see the swell, the huge waves, the threatening winds and know that OG is home and MW is by his side. 'Nuff said!!! Keep those miracles coming you both!!! I just called to say..............

Dusty Spider said...

Sounds like he's doing really well. Such a shame he feels too poorly to realise that most of the time. You seem in good spirits though. Well done you. Being positive encourages the positive things to happen. Still thinking of you both. Flick xx

Carrie Wilson Link said...

Lord. Have. Mercy. You get ALL my prayers. He gets zero.