Day 120

Today was something of a big test and I have to report I was found wanting.

Andrea, Martin, Emily and Adam called round and stayed for their tea. Ev put out all sorts of what you might call odds and ends. I am talking here of ham, cheese, pasta and tuna, and lots of nice savoury biscuits. It was very much help yourself. In what I must call my former life I would love every mouthful and try everything. When confronted with this I should just have kept to at the most 3 biscuits with some cream cheese. Instead I tried to eat double that amount only to find not surprisingly that some of it stuck in the back of the throat. Fortunately though feeling sick I didn't vomit. That is what I call a self inflicted wound.

Otherwise it's not been bad today. We have had a poor summer but today the sun shone and we spent a long time in the garden. I had a reasonable amount of sleep. I had an omlette for Lunch which digested well. One of our neighbours dropped in for a chat. Bert is a really nice bloke and as I have remarked elsewhere we are blessed with good neighbours.

We continue on an upward path.

Day 119

Despite a mixed night(that damned dry cough again) as far as sleep is concerned, this in many ways was the best day since coming out of hospital.

For a start I managed to eat without food lodging at the back of the throat. This was partly due to knowing how much to eat at one go. I wouldn't say I had this cracked but it certainly saved a lot of discomfort.

Secondly I got my own breakfast(cereal and toast since you ask) and also my daytime snacks. Ev is absolutely wonderful but I don't want her to do things for me which I ought to be able to do for myself.

Thirdly I walked a lot further than before. I go very slowly but I am gaining some confidence. The current aim is to be able to walk to and from the paper shop by the end of this week.

Understandably this has improved morale no end. Now if I can only crack the code for a full night's sleep my proverbial cup will runneth over. I am also aware that there will be set backs along the way but this is very encouraging.

More tomorrow.

Day 118

August Bank Holiday Weekend on the Isle of Wight means a huge motor scooter rally. Every road seems to have these noisy machines in large numbers. In the early evening we managed to dodge them and went to the seafront to watch Queen Mary 2 sail by at the start of her voyage to New York. Two years ago Ev and I were on board for an experience of a lifetime.

That was then, this is now. I had a much better night's sleep through not lying on my left hand side. Consequently Ev had some much needed rest. This morning she went to church choir practice. It was the first time since I cam back home that she had gone out without me. As part of the process of recovery we both felt it was time that I started sorting out at least some of my meals myself. Thus I made myself a mid morning snack. All went well. I also walked further than before without any ill effects. On the weighing machine I have lost a further 4 pounds since Wednesday.

On the plus side I do feel a bit better today and Ev tells me I look a bit more healthy. I still need to know when to stop eating before the food starts cloying. This is not a very pleasant experience but is okay provided I don't have a fit of coughing at that time because I am then sick.

Tomorrow is of course the next challenge and I shall be reporting on how it went.

Day 117

The omens were not good for today. I had a dreadful night coughing up what I now know to be a mixture of acid and bile.

At Ev's suggestion I rang the Oesophageal Patients Association helpline and spoke to a man who had had the operation 13 years ago. He was fit enough this year to cycle from John O'Groats to Lands End. I may have mentioned on this blog of an unpleasant sensation when after having eaten I can feel a lump in the back of my throat. The man(Ricky) described this to me as food cloying. This is because the nerve controlling the Oesophagus muscle has to be cut during the operation. As a result it is only when food gets stuck that I can know I am full.

We then got on to talking about a sloppy food diet. Ricky mentioned Lactose and the fact that many folk who have had this treatment develop an allergic reaction to milk in particular and dairy products generally. We discussed mashed potato as a case in point. If you think about it this is an ideal food easy to swallow etc. However to make it taste nice you tend to add milk, a bit of cheese and some butter when making it. This does invite cloying. In short I would be better off with roast spuds or even some chips. He added that the ideal is food that melts in the mouth so cutting down pressure on the reshaped stomach. Crisps and nuts do very well for snacks apparently. This information has caused some concern to Ev who has bought such things as full fat yogurt and custard. You fear that much experimenting with food lies ahead of us. Ricky said it took him 2 years to return to normal eating. Now he says the only things he does not touch are sprouts and cabbage.

As far as sleeping is concerned, he advised against lying on my side. This encourages the acid to gather. How I can lie on my back and not move is something I shall report on tomorrow.

Today has been a bit better than yesterday. I went further in my walking than before and though it was tiring I felt good about it. This afternoon I went in the car with Ev for a trip to put petrol in the car before the latest tax rise on fuel. This evening Andrea and Martin brought Grandchildren for a visit which was nice.

In short we are hanging on in there.

day 116

I would describe today as being somewhat testing.

I know that some of you are shall we say making me aware that unless I actually want to come to a sticky end, that if having more chemo makes that much less likely I need to consider it seriously. I would say that I am very aware of the issues involved and have been discussing them with Ev. Just at the moment I have recovered from vomiting back my evening meal. Right now therefore is not the time to make a decision on this matter. The appointment with the Oncologist is on 14 September. By that time I would hope to be in a better position both physically and mentally to decide. Having said that I am aware that those of you who have commented are doing so with the best of intentions.

As to the day itself, well I called at the newsagents today for the first time. Ev drove me round so I had only a short walk. The owner was talking to another customer about pet cemeteries which is I suppose a bit different. After that we went to a local farm shop. It was nice to be out and about looking at different scenery.

One thing I must remember is that until last Friday I was being artificially fed. My new digestive system will need time to bed in. Another thing is that my operation took place less than 4 weeks ago and therefore it is natural to feel tired. Continuing to take exercise is important but equally I must not overdo it.

I hope you don't think reading all this that I am feeling sorry for myself( I did have a better night for a start). In truth if I hadn't have followed the path for the last 4 months I can only guess what state I would be in. We carry on and shall see what tomorrow brings.

Day 115

Biggest shock came on the weighing machine. I am now 14 stone 12 compared with 16 stone 5 when I went in to Hospital. You can see why they wanted me to keep eating. As some of you have remarked, food plays a huge part in these entries. According to a chart the ideal weight for someone of my height is around the 12 stone mark. What is important is that I don't go underweight as given the shrinking stomach it would be difficult to put it back on without the use of steroids. We have taken much advice on diet and it seems the message is eat little but often. This is much easier to do at home rather than hospital where meals tend to get served at particular times. Today was a good day for food as I was able to finish what was on my plate. This shows Ev has got measurements about right.

I had a poor night. One thing this operation brings is a dry cough. I woke up having a bad attack of the cough. I wasn't sick or anything like that but it was a bit unnerving. The night did however provide a comedy moment. I woke up desperate for a wee. However I thought I was still in hospital and set off in the direction between my hospital bed and where the loo is there. I walked into the wardrobe door. I then wandered round in circles shouting that I couldn't find the toilet. Ev put the light on to let me see where I was.

Whilst in Hospital, I had probably too much time to think. Many of my fellow in mates had been there for 2 months or more with no date fixed for them to leave. Our house here in Ryde is quite a modest dwelling but I did wonder if I would ever see home again particularly after my heart problem on 8 August. That particular difficulty also brought home to me the question of my mortality. None of us goes on for ever of course. Is this the last I shall see of ward E8 of Southampton General? Other mundane matters come to mind. During my stay I managed both to dirty my pyjama trousers and wet the bed. The staff were very good about it. You suspect they see this all the time but for me it was humiliating.

The other thing that I shall always remember about Hospital is wires. Most of us were hooked up to machines of one kind or another. I must however comment about the staff. They were excellent. It is marvellous how far a combination of professionalism and good humour will take you.

But the message is that my first day back home has been a good one. There is still a mountain to climb but with Ev's magnificent direction I am sure we shall get there. Your messages of support have been and are being very helpful.

day 114

Yes it's david resuming this blog. Thanks to Ev for keeping the entries up to date. Also throughout my stay in hospital she visited every day and if you knew how awakward the journey from Ryde to the Hospital was you would realise how wonderful this was.

I have a number of thoughts but feel quite tired so I hope to be sharing some of these things with you over the next few days.

DAY 113

David rang me to say he had managed to get dressed and go to the shop and get his newspaper without any difficulties. He also told me he had had a visit from the Oncologist. When I got to the hospital he did not look very cheerful. He said he had had some unexpected news from the Oncologist which he had not wanted to give me over the phone. He asked me whether I had any idea what it might be and of course I immediately thought of my previous entry indicating that it would not be necessary for him to have any further chemo following the results of the biopsy. Spot on he said. Apparently it is very likely that if he is physically fit, and there seems little doubt that he will be, and mentally fit, she would be offering a follow up course of chemo as had been mentioned before he had his op. She emphasised that it would be his decision. Unfortunately this has sent him into the doldrums because at this point in time he cannot tolerate the thought of having any more treatment. Matters had not been helped by the fact that the staff were having difficulty getting a blood sample from him again. After the second person had tried without success the doctor said he would not try again but would try to get the phlebotomist to come and try. Later in the day the phlebotomist tried and she also failed so she brought in "the specialist" who had trained her and she said if this person could not get any blood nobody would. Unfortunately his veins are either too hard or the collapse when the needle is inserted. "The specialist" resorted to an old fashioned syringe and was successful. The whole episode had been very painful and distressing for poor David and my heart ached for him.
He kept coming back to the question of the post operative chemo. He said he would take a lot of convincing to proceed given that the biopsies had been clear. I said it was probably not the best time to make a decision and he should wait till he gets home and has time to get his thoughts together and think logically. I emphasised that I agreed totally with him that it was his decision and I would support him even if his decision was at variance with my own thoughts. We really need more information on the evidence of the data providing the relevant statistics in order to make an educated decision. I said I would contact the GSI nurse and ask if this information could be made available at the appointment with the oncologist on 14 September.
This is not at all the kind of entry I expected to write as my final contribution to this blog. The main thing is the operation has been successful and he has overcome some very difficult episodes over the last three weeks. We must hang on to this and keep positive as I am sure we will.

DAY 112

Another excellent day. I took sun cream and a hat for David today. It was a very warm day so we sat where it was nice and shady for a couple of hours. We then retired to the sofas in the dining hall until it was time for me to have my dinner. After that we went back to the ward and it was David's time to feed and I have to say it is going very well so far. Makes me feel better about feeding him when he gets home. Another short blog but never fear the maestro will be back on the keyboard very soon.

DAY 111

Another very good day today. We were able to sit out and enjoy the sunshine for an hour. When we got back David was very tired and needed to have a rest. A portent of what lies ahead. He is managing to eat a little better and is looking forward to coming home. I am pleased to say there is nothing else to write about, a very different scenario than a week ago.

DAY 110

This morning I was thinking back over the last couple of weeks and found that my memory was playing tricks with me. I decided to read the blog and was ashamed when I saw the spelling mistakes and poor grammar. I could make excuses about being tired, distracted etc but that would be feeble.

Anyway today David texted me to say that he had agreed that he should be discharged on Tuesday. When I got to the hospital he was standing at the end of his bed with no wires attached at all. Also he had had the staples taken out of his wounds and he had eaten a decent breakfast. I had taken a chair up with me and I was determined to take him outside for some fresh air. We went down to the terrace area by the dining hall and were able to sit for 45 mins until the sun went in. We went back to the ward for a while and then the sun came out again so we went back outside. This boosted his morale tremendously. He then had a veg curry for his supper which he enjoyed but found that there was no room left for his jelly and ice cream! It was the strangest wedding anniversary we have ever spent but in the circumstances very special.

DAY 109

Today I travelled by public transport from Ryde to the hospital. It took me three and a quarter hours but I am well into Captain Corelli's Mandolin and so I didn't really notice the time. David was looking good and less anxious than when I left him last evening. Almost immediately a doctor appeared so I eat my words about not holding my breath! He said that the biopsy had not shown up any cancer cells but that he could not guarantee that in a years time things might be different. Really they have to say that so we did not read anything sinister into it. He said that when David sees the Oncologist in September she will probably discharge him which means no more chemotherapy. Obviously David is delighted about this. The Doctor then went on to explain his understanding of what had taken place and that corresponds with the first impression we were given where the stomach is connected to the remaining oesophagus so it becomes a long tube. There is no cavity at the end of it so food would travel straight through which is the main reason that there will be a significant weight loss. He siad that it is normal, when the stomach is full the brain sends message to stop eating. As there is no longer a cavity the brain does not send a message and that is why after two or three mouthfuls of food it sticks in the throat and this is the new message to stop eating. It will take some getting used to.
The Dietician also came to see us and gave some very useful information about our new life. There is a lot of adjustment to be made.
After that we took a longer stroll along the corridors and when we got back David managed to drink a whole cup of tea. Today he had also managed to eat some sloppy food.
It now seems that he will come home on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. By this time he should be fairly confident and it will be me who will be worrying about looking after him. We are both looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality.

DAY 108

I found David where he said he was going to be in the general ward. He was waiting to tell me that the barium swallow had shown no evidence of leakage. He said when the news was given to him he was quite overcome having not realised how much it meant to him. The Consultant had told him that he should be able to come home on Friday. Now as much as I want him to come home I must admit that I was a bit taken aback that it would be so early because he needs to learn to eat and drink again without any problem. I also need to have 24 hours notice so that I can book the car on the ferry to collect him as it is not a straight forward matter when you live on an island. As it turned out David was also concerned that he would not have the confidence to deal with swallowing etc yet. I had a word with the nurse and said I was a bit concerned that since David was admitted I have had no discussion with the medical team and there are several questions I would like answers to. The nurse said she would try and set up a meeting but I am afraid I am not holding my breath.

Later in the afternoon David had diarhhoea and there was talk of moving him to a side room. It would take 2 days to determine whether he had any infection and I could tell by the look on his face that he was deflated. We were told that the team would be coming to see him but they didn't. The nurse eventually told us that they had decided that the problem was probably caused by the barium swallow and to leave him where he was and monitor him. I indicated to the nurse that this highlighted my concern about sending him home too early and she said she was sure he wouldn't be sent home this week.

On the bright side all of the tubes had been removed apart from the intravenous feeding line and he ceased to look like something out of Dr Who. We managed to have a couple of walks along the corridors and I am still planning to take him outside on Friday. I am convinced he will be home early next week.

DAY 107

I arrived at the hospital today to find the curtains around David's bed and was worried about what I might find. There were 2 doctors and a nurse and they were removing the drain from his chest, phew! David looked like his normal smiley self and his eyes were much brighter than of late. He had also been relieved of the oxygen line from his nose and the morphine based pain relief. Soon after I got there they took him away for another xray and so I went for some refreshment and to meet Andrea who was coming from Uni.
When we got back to the ward there was yet another person at his bed sticking needles in him. His veins are so hard and narrow now that they are finding it very difficult to get any blood from him for testing. I asked whether his veins would recover and whether this was the reason why his hands were always so cold now. I was told that the veins would recover a little but he would always suffer from the cold from now on.
Before we left today he wanted to go for a walk and so Andrea and I went with him and he walked further than he done to date.
I have just had a text from David saying "late news he has been moved to the general ward and is next to someone who was in the observation ward with him". This really is an indication that he is getting better.
It will be our 42nd wedding anniversary on Friday and we thought when he went into hospital that he would be back home in time to celebrate. The way things are looking, although he will not be home, I will at least be able to take him in a chair and have a little walk in the fresh air.
Hopefully when I write tomorrow night I will have a good idea whether he will be able to come home soon.

DAYS 105 AND 106

I didn't write the blog last night because I was too tired and this morning had to get my friend to the ferry early so I decided to write 2 days tonight.
Yesterday we went to the hospital en masse, Andrea, Martin, Emily, Adam, my friend Kath and myself. Obviously we didn't all pile in together and we only stayed a couple of hours so as not to wear David out. It was an interesting visit. David had not had much sleep overnight because the ward had been very busy and they were short staffed so there was a lot of rushing about. Apart from looking a bit tired he was doing well. During our visit there was a kerfuffle in one of the bay wards and all of the nursing staff went running. Then we saw a nurse hurrying in with a blood sugar testing kit followed by an empty bed being brought from another bay. The next thing we saw was a man who had been visiting his wife on the bed, looking very grey, being hurried along the corridor. Things quietened down a bit after that. The woman who had been in the next bed to David had been moved at midnight the night before and then the bed space was sanitised and the curtains and everything removed and replaced. No information was forthcoming. As I said we didn't stay too long before bidding David goodnight.
Today I visited on my own. I had had a text from David early this morning to say he had managed to walk along the corridor and use the bathroom. Progress indeed. When I got there he looked absolutely great, bright eyed and a much better colour in his face. He had had the oxygen supply removed and was breathing unaided and he had only needed to use the strong pain relief 3 times through the night. He still had the chest and stomach drains in place but he only had the nourishment feeding through the line into his body. Just after I got there a porter appeared to take him for an xray. David looked like the cat who got the cream when he was told he could be transported in a chair instead of in his bed.I took this opportunity to go for some lunch. He had not been given the result at the end of visiting time so I don't yet know the outcome. When I went to lunch I met the husband of the lady who had disappeared at midnight and I asked him what had happened and he said she had been moved to an isolation area. He said nobody was saying very much which lead him to believe that she had MRSA. Later in the afternoon I saw him again but this time he was wearing a great big grin because she had been cleared of any bug and he said they had in fact been testing for C Dificile. After that I saw the wife of the man who had been rushed away the day before and she was in a wheelchair being taken to the ward he must have been admitted to after his collapse. It was like being in an episode of Casualty.
Anyway back to David. On Wednesday morning he is in fact going for a barium swallow, not a scan, to check on the leakage. All of the up to date information will be considered at a team meeting on Wednesday and we will then find out what happens next.
The time we spent together today was very pleasant and it was so good to see him looking as though he is truly on the mend.
I got to the ferry terminal at 7.20 in plenty of time to catch the 7.45 red jet. I sat in a comfortable chair in the waiting room and woke up at 7.44. I didn't know I could move as fast as I did down the ramp as they were closing the gate.
That's all folks.

DAY 104

Well here we are again. When we got to the hospital today (Saturday) David was very much better than he had been on Friday. He was much more lucid and together. The nurse came to take a blood sample and ended up taking it from his foot as his veins have "sunk". He was able to listen to the football results on his radio and maintain his concentration and he said he had also been able to read a few pages of his book. I had taken the where with all to give him a manicure and a pedicure which I am not sure he enjoyed very much but the job needed doing!! I was very happy that he was so much better than when I had left him. He said that his scan had been put back until Wednesday at which time they will be able to see whether the leak has healed itself. After that a decision will be taken as to the next course of action but it would appear that he is going to be in hospital for at least another week. Ah me more journies across the Solent.
David is very keen to get back blogging again and cannot wait to gets his fingers back on the keyboard. Goodness knows what pearls he will provide.
When we left him this evening he was being taken for a walk with all of his wires and bags attached. I received a text from him whilst on the homeward ferry to say that he had been able to walk along the exit corridor and back and I have no doubt that he will have been visualising his eventual escape along that same corridor.
It is time I was in bed so I had better stop blogging until next time. Hoping for more progress on Sunday.

DAY 103

Well it is back to 1 step forward 1 step back. It all started so well when we got off the Red Jet in Southampton. The Daisy Chain bus, funded by the Wessex Foundation, was at the terminal. The driver had some empty seats and agreed to take us to the hospital. We met Charles and Jess when we got there and went up to the ward where we found David going for a short walk in the ward. However when he sat down he looked quite agitated and very fidgety. He enjoyed his visit with Charles and Jess but after they left he seemed to be quite down and kept drifting in and out of sleep. When he was in a doze he would suddenly jump and try to catch a newspaper or say he thought he was in an aeroplane. The pain relief nurse, who I know from my Barbershop Chorus came by and I had a word with her. She said she would change his pain relief drug to a different one and it might reduce the side effects but she couldn't guarantee that it would.
I managed to have a couple of short chats with David and he was admitting to being very fed up, not surprising really, and despite been told it didn't matter how many times he buzzed through the night for a bottle, he felt guilty about doing it. I guess he will never change, he is so nice. He also admitted that he was worried he was losing his marbles because his concentration span was so short. He knows that the pain relief drug is probably responsible for this but it is the long term damage he is worrying about. I suggested to him that if he is so worried about this he should talk to the doctor about it to get some advice and reassurance. I could say to him drugs, lack of sleep, boredom etc but I know him well enough to know he would listen and remain unconvinced.
So folks we plod on hoping for better things and bucket loads of patience in the hope that the set backs are less and less until he can come home and convalesce.

DAY 102

A better day at last. It started off very well when the man at the garage who was fixing my tyre had had the sense to change the time on the parking disc so that I didn't get a parking ticket and he had fixed the car. When we got to the hospital having decided not to have a day off, David was sitting up in the chair but looking very dozy. He said he had just woken up. The staff had told him he was definitely going to theatre to have the central line inserted so that he could get some nutrition but he was not sure when it would be. They came for him at 2pm and he came back at 3.45. He had to lie flat for a while before they could move him. The central line had been inserted in his arm and was directed across the top of his heart and below where the leak in the oesophagus to avoid seepage. I was a bit curious about the leak being so high up because I had thought that that they would not be taking away so much of the oesophagus. David said they had told him that they had needed to take away more than they had anticipated. The had also taken away the oxygen mask and he was managing fine, only getting breathless when he talked too much. He still has a bit to contend with because they had taken away the catheter and still had wires everywhere but all in all in a much better state than he had been for a while, even his colour was now more normal.
Andrea had been to Uni and she called in to visit on her way home. As we felt we had something to celebrate Andrea, Kath (my friend from Guisborough) and I decided to go for a meal in Southampton before going home. We went to a love Italian restaurant, had a lovely meal, reminisced and had a really good belly laugh. I make no apologies for this. After getting home I dozed off in the chair, then decided I should go to bed, hence no blog last night. Still better late than never.
Looking forward to good things today.
PS I apoligise for the double entry on the previous blog but at the time og posting it I was too tired to work out how to edit the error out. Shame on me!

DAY 101

Well here we are again. Today we had our excitement before or should I say on our way to the hospital. I was driving along to the ferry terminal and suddenly heard an unusual banging noise. At first I didn't know what it was and then I wondered if it was the exhaust. It was getting louder and louder and soon became apparent that it was a flat tyre. We got to the ferry terminal at 12.15 for the 12.30 sailing but of course I couldn't take the car on the ferry. I drove around to a car park where opposite there just happened to be a garage. I went into the garage and said to a man there can you help me please, explained my situation, left him the key and caught the 12.30 ferry.
When we got to the hospital we found an empty bed and we thought goodness gracious what has happened to him now, where has he gone. He was sitting up in his chair which was hidden by the curtain, phew!! He had been there since 8.30 and seemed determined that he was going to stay there for as long as he could. He had been for a short walk up and down with no ill effects the small ward he is in. He slightly alarmed me because his eyes seemed to be bulging and this normally happens when he is agitated so I kept asking him to relax. As the day wore on it became apparent that his eyes must have been affected by the drugs because he was not really agitated. Apparently they had to change from morphine to another drug because he had started hearing voices.
He had not had the nutrition line put in because they only have a clinic for this on Tuesdays and Thursdays!!!! We are assured it will be put in tomorrow. The drain is still draining his lung but the amount of fluid coming out now is minimal.
I do feel he has turned a corner now and I expect to send much improvement in the next couple of days.

DAY 101

Well here we are again. Today we had our excitement before or should I say on our way to the hospital

DAY 100

Another day of excitement and alarms. When we arrived at the hospital today at around 2pm we found David with a pulse rate above 160 and low blood pressure again. He needed to have the drug to bring the pulse rate down but the nurse could not find a vein in his left arm to insert a canular. In the end she had to put one into his right hand and move the lines from the one in his right arm to the hand so that the drug could go into the vein in his arm. Once that was done he needed to go to theatre to have a drain put into his lung. When he came back the bag was already full to bursting with fluid and had to be changed immediately and then just as quickly the next bag filled up and third bag started filling. Soon after that he said he could feel the anaesthetic wearing off and he was suddenly in great pain which he told me on a scale of 1 to 10 rated 10. The poor sould was in agony. A doctor came to see him and said the nurses would come and move him to a more comforatable position and adjust his morphine so that he could administer a higher dose. Another doctor told him that his body would adjust to the pain fairly quickly. After about 30 minutes he became more comfortable in slighly less pain and when we left him he was much more stable.

DAY 99

I have several whiskies tonight so I apologise in advance for what follows. Last night our daughter Andrea said she and the children would like to visit David today (Monday). I said I had seen an offer for car and up to 4 people on the ferry for £32 so we went ahead and booked. Just before we set off I had a phone call from David to say that the Consultant had been around and they were planning to do a small operation in the afternoon. Andrea decided that it would not therefore be appropriate to take the children and so I was left with going in the car myself and negotiating the journey to the hospital or losing the monet oaid for the ticket. I decided to brave it and with only 1 wrong turn made my way to the hospital. Once on the ferry David rang me to say they had decided not to operate but to send him for a scan and have a conflab before deciding the next course of action. When I arrived at the hospital David had just returned from his scan and was waiting for the results. Although he was improved on yesterday he was very sleepy and there was little conversation between us. He did however tell me that the night nurse was under the impression that he would be going home on Monday and so decided to remove his morphine medication. He tried to explain that he would not be going home but unforunately this fell on deaf ears. He therefore spent the night with no pain control. He did receive an apology in the morning but this was really unacceptable. I stayed till 4pm but had to leave so that I could get back to the island in time to pick my friend up from the Ryde ferry later in the day. I had hoped that following the conflab someone would have come back after the conflab to let us know the outcome of their deliberations, sadly this did not happen. When I got home David rang me to tell me that the scan had not given any indication of any leakage but did show some fluid on the lung and also evidence of a chest infection. A drain would need to be inserted to clear the fluid from the lung and also a line set up to provide some nutrition.
I know I am confused at the moment as to why there was a diagnosis of leakage and then confirmation from a scan showing no leakage. I feel the need to talk to the consulktant and hope to do that at my next visit. Watch this space.

DAY 98

After the trials and tribulations yesterday today was a much quieter, calmer day. David saw the Consultant this morning who is regarding what happened yesterday as a "little set back". He has instructed to take conservative action and put David back on nil by mouth. He will be fed through a line in his neck. This is in the hope that the leakage will heal by itself. Unfortunately this means he will have to stay in hospital for another week. They will then take another scan and see if it has healed, if not then further action will be necessary.
Apparently his heart was agitated by the leak and this is what caused the atrial fibrillation yesterday (Sat) and there is no evidence of any permanent damage to his heart muscle.
Today he had visits from brother Perry and sister in law Vivien and also cousins Peter and Terry who flew in from Canada yesterday. Tomorrow we are going to risk taking grandchildren Emily and Adam as this is also guaranteed to cheer him after the disappointment of not being discharged early.
When I left him he was looking really well again and his pulse rate and blood pressure had behaved properly for 24 hours. He was surrounded by his phone, his radio, his newspapers and some good books and the only other thing he said he would like was a nice cup of tea. However he will have to wait for the latter.

DAY 97

What a day! I got to the hospital at just before 4pm having left the house at 12.30. At the point I entered the ward there was an obvious problem at David's bed as there was a flurry of activity. His pulse rate was 168, his blood pressure was low and he had a pain in his chest. For the next 3 hours he was visited by various medics including some from the Intensive Care Unit. At first they thought he was having a heart attack but they then revised their thinking to maybe it was caused by an infection. Several ECG's were taken and he had an x ray. The x ray indicated something in the bottom of his right lung. The ITU doctor decided to ring the consultant surgeon for advice and was asked to send David for a scan to see if there was any infection and if so where it was. The scan showed that there was some leakage from the gullet and this could have been why there was some fluid gathering in his lung. By the time all of this had happened the drugs he had been given reduced his pulse and brought his blood pressure up to something like normal. I gleaned from the doctor that the leakage was probably what caused the high pulse rate and low blood pressure and it was unlikely he had had a heart attack but it would not be clear until later today (Sunday) whether and how badly the heart muscle had been affected. By this time it was after 10pm so Andrea and I headed home.
Now that is not the end of my story. When I went to the hospital I got held up in an horrendous traffic jam and had to abandon the car and walk to the ferry. Because it was late when we got to the ferry terminal we had missed the last ferry that would have taken us to the port where I had left the car East Cowes). We had to take the catamaran which docks in West Cowes, walk from the terminal to the chain ferry which goes back and forth between East and West Cowes and then walk up the hill to where I had left the car. It was a very long day. More later or tomorrow depending on what delights await.

Days 92 - 96
Blog dictated by David from his hospital bed on 6 August. Ev and I arrived at the hospital at 2.30pm and went for a cup of coffee before going up to be admitted. I was admitted to the cardiac ward as there was no bed in the ward I was supposed to be going to. Promptly at midnight my drinking water was confiscated and it was nil by mouth from then. The surgery was due to start at 8am.
On the morning it soon became apparent that the surgery would not take place on time. I saw the anesthetist first at 7.45am and then Mr Byrne (the surgeon) at 8.15am. Mr Byrne told me that there was no High Dependency bed available and the op could not start until a bed became available. I eventually went to theatre at 10.45am. I was given a pre med jab and had the epidural fitted followed by the general anaesthetic though I knew nothing about the latter.
I woke up in the recovery room at 9pm and was transferred to HDU (high dependency unit). Subsequently I was told by the Sister that the delay in getting me to the unit was as a result of a "cleaning issue". It is good to see a hospital taking cleaning so seriously.
On Thursday I noticed a lead weight feeling in my left leg. Then my wheezing chest caused some anxiety. I also had low blood pressure caused by the epidural.
Everything in the unit was very high tec. Everything and everyone was efficient. All of the staff were very good at what they did and very pleasant. The ratio was 1 to 1 or 1 to 2 and they worked 12 hour shifts.

Day 97

It was so busy at the hospital today they David did not have time to dictate his blog so this is Ev's interpretation of the days events.
As David had been having problems with his breathing I rang the hospital to see how he was and was told that he was fine and that he would be moved to the general ward today. When I got to the hospital he was very bright and breezy and said there was lots of news. He had had weetabix for breakfast and soup and ice cream for lunch, progress indeed. He said never had hospital tomato soup tasted so good.
His wheezy chest was much better and the surgeon had been around and said that all of the tubes and lines etc could be removed and he could probably be discharged on Monday or Tuesday of next week. Amazing.
By 4pm he had been completed freed from the equipment and was moved to an observation ward which was the stepping stone to the general ward. He was still having to take in some oxygen and use the nebuliser and he was also being weaned off the morphine. He is very keen now to get on his feet and get moving. I did remind him that he needs to walk before he can run!!! Having said that he has been truly amazing throughout this whole nasty episode and I am extremely proud of him. He is made of stern stuff.

day 91

My last day before going into hospital and weather wise it was pretty miserable. The type of rain would be defined by the Scots as Dreich. That is a thin fine persistent drizzle. It didn't clear up until quite late this afternoon.

We made a list of things to take to hospital. It's quite a lot to remember. Ev did an excellent job of making sure we had everything we need. As I have said many times on this blog what would I do without her.

We went for a meal to our favourite Italian Restaurant. It wasn't as relaxing as we had hoped partly because the music centre kept playing Andrea Boccelli and partly because of a bloke sitting behind Ev talking loudly throughout. The food was alright though.

Well the time has come and we leave for the Hospital in Southampton at Lunch Time. As I am likely to remain in that place for most of the next 2 weeks, I won't be able to write anything here for a while. Ev will let you know how things are progressing. However she will until I am on a general ward be staying with a friend of Andrea's in Southampton. As a result it may well be four or five days before she is able to put anything on this blog. So if you don't see anything on here for a few days it will literally be a case of no news is good news.

Cards and messages of support have continued to come. It was nice to get cards from amongst others Christopher, Gillian and Harry plus a card from Gillian's Mum and Dad. Thanks also to Ev's sister in law Pat for her thoughtfulness and to Ev's brother Godfrey for his concern. If you have sent a card or greeting and I haven't mentioned you by name please don't be offended. I value every message of support.

For the time being then cheerio and I hope to be back here in short order. I know that difficulties in the short run will be more than compensated by long term improvements in health.