That is the million dollar question. The pain that Husband is suffering on the lower back (all that trauma from one miserable, stupid, "could-have-been-avoided" bedsore) is constant and agonising.... and, since I assume the plastic surgeon knows what he is talking about with all his experience, it may take up to ONE YEAR before he recovers from that trauma!
Pain killers dull the pain, but can't take it away. He absolutely CANNOT lie down on his back, and to try and sleep only on one side, without moving and without being able to turn over, is very difficult. To sleep on his left side he has to sit up first, then take the pillows from the head of the bed, put them at the foot of the bed, and then lie down on his left side. When both his left and right hip get too sore, then he has to get up and walk for a while..... So, how to get uninterrupted sleep?
Well, I guess this is just a chance for me to vent my frustrations here... so thank you for listening :-p. Remember, all you readers, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
PS: It is our 10th anniversary today. I am praying that by the time we get to our 11th, Husband will have recovered fully from both the pain and the cancer. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chemo has started, finally!
Yep, the first trip to Melaka is now over. We drove to Malacca on Sat - left PJ around 6.10am, got to my brother's house in Malacca at 7.45am, and then followed him to the hospital. Got Husband registered, took him straight for taking blood (for various blood tests), then to get the full scale (neck to pelvis) CT scan done... THEN breakfast, then to the oncologist.
Oncologist recommended doing the chemo once every 2 weeks, instead of every 3 weeks. This way the dosage is lower, and the body adapts better. So, started chemo with a 2 hour IV at 11.30am (done by 1.20pm), then collected a WHOLE pile of medication, went back to my brothers house, had lunch, then drove back to KL again. The rest of the chemo is done via the medication - twice a day, 4 pills each time - and the rest of the medication is to counteract some of the side effects of the chemo pills, ie, dry skin, nausea (he doesnt have any!!), gastric, etc.
The scan shows NO problem with his spine, but his back pain is still there (red hot pokers sticking into his lower spine is how he describes it). The trauma of the bed sore, the dressings, the vacuum therapy, the surgery, and now the swollen band of muscle and skin across his lower back, could all be the cause of the pain. The plastic surgeon says it could take up to a year for the swelling to go down, but the more mobile he is, the faster it will get better.
Anyway, the oncologist has prescribed some pain killers that really DO work (for a change). Husband takes one in the early evening, and one just before he sleeps, and that keeps him going. He is a lot stronger now, far more mobile, is helping Kevin and me get the boxes and things unpacked and put away, and generally holding his own in sorting out our home!
Yes, we also moved house this last weekend. As of now, I think we are 98% done. I have the final bits and pieces to sort out in the study, and Ken and Kevin have to put away all the CDs ... and that is it! Kevin is going to be here for another week, and then it is back to just Husband and me.
So, we have started this stage of the journey now, and it literally involves a journey each time, as we drive to Melaka and back for the chemo. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and, till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Oncologist recommended doing the chemo once every 2 weeks, instead of every 3 weeks. This way the dosage is lower, and the body adapts better. So, started chemo with a 2 hour IV at 11.30am (done by 1.20pm), then collected a WHOLE pile of medication, went back to my brothers house, had lunch, then drove back to KL again. The rest of the chemo is done via the medication - twice a day, 4 pills each time - and the rest of the medication is to counteract some of the side effects of the chemo pills, ie, dry skin, nausea (he doesnt have any!!), gastric, etc.
The scan shows NO problem with his spine, but his back pain is still there (red hot pokers sticking into his lower spine is how he describes it). The trauma of the bed sore, the dressings, the vacuum therapy, the surgery, and now the swollen band of muscle and skin across his lower back, could all be the cause of the pain. The plastic surgeon says it could take up to a year for the swelling to go down, but the more mobile he is, the faster it will get better.
Anyway, the oncologist has prescribed some pain killers that really DO work (for a change). Husband takes one in the early evening, and one just before he sleeps, and that keeps him going. He is a lot stronger now, far more mobile, is helping Kevin and me get the boxes and things unpacked and put away, and generally holding his own in sorting out our home!
Yes, we also moved house this last weekend. As of now, I think we are 98% done. I have the final bits and pieces to sort out in the study, and Ken and Kevin have to put away all the CDs ... and that is it! Kevin is going to be here for another week, and then it is back to just Husband and me.
So, we have started this stage of the journey now, and it literally involves a journey each time, as we drive to Melaka and back for the chemo. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and, till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Keep on truckin'... or walkin' in our case :-)
Was at the hospital today, just to check all the surgical wounds at the back, and am happy to say that all the staples are out and the dressings are all off, except for the part where the skin graft is, and a short stretch where there are sutures. All the wounds are healing extremely well, which is great news.
So, what is the down side? Well, the fact that Husband has a very very very (too many 'very') painful back - kind of like having red hot skewers poked into his coccyx. So it is still a problem lying down in any position - he has to keep changing sleeping position, from one side to the other (sleeping on his back is still not possible!).
We are going to Melaka this weekend to the hospital where my brother and his wife are both doctors(!) to see the oncologist there, and they will also organise doing the relevant CT Scans, the Xrays, etc, to check if the cancer has spread anywhere, and to check if there is any problem with the spine that is causing the back pain....
Other than that, we are having the packers/movers in tomorrow, to pack up some of our stuff from our PJ house, to move to our new condo in Mont'Kiara. The packing takes place tomorrow, the moving takes place on Friday, the trip to Melaka is on Saturday and when we come back on Saturday we will be at our new place :-)
We also have Husbands very good friend (Kevin) here from the UK - he took the time and the trouble to get his business sorted out and managed for him, so that he could fly here to be with us for a couple of weeks. His timing is excellent as that means he is helping with the move :-)
So, that's all the news for now folks. Till next time, keep us in your thoughts and prayers and remember - stay safe, stay HEALTHY!!
So, what is the down side? Well, the fact that Husband has a very very very (too many 'very') painful back - kind of like having red hot skewers poked into his coccyx. So it is still a problem lying down in any position - he has to keep changing sleeping position, from one side to the other (sleeping on his back is still not possible!).
We are going to Melaka this weekend to the hospital where my brother and his wife are both doctors(!) to see the oncologist there, and they will also organise doing the relevant CT Scans, the Xrays, etc, to check if the cancer has spread anywhere, and to check if there is any problem with the spine that is causing the back pain....
Other than that, we are having the packers/movers in tomorrow, to pack up some of our stuff from our PJ house, to move to our new condo in Mont'Kiara. The packing takes place tomorrow, the moving takes place on Friday, the trip to Melaka is on Saturday and when we come back on Saturday we will be at our new place :-)
We also have Husbands very good friend (Kevin) here from the UK - he took the time and the trouble to get his business sorted out and managed for him, so that he could fly here to be with us for a couple of weeks. His timing is excellent as that means he is helping with the move :-)
So, that's all the news for now folks. Till next time, keep us in your thoughts and prayers and remember - stay safe, stay HEALTHY!!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Healing up, slow but steady!
Yep, saw both surgeons today, as follow up, and am happy to say that Husband is definitely healing up steadily.
First up was the plastic surgeon - all bandages and dressings removed, the area on the back of the left thigh (from which the skin was taken for the graft) has healed up completely - except for one small area where the surgeon, thinking that he could RIP the dressing off (thereby causing pain only for a fraction of a second!), also ripped off a corner off the newly formed skin (OUCH!!!), so it bled a little bit. Sigh.... BUT, the rest is A-OK. Still a funny red colour, but all healed up. So, just put a light dressing over it, held in place with plaster, and that should come off by tomorrow. As to the rest of the wounds: The area to which the skin was grafted is healing nicely. More than half of it is already healed up and the new skin has seamlessly blended in with the surrounding skin. The rest is still healing, but should be done within the next few days. As to the surgical scar - every alternate staple has been removed, and the area cleaned, and he is healing well. New gauze applied to the whole area, including the grafted area, followed by pressure plaster to hold it in place - but no more gum-gee padding required. Next visit is on Wednesday, at Assunta Hospital, just to check progress and, with luck, remove more staples (and maybe some sutures) and re-dress the wounds.
Next up was the gastro surgeon. All sutures removed now, stomach probed and pronounced as doing well. He also "tested" the chemo port, using heparin saline to flush the port and the connected tube, to ensure that there is no blockage. This is because we are (tentatively) planning on starting chemo on April 27th, and the chemo port must be unblocked and operational for that. Next visit to this surgeon is only in 3 months time :-)
So, he is healing well all told, and the only real issue is that his spine still feels like it has red hot pokers sticking into it whenever he lies down or sits for too long. I think it is because, after so many weeks of lying only on his side, the spine may be slightly out of alignment. Must check with the various doctors in my family as to whether seeing a physio would be a good idea!
And, Yes, as said above, we are planning on starting chemo on 27th April. Still have to do the CT Scan (and any other scan required) to check whether the cancer has spread or not, and do a full blood test prior to starting chemo, but finally we can get this going. The plan currently is for chemo to be done every 3 weeks, for 8 cycles - so a total of 24 weeks from commencement to completion. Each cycle has a 2 hour IV of a drug called Oxaliplatin, and that is followed by 2 weeks of oral medication (no other IV required!), followed by 1 week break. Then the cycle repeats. Interestingly enough, the same schedule and the same cycle of drugs is done whether the cancer is at Stage 3 or Stage 4, so even if the cancer has spread to other organs (ie, it is Stage 4), the chemo regime is still the same.
So, let us see how Husband fares this week.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
First up was the plastic surgeon - all bandages and dressings removed, the area on the back of the left thigh (from which the skin was taken for the graft) has healed up completely - except for one small area where the surgeon, thinking that he could RIP the dressing off (thereby causing pain only for a fraction of a second!), also ripped off a corner off the newly formed skin (OUCH!!!), so it bled a little bit. Sigh.... BUT, the rest is A-OK. Still a funny red colour, but all healed up. So, just put a light dressing over it, held in place with plaster, and that should come off by tomorrow. As to the rest of the wounds: The area to which the skin was grafted is healing nicely. More than half of it is already healed up and the new skin has seamlessly blended in with the surrounding skin. The rest is still healing, but should be done within the next few days. As to the surgical scar - every alternate staple has been removed, and the area cleaned, and he is healing well. New gauze applied to the whole area, including the grafted area, followed by pressure plaster to hold it in place - but no more gum-gee padding required. Next visit is on Wednesday, at Assunta Hospital, just to check progress and, with luck, remove more staples (and maybe some sutures) and re-dress the wounds.
Next up was the gastro surgeon. All sutures removed now, stomach probed and pronounced as doing well. He also "tested" the chemo port, using heparin saline to flush the port and the connected tube, to ensure that there is no blockage. This is because we are (tentatively) planning on starting chemo on April 27th, and the chemo port must be unblocked and operational for that. Next visit to this surgeon is only in 3 months time :-)
So, he is healing well all told, and the only real issue is that his spine still feels like it has red hot pokers sticking into it whenever he lies down or sits for too long. I think it is because, after so many weeks of lying only on his side, the spine may be slightly out of alignment. Must check with the various doctors in my family as to whether seeing a physio would be a good idea!
And, Yes, as said above, we are planning on starting chemo on 27th April. Still have to do the CT Scan (and any other scan required) to check whether the cancer has spread or not, and do a full blood test prior to starting chemo, but finally we can get this going. The plan currently is for chemo to be done every 3 weeks, for 8 cycles - so a total of 24 weeks from commencement to completion. Each cycle has a 2 hour IV of a drug called Oxaliplatin, and that is followed by 2 weeks of oral medication (no other IV required!), followed by 1 week break. Then the cycle repeats. Interestingly enough, the same schedule and the same cycle of drugs is done whether the cancer is at Stage 3 or Stage 4, so even if the cancer has spread to other organs (ie, it is Stage 4), the chemo regime is still the same.
So, let us see how Husband fares this week.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Friday, April 17, 2009
It's been a good day today!
Yep, for sure! Husband and I went to our condo in Mont'Kiara today. Left home at 10.30am, dropped my Mum off at the hairdressers, then continued to the condo. The plan was for Husband to relax on the couch, while I start unpacking the stuff that we brought back from SG... and guess what? Husband got right into it too! Well, he couldn't lift anything, or bend to get anything, and he had to take frequent rest breaks on said couch... BUT, he got a lot done too :-)
I managed to empty out at least 60% of the boxes, Husband sorted out his kitchen (Yes, it is HIS kitchen, as he is the cook in the family... I am just the chief bottle washer!). AND we had our first lunch there too :-), once we found the frying pan and the oil that is, and he fried up the bacon and sausages and we had that. Might take a break tomorrow, as we have to go see the doctors tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes and what we feel like. The key thing is that Husband is feeling OK.
So, it has been a good day, for both of us. It was great to get out of the house again, great to do something different, great to get some exercise (of sorts), and great to see our soon-to-be home coming together.
More tomorrow...
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
I managed to empty out at least 60% of the boxes, Husband sorted out his kitchen (Yes, it is HIS kitchen, as he is the cook in the family... I am just the chief bottle washer!). AND we had our first lunch there too :-), once we found the frying pan and the oil that is, and he fried up the bacon and sausages and we had that. Might take a break tomorrow, as we have to go see the doctors tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes and what we feel like. The key thing is that Husband is feeling OK.
So, it has been a good day, for both of us. It was great to get out of the house again, great to do something different, great to get some exercise (of sorts), and great to see our soon-to-be home coming together.
More tomorrow...
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
First Teh Tarik in 2 months!!
We had to go look for a bed, for our guest room in the new condo unit (Hijauan at Mont'Kiara) that we are going to be moving into..... so, around 11.30am, Husband and I got into the car, and went over to the little furniture mall just round the corner from our PJ home. Got them to show us all their beds, found one that we liked (king-size.. as a lot of our friends are on the tall side!!), and a console table for a dressing table as well. By the time we had done all the negotiation and ordering, Husband was totally wiped out... so we took a short walk to the other end of the same furniture mall and had our FIRST GLASS OF TEH TARIK IN TWO WHOLE MONTHS!! It was DELICIOUS!
For those of you out there who have never come across a "teh tarik"... it literally translates as "pulled tea". It is very hot tea, made with milk and sugar, and then poured from one container to another container to 'air' it and cool it down. The trick (for the expert teh tarik maker) is that, as they pour from one container to another, how far apart can they take the two containers without spilling the tea? The further apart they are, the more frothy the tea becomes. And, as the tea is poured from one container to the other and the containers are drawn further and further apart, it looks like the tea is being PULLED - hence the "pulled tea/teh tarik" name. I normally drink black tea with no sugar, but I make an exception for teh tarik!
Anyway, to get back to my story - it was great to have the teh tarik, and it was even greater that Husband was out of the house, away from bed, hospital, et al, for the FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN TWO MONTHS!! Sitting in a little local style cafe, having teh tarik :-). We were out for all of ONE HOUR (bed buying and teh tarik inclusive). The whole process exhausted Husband completely, but at least it is a start, and if we keep this up, getting out and about and walking and moving, he should slowly build up his strength again. And, when we got home, Husband was able to stay downstairs long enough to have lunch with my Mum and I - sitting at the dining table.
Tomorrow will be another day out - as the bed and console are being delivered to our condo at Mont'Kiara, tomorrow afternoon, between 3pm and 4pm, and we have to be there. So we are going to go a little earlier, so that I can start unpacking the boxes that were brought from SG at the end of March. At least there, if Husband gets tired, we do have a sofa bed, pillows, comforter, etc, so he can lie down and relax whenever he needs to, while I continue with the unpacking. I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow :-)
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
For those of you out there who have never come across a "teh tarik"... it literally translates as "pulled tea". It is very hot tea, made with milk and sugar, and then poured from one container to another container to 'air' it and cool it down. The trick (for the expert teh tarik maker) is that, as they pour from one container to another, how far apart can they take the two containers without spilling the tea? The further apart they are, the more frothy the tea becomes. And, as the tea is poured from one container to the other and the containers are drawn further and further apart, it looks like the tea is being PULLED - hence the "pulled tea/teh tarik" name. I normally drink black tea with no sugar, but I make an exception for teh tarik!
Anyway, to get back to my story - it was great to have the teh tarik, and it was even greater that Husband was out of the house, away from bed, hospital, et al, for the FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN TWO MONTHS!! Sitting in a little local style cafe, having teh tarik :-). We were out for all of ONE HOUR (bed buying and teh tarik inclusive). The whole process exhausted Husband completely, but at least it is a start, and if we keep this up, getting out and about and walking and moving, he should slowly build up his strength again. And, when we got home, Husband was able to stay downstairs long enough to have lunch with my Mum and I - sitting at the dining table.
Tomorrow will be another day out - as the bed and console are being delivered to our condo at Mont'Kiara, tomorrow afternoon, between 3pm and 4pm, and we have to be there. So we are going to go a little earlier, so that I can start unpacking the boxes that were brought from SG at the end of March. At least there, if Husband gets tired, we do have a sofa bed, pillows, comforter, etc, so he can lie down and relax whenever he needs to, while I continue with the unpacking. I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow :-)
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
BIG OUCH this morning....
Oh YES.. It was definitely a big OUCH!
Got to the hospital at 8am, registered, was at the doctors clinic by 8.20am, and his assistant (Ms Wong) was there by 8.30am - on the dot. And, Yes, it turned out to be dressing change on both the back AND the leg, not just the leg.
Ms Wong's original plan, for the leg at least, had been to just re-do the elastic bandaging holding the dressing in place. But when she took the bandage OFF, it looked such a mess, she agreed with me that it would be best to change the dressing as well. She did warn Husband, before taking the dressing off - and YES IT WAS PAINFUL!!! I could see how tense the muscles were in Husband's back and legs, in an effort not to scream. And THEN (to compound the pain) she had to clean the area, using just saline solution and cotton wool, then drying it with gauze, before putting a new dressing on it. Oh man, if Husband's muscles had been any more tense they would have cracked under the pressure! A description of the area: BRIGHT RED, 3inches square, with little bits of blood oozing out in one or two spots, AND (this was exciting!) new skin already showing through around the edges!!
As to the back, that was relatively simple (though taking the bandages off was time consuming as there were so many layers - pressure plaster, gum-gee, more pressure plaster, gauze, bacti-gras dressing). The surgical wound, and the area to which the skin was grafted, all look good - clean, healthy, healing well, and the graft seems to have taken well as well. So, she cleaned everything, put another layer of bactigras over the skin graft area, a layer of gauze soaked in povidone iodine over that, then clean dry gauze over the surgical wounds and a layer of gum-gee (a single layer this time) over the whole lot, and all held in place by pressure plasters.
Back to see the plastic surgeon AND the colorectal surgeon on Saturday morning. At the colorectal surgeon, the final sutures come off the stomach (where the ileostomy was) and a final probe of Husband's abdominal region will be done, to check that all is OK. As for the plastic surgeon - the dressings on back and leg all come off again, to check progress, and some of the staples will be removed from the surgical scar at the back, and then everything re-dressed as needed.
Oh yes, other than all the above, we have some celebrations today - to celebrate the birthday of my sister (today) and sister-in-law (tomorrow) ... Brother and sister-in-law will be here by 4pm or so, and we are having tea (a mild term for the amount of food that we are going to consume!) to celebrate. Chocolate cake, beef cutlets, curry puffs, and, of course, Earl Grey tea to drink. Unfortunately bro and sis-in-law have to scoot off back to Melaka this evening as they have a dinner appointment, but the rest of us are having dinner with my sis - all organised, cooked and planned by our Mum. Chicken beriyani - yum!!!
So, some good things are happening this week, to lift us out of the doldrums of the last few weeks, and that is such a nice feeling.
If anything "news"-worthy happens between now and Saturday I shall update my blog, but, if not, the next update will only be on Sat, after we have seen the two surgeons.
So, till the next posting, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Got to the hospital at 8am, registered, was at the doctors clinic by 8.20am, and his assistant (Ms Wong) was there by 8.30am - on the dot. And, Yes, it turned out to be dressing change on both the back AND the leg, not just the leg.
Ms Wong's original plan, for the leg at least, had been to just re-do the elastic bandaging holding the dressing in place. But when she took the bandage OFF, it looked such a mess, she agreed with me that it would be best to change the dressing as well. She did warn Husband, before taking the dressing off - and YES IT WAS PAINFUL!!! I could see how tense the muscles were in Husband's back and legs, in an effort not to scream. And THEN (to compound the pain) she had to clean the area, using just saline solution and cotton wool, then drying it with gauze, before putting a new dressing on it. Oh man, if Husband's muscles had been any more tense they would have cracked under the pressure! A description of the area: BRIGHT RED, 3inches square, with little bits of blood oozing out in one or two spots, AND (this was exciting!) new skin already showing through around the edges!!
As to the back, that was relatively simple (though taking the bandages off was time consuming as there were so many layers - pressure plaster, gum-gee, more pressure plaster, gauze, bacti-gras dressing). The surgical wound, and the area to which the skin was grafted, all look good - clean, healthy, healing well, and the graft seems to have taken well as well. So, she cleaned everything, put another layer of bactigras over the skin graft area, a layer of gauze soaked in povidone iodine over that, then clean dry gauze over the surgical wounds and a layer of gum-gee (a single layer this time) over the whole lot, and all held in place by pressure plasters.
Back to see the plastic surgeon AND the colorectal surgeon on Saturday morning. At the colorectal surgeon, the final sutures come off the stomach (where the ileostomy was) and a final probe of Husband's abdominal region will be done, to check that all is OK. As for the plastic surgeon - the dressings on back and leg all come off again, to check progress, and some of the staples will be removed from the surgical scar at the back, and then everything re-dressed as needed.
Oh yes, other than all the above, we have some celebrations today - to celebrate the birthday of my sister (today) and sister-in-law (tomorrow) ... Brother and sister-in-law will be here by 4pm or so, and we are having tea (a mild term for the amount of food that we are going to consume!) to celebrate. Chocolate cake, beef cutlets, curry puffs, and, of course, Earl Grey tea to drink. Unfortunately bro and sis-in-law have to scoot off back to Melaka this evening as they have a dinner appointment, but the rest of us are having dinner with my sis - all organised, cooked and planned by our Mum. Chicken beriyani - yum!!!
So, some good things are happening this week, to lift us out of the doldrums of the last few weeks, and that is such a nice feeling.
If anything "news"-worthy happens between now and Saturday I shall update my blog, but, if not, the next update will only be on Sat, after we have seen the two surgeons.
So, till the next posting, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
OUCH...
... that is what I hear from Husband a lot now - not from the major surgery to close the cavity left by the sore, not from the 2 earlier surgeries, but from the left leg, the donor area on the back of the thigh where the skin was taken for a graft (to cover the part of the cavity which had pretty much filled up, but which had no skin left).
The plastic surgeon DID warn us that the most painful part of the whole operation would be that area - but I don't think either of us, especially Husband, had expected it to be THIS painful. The overall graft taken was not large - maybe 2" square?? - but the impact it has made is completely OUT of proportion to its size.... and apparently it will take about ten to fourteen days, from day of operation, for the skin to re-generate... so, if all goes well, another 5 to 9 days will see it all healed up.
In the meantime, the area to which the skin was grafted, and the area which was operated on to close the cavity, both should heal up within the next 5 to 9 days as well.
Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with the plastic surgeon. I think it is purely to change the dressing on the leg, but we shall see what, if anything, else is done.... will update if there is any news!
So, if all goes well, this stage of our journey should be completed within 10 days, and then we can commence on the next stage - the battle against colon cancer... ie, chemotherapy.
More later...
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
The plastic surgeon DID warn us that the most painful part of the whole operation would be that area - but I don't think either of us, especially Husband, had expected it to be THIS painful. The overall graft taken was not large - maybe 2" square?? - but the impact it has made is completely OUT of proportion to its size.... and apparently it will take about ten to fourteen days, from day of operation, for the skin to re-generate... so, if all goes well, another 5 to 9 days will see it all healed up.
In the meantime, the area to which the skin was grafted, and the area which was operated on to close the cavity, both should heal up within the next 5 to 9 days as well.
Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with the plastic surgeon. I think it is purely to change the dressing on the leg, but we shall see what, if anything, else is done.... will update if there is any news!
So, if all goes well, this stage of our journey should be completed within 10 days, and then we can commence on the next stage - the battle against colon cancer... ie, chemotherapy.
More later...
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
Yep, believe it or not, we are HOME!! And I can just hear you asking - "Weren't you supposed to go home tomorrow?"
Actually, Husband had originally thought that he wanted to see if he could handle the new dressing and could sleep OK with it, before going home. We arranged with the plastic surgeon for a follow up visit at his clinic in Assunta, for Wed 15th April morning, and arranged with the colorectal surgeon (the one who did the original 2 operations on Husband) for a follow up visit on Sat 18th April morning at his clinic in Pantai... Then we were in the hospital room, and I just said "Do you feel like going home now?", and Husband immediately said YES!!! So I charged out to the nurses station to get them to sort everything out for discharge, got it all done in about 1 hour, and we left just before 4pm and CAME HOME!!
So, here we are. We are at home. I have sorted out the bed for Husband - he gets MY side of the bed for the next few nights (to make it easier for him to lie on his LEFT side, as opposed to his RIGHT side) - had to pad the bed with a folded duvet, to make it softer and more yielding under him, and et voila, all set.
Now, time to go sort out something for him to eat - steak and mushroom pie :-), 5 minutes in the microwave to defrost, 12 minutes in the oven at 160degC to bake.
Don't get me wrong... he IS still in pain - and will continue to be until the surgery site at the back is all healed up from the inside out, and until the donor skin graft area on the back of his left thigh is all healed up. It is STILL not easy for him to sleep on his back - but it is much better than it has been the last few weeks... and, best of all, over the next 2 weeks, he should be 100% healed from the surgery and the skin graft (donor and recipient sites!), barring any unforeseen problems (for which, please keep praying that NO unforeseen problems arise).
So, my dear, dear friends... till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Actually, Husband had originally thought that he wanted to see if he could handle the new dressing and could sleep OK with it, before going home. We arranged with the plastic surgeon for a follow up visit at his clinic in Assunta, for Wed 15th April morning, and arranged with the colorectal surgeon (the one who did the original 2 operations on Husband) for a follow up visit on Sat 18th April morning at his clinic in Pantai... Then we were in the hospital room, and I just said "Do you feel like going home now?", and Husband immediately said YES!!! So I charged out to the nurses station to get them to sort everything out for discharge, got it all done in about 1 hour, and we left just before 4pm and CAME HOME!!
So, here we are. We are at home. I have sorted out the bed for Husband - he gets MY side of the bed for the next few nights (to make it easier for him to lie on his LEFT side, as opposed to his RIGHT side) - had to pad the bed with a folded duvet, to make it softer and more yielding under him, and et voila, all set.
Now, time to go sort out something for him to eat - steak and mushroom pie :-), 5 minutes in the microwave to defrost, 12 minutes in the oven at 160degC to bake.
Don't get me wrong... he IS still in pain - and will continue to be until the surgery site at the back is all healed up from the inside out, and until the donor skin graft area on the back of his left thigh is all healed up. It is STILL not easy for him to sleep on his back - but it is much better than it has been the last few weeks... and, best of all, over the next 2 weeks, he should be 100% healed from the surgery and the skin graft (donor and recipient sites!), barring any unforeseen problems (for which, please keep praying that NO unforeseen problems arise).
So, my dear, dear friends... till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
A few steps FORWARD... for a change :-)
Yes, after what seems like umpteen steps backwards in our quest to get Husband recovered from all the surgeries and the bed sore, we have finally taken a few steps forward.
The plastic surgeon came in early this morning (well, 9.15am counts as early for plastic surgeons, right?) with one of the nurses in the ward. First order of the day - get Husband face down on his bed, so that the entire dressing at the back, which basically covered him from left to right side, from the waist to half-way down his bum, could be removed. That took some time actually, as the pressure dressing adhered as if it had been stuck on with super glue. While in SG, I had acquired an amazing little item called "REMOVE" (Smith & Nephew) which are little squares of material, soaked in something that smells a bit like ether, and we used this stuff to get the dressing of Husband, and remove most of the sticky residue from his skin.
I was really apprehensive about seeing the surgical wound, so I asked the nurse to remove the dressing for that... BUT, I have to say, when the dressing all came off, I was really impressed with how NEAT, CLEAN, and HEALTHY the whole thing looked. The scar curves over the top of the left bum, and was not only sutured (VERY VERY neatly) but also stapled - for extra strength to prevent the wound from re-opening every time Husband stood or sat or walked. Even the small part which had skin grafted on it looked very healthy - though the doc says it will be another 2 weeks before the skin under the graft is completely restored.
All the tubes were removed, the skin cleaned, gauze placed over the surgical scar, a dressing called BACTIGRAS laid over the skin graft, and then gauze over that. A pressure dressing was then applied in sections, over the gauze, followed by a double layer of a special gauze pad (something called a gum-gee!) over the graft area, and then that was also secured firmly. And that was it.
The doctor left, the nurses took away all the old dressings and other rubbish, and Husband is lying down, ON HIS BACK!!!, and sleeping now, trying to catch up on some of his missed sleep. He says the dressing, because of how tight it is pulled, is a little uncomfortable, but he is not in any pain, and that is such a huge relief! Whatever else, I have asked him NOT to sleep on his right side, as there is a red area on his right hip, right above the bone, which, if any further pressure is placed on it, has the potential to be another bed sore - and that is the LAST thing we need!
We go home tomorrow, and then there is a follow up visit with the plastic surgeon, at his clinic, on Wed.. and that is also the day we are going to be celebrating TWO birthdays - my sister (S) and my sister-in-law (P). So, it is a day to look forward to - we will be home, Husband will be better, S and P birthdays.. It is gonna be great.
A sober note to end on - we have not forgotten that Husband still has to start chemo for his cancer, and we still have to find out if the cancer is at Stage 3 or Stage 4, but it is good to know that we are on the final leg of THIS part of his recovery and, as he himself said, after all the pain and suffering he has gone through already, chemotherapy will probably be a 'piece of cake'. I tell you what though, if he starts complaining about chemo, I shall make him read my entire blog from Feb 19th onwards, to remind him of what he has already gone through, so he can thank God that chemo is nothing in comparison!
Finally, a HUGE THANK YOU, to all of you, for your prayers, for your kindnesses, your well-wishes, your thoughts of us. I know that all of this has contributed to his recovery at this time. Please continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers, as we finish this part of this long journey, and start on the next part.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
The plastic surgeon came in early this morning (well, 9.15am counts as early for plastic surgeons, right?) with one of the nurses in the ward. First order of the day - get Husband face down on his bed, so that the entire dressing at the back, which basically covered him from left to right side, from the waist to half-way down his bum, could be removed. That took some time actually, as the pressure dressing adhered as if it had been stuck on with super glue. While in SG, I had acquired an amazing little item called "REMOVE" (Smith & Nephew) which are little squares of material, soaked in something that smells a bit like ether, and we used this stuff to get the dressing of Husband, and remove most of the sticky residue from his skin.
I was really apprehensive about seeing the surgical wound, so I asked the nurse to remove the dressing for that... BUT, I have to say, when the dressing all came off, I was really impressed with how NEAT, CLEAN, and HEALTHY the whole thing looked. The scar curves over the top of the left bum, and was not only sutured (VERY VERY neatly) but also stapled - for extra strength to prevent the wound from re-opening every time Husband stood or sat or walked. Even the small part which had skin grafted on it looked very healthy - though the doc says it will be another 2 weeks before the skin under the graft is completely restored.
All the tubes were removed, the skin cleaned, gauze placed over the surgical scar, a dressing called BACTIGRAS laid over the skin graft, and then gauze over that. A pressure dressing was then applied in sections, over the gauze, followed by a double layer of a special gauze pad (something called a gum-gee!) over the graft area, and then that was also secured firmly. And that was it.
The doctor left, the nurses took away all the old dressings and other rubbish, and Husband is lying down, ON HIS BACK!!!, and sleeping now, trying to catch up on some of his missed sleep. He says the dressing, because of how tight it is pulled, is a little uncomfortable, but he is not in any pain, and that is such a huge relief! Whatever else, I have asked him NOT to sleep on his right side, as there is a red area on his right hip, right above the bone, which, if any further pressure is placed on it, has the potential to be another bed sore - and that is the LAST thing we need!
We go home tomorrow, and then there is a follow up visit with the plastic surgeon, at his clinic, on Wed.. and that is also the day we are going to be celebrating TWO birthdays - my sister (S) and my sister-in-law (P). So, it is a day to look forward to - we will be home, Husband will be better, S and P birthdays.. It is gonna be great.
A sober note to end on - we have not forgotten that Husband still has to start chemo for his cancer, and we still have to find out if the cancer is at Stage 3 or Stage 4, but it is good to know that we are on the final leg of THIS part of his recovery and, as he himself said, after all the pain and suffering he has gone through already, chemotherapy will probably be a 'piece of cake'. I tell you what though, if he starts complaining about chemo, I shall make him read my entire blog from Feb 19th onwards, to remind him of what he has already gone through, so he can thank God that chemo is nothing in comparison!
Finally, a HUGE THANK YOU, to all of you, for your prayers, for your kindnesses, your well-wishes, your thoughts of us. I know that all of this has contributed to his recovery at this time. Please continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers, as we finish this part of this long journey, and start on the next part.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sleepless in KLumpur
:-(
Another sleepless night was had by all - especially Husband. He was sitting up in bed every 20 minutes or so... but made the mistake of not getting up and walking (to stretch and ease the right hip) every hour or so, and by 1am he was in agony. So, we now have this routine that every hour he MUST get up and walk, stretch the right leg, massage the hip as he walks. It eases the pain, and allows for him to lie down again for another hour.
I am hoping and praying that when they change the dressings tomorrow (Monday) that everything will be healing well, no stitches torn, no problem with the skin graft, etc, because I don't know how much more of this constant PAIN Husband can handle. It has been 2 months of pretty much non-stop pain and discomfort. How much longer????
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Another sleepless night was had by all - especially Husband. He was sitting up in bed every 20 minutes or so... but made the mistake of not getting up and walking (to stretch and ease the right hip) every hour or so, and by 1am he was in agony. So, we now have this routine that every hour he MUST get up and walk, stretch the right leg, massage the hip as he walks. It eases the pain, and allows for him to lie down again for another hour.
I am hoping and praying that when they change the dressings tomorrow (Monday) that everything will be healing well, no stitches torn, no problem with the skin graft, etc, because I don't know how much more of this constant PAIN Husband can handle. It has been 2 months of pretty much non-stop pain and discomfort. How much longer????
Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Achey Breaky Side
Try this one day when you go to sleep. Lie down on your side (doesn't matter left or right). And stay in that position all night. Now repeat for the next 2 weeks. No, you cannot sleep on your back. No, you cannot sleep on your OTHER side. What happens when you lie down consistently on just one side and cannot move? On that side - your hip hurts, your leg loses all feeling, the inside of your knee hurts, your shoulder kills you, your arm goes numb... end result? YOU CAN'T SLEEP.
The whole of last night Husband could not sleep because of the above. He had to sit himself up every 15 minutes, to get some feeling back into his right arm, shoulder, hip and leg. Every one hour he would have to not just sit up, but also GET up and WALK - which meant I had to disconnect him from the vacuum tube, pass him the two little bottles, wait for him to finish his walk and lie down again, put the two little bottles back in their spot, and re-connect him to the vacuum tube.
Any good news? Oh, yes....
- there seems to be very little fluid coming out from the sealed cavity
- there does not seem to be any bleeding externally (though that is a bit hard to be certain of, as the entire area is covered with bandages)
- he is eating normally again, and can make his own way to the toilet!
- he just had a good wipe down with hot bed-bath wipes and feels a lot better for it
- and there is only another 2 days till Monday and (hopefully) freedom from all the tubes!
The plastic surgeon is quite confident that within 5 - 8 days from the operation the skin graft will have 'taken', and he should be able to move around, sit down, lie down, with considerably less pain.... and be able to start chemo. So, fingers crossed and prayers going that his confidence is not misplaced.
Till later... stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
The whole of last night Husband could not sleep because of the above. He had to sit himself up every 15 minutes, to get some feeling back into his right arm, shoulder, hip and leg. Every one hour he would have to not just sit up, but also GET up and WALK - which meant I had to disconnect him from the vacuum tube, pass him the two little bottles, wait for him to finish his walk and lie down again, put the two little bottles back in their spot, and re-connect him to the vacuum tube.
Any good news? Oh, yes....
- there seems to be very little fluid coming out from the sealed cavity
- there does not seem to be any bleeding externally (though that is a bit hard to be certain of, as the entire area is covered with bandages)
- he is eating normally again, and can make his own way to the toilet!
- he just had a good wipe down with hot bed-bath wipes and feels a lot better for it
- and there is only another 2 days till Monday and (hopefully) freedom from all the tubes!
The plastic surgeon is quite confident that within 5 - 8 days from the operation the skin graft will have 'taken', and he should be able to move around, sit down, lie down, with considerably less pain.... and be able to start chemo. So, fingers crossed and prayers going that his confidence is not misplaced.
Till later... stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Friday, April 10, 2009
A tribute: From son to father
I got the below tribute by email, for my Husband, from his son (J). I read it to Husband and it turned him to mush. He said "J has always been a good kid.", and though I did not know J when he was a kid(!), I did have the good fortune to be able to meet him a few years ago and get to know him - and though he is no longer a 'kid', he is a truly good PERSON, someone I am happy and proud to know, and I know Husband is very proud of J too, especially his never-say-die attitude. So let me reproduce this tribute here, just the way it arrived, and, in my own way, thereby pay tribute to both father and son:
A short essay about:- “MY DAD”
When I was little I used to think my Dad was Kool because he did loads of kool stuff.
1. He once made me a sandpit. (Okay the cinder blocks he built it out of, would have scratched the hide of a woolly mammoth, but it was still ace.)
2. Everybody used to say MY DAD looks like MAGNUM PI. (except when he got older, then it was Cliff Thorburn )
3. He had loads of cool cars. (a Bubble car with bucket seats, literally, A Triumph herald convertible, I still remember Blackpool lights, with the hood down, awesome. And who could forget the really cool Mini with 3 wheels)
4. He always got me the coolest birthday & xmas presents. I was the first person I know to have a digital watch. A proper bone handled sheath knife from the lake District. He also bought me a proper bow & arrow. And a really cool space pistol that fired plastic grenades (that I owned for 3 minutes on Christmas day, up until I fired a grenade at my sisters head, then he put it on top of his wardrobe where I couldn’t reach it.)
5. He never bollocked me when I sold his old jag and went on holiday to America. (It helped sort me out after my divorce)
6. He let me taste my first Harvey Wallbanger in Weymouth when I was twelve.
7. He always made the best scallops & beans.
8. He always made me eat my bread & butter with a knife & fork, off the plate.
9. He subscribed me to National Geographic, when I was young. (This was ace because Iam know so fully of useless trivia, I am ace at pub quizzes and it had lots of pictures of topless women in it.)
10. He was never too busy to take me to the X-ray department of the Royal Infirmary about twice a week between the ages of nine to thirteen.
11. He once took me to school in a Rolls Royce.
In fact my DAD is the best and Koolest Dad ever.
And I love him to bits.
J F 43+a bit.
Quick update...
... Yep, this will be a QUICK update. Of the 3 tubes coming from the sealed wound, only ONE needs disconnection, and that is easier than saying 1.2.3!! The other 2 tubes are attached to small plastic bottles which can just be picked up and carried around. So, when Husband needs to get up, I disconnect the one tube and unhook the small bottles from their location. Husband gets up, I pass him the bottles, and he walks around the room, stretches, does some gentle leg exercise, sits in one of the chairs to have his meals, etc, then he hands me back the bottles, I keep the tubes out of the way as he gets back into bed, put the bottles back on their hooks, and then re-connect the one tube... and that's it.
Please do keep praying for Husband that the rest of his recovery will continue to go smoothly. We can't afford to keep delaying start of chemo!!
Till next update, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Please do keep praying for Husband that the rest of his recovery will continue to go smoothly. We can't afford to keep delaying start of chemo!!
Till next update, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Yes, he FINALLY got a bit of sleep
That's not to say he slept the whole night through uninterrupted - but he did get some sleep off and on during the night. What kept waking him was just the pain in his right hip from lying on his right side throughout the night. The whole idea being to keep on his side so there is no pressure placed on the just sealed up cavity, to give it time to heal.
If anyone of you have tried to stay on your side in bed all night without moving, you will realise how hard it can be. He had to keep shifting his legs to try and find positions that would take the weight off his hip - and he ended up almost completely rolled forward without actually being on his stomach. That helped a little, so he did sleep a little.
This morning, after my usual EARLY morning (before 7am) shower, I asked him if he would like to sit up - as that would not put any direct pressure on the wound, so, with me behind him, making sure none of the tubes get tangled or pulled out, he got himself into a sitting position - and when he tried to put his right thigh flat on the bed to sit - THAT was when the pain caused by the skin graft really brought itself to his attention. Hmmm, why would you take the graft from the BACK of the thigh, when you KNOW that it will make it hard to sit? Why not the SIDE of the thigh? It really drives home the point that doctors sometimes really dont think about the practicalities of their patients situation before they do things! Having said that, it was a huge relief to him to be able to sit up and take the pressure of his right hip. He is now lying down again, trying to get some sleep.
(Showers have to be early, because water pressure in this hospital drops like crazy after 7am, and showering gets difficult when there is just like one trickle of water coming from the shower head!)
So, now we are waiting for the surgeon to turn up, to tell us how to disconnect from the various tubes and things if Husband wants to get up and take a walk. Then I guess it is a matter of resting and healing.. and within the next 2 - 3 days (ie, by Sunday at latest, one hopes), the tubes should be disconnected, and by Monday we go home.
Talking about the tubes, there is very very little fluid coming out from the wound, which is a very good sign. Let's hope it stays that way!
Good way to start the day, let's hope it just gets better and better from here on in.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY, and continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers.
If anyone of you have tried to stay on your side in bed all night without moving, you will realise how hard it can be. He had to keep shifting his legs to try and find positions that would take the weight off his hip - and he ended up almost completely rolled forward without actually being on his stomach. That helped a little, so he did sleep a little.
This morning, after my usual EARLY morning (before 7am) shower, I asked him if he would like to sit up - as that would not put any direct pressure on the wound, so, with me behind him, making sure none of the tubes get tangled or pulled out, he got himself into a sitting position - and when he tried to put his right thigh flat on the bed to sit - THAT was when the pain caused by the skin graft really brought itself to his attention. Hmmm, why would you take the graft from the BACK of the thigh, when you KNOW that it will make it hard to sit? Why not the SIDE of the thigh? It really drives home the point that doctors sometimes really dont think about the practicalities of their patients situation before they do things! Having said that, it was a huge relief to him to be able to sit up and take the pressure of his right hip. He is now lying down again, trying to get some sleep.
(Showers have to be early, because water pressure in this hospital drops like crazy after 7am, and showering gets difficult when there is just like one trickle of water coming from the shower head!)
So, now we are waiting for the surgeon to turn up, to tell us how to disconnect from the various tubes and things if Husband wants to get up and take a walk. Then I guess it is a matter of resting and healing.. and within the next 2 - 3 days (ie, by Sunday at latest, one hopes), the tubes should be disconnected, and by Monday we go home.
Talking about the tubes, there is very very little fluid coming out from the wound, which is a very good sign. Let's hope it stays that way!
Good way to start the day, let's hope it just gets better and better from here on in.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY, and continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
He's back in the room!
Phew! I was getting worried.. nagging the nurses.. wondering where he was!
I had estimated that the operation would finish any time between 12.30 to 1pm, so I was expecting Husband back in the room by around 2.30pm.... but no news at that time. So I checked with the nurses, they called the OT, who confirmed that the op was finished. So they next called the Recovery Room (RR), where they were told that he has to wait till the Anaesthetist had given the OK that Husband's pain was under control. So I had to wait.. sigh...
About 3pm, the anaesthetist called to let me know that everything had gone well, and that he had just given Husband a painkiller, as he was in quite a bit of pain, and that he would see him again in the evening.
About 3.30pm the plastic surgeon turned up in the room to let me know that everything had gone well. The cavity has been filled and closed, and the skin grafted, and Husband is NOT to attempt to sit or stand up today - he has to wait till tomorrow. He confirmed that there are 3 tubes connected into the sealed wound, to provide drainage and keep from any fluid buld up. He left, and I went back to waiting.. sigh....
FINALLY, they brought him up to the room, by which time it was already 5.15pm! Man, talk about being on tenterhooks waiting! He was wide awake, very compos mentis, and feeling OK. Not in TOO much pain, due to the painkiller (which is apparently going to be repeated on a 6-hour cycle for a day or two). He is trying to sleep now (not an easy task for him to sleep on his side, but the pain killer is helping to keep the pain at bay, so hopefully he will get SOME sleep tonight).
Will update again tomorrow, once he is mobile and we can see how he really feels once the pain killers have worn off. I know the place on his thigh, where they took the skin graft from, is going to be sore - though the graft was not huge - maybe less than 2" square...
If all goes smoothly, then the tubes will be removed within 2 - 3 days, and Husband can be discharged within a day or two after that.
That's it for now. Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY, and keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers.
I had estimated that the operation would finish any time between 12.30 to 1pm, so I was expecting Husband back in the room by around 2.30pm.... but no news at that time. So I checked with the nurses, they called the OT, who confirmed that the op was finished. So they next called the Recovery Room (RR), where they were told that he has to wait till the Anaesthetist had given the OK that Husband's pain was under control. So I had to wait.. sigh...
About 3pm, the anaesthetist called to let me know that everything had gone well, and that he had just given Husband a painkiller, as he was in quite a bit of pain, and that he would see him again in the evening.
About 3.30pm the plastic surgeon turned up in the room to let me know that everything had gone well. The cavity has been filled and closed, and the skin grafted, and Husband is NOT to attempt to sit or stand up today - he has to wait till tomorrow. He confirmed that there are 3 tubes connected into the sealed wound, to provide drainage and keep from any fluid buld up. He left, and I went back to waiting.. sigh....
FINALLY, they brought him up to the room, by which time it was already 5.15pm! Man, talk about being on tenterhooks waiting! He was wide awake, very compos mentis, and feeling OK. Not in TOO much pain, due to the painkiller (which is apparently going to be repeated on a 6-hour cycle for a day or two). He is trying to sleep now (not an easy task for him to sleep on his side, but the pain killer is helping to keep the pain at bay, so hopefully he will get SOME sleep tonight).
Will update again tomorrow, once he is mobile and we can see how he really feels once the pain killers have worn off. I know the place on his thigh, where they took the skin graft from, is going to be sore - though the graft was not huge - maybe less than 2" square...
If all goes smoothly, then the tubes will be removed within 2 - 3 days, and Husband can be discharged within a day or two after that.
That's it for now. Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY, and keep Husband in your thoughts and prayers.
Another sleepless night was had by all...
Well, to start from the beginning - the plastic surgeon dropped by around 8pm last night, and he explained that, following the surgery, there will still be two tubes from the wound, to drain any fluid that collects in the wound. The tubes will be connected to a bottle that will basically act as the collection point for any drainage. It is, apparently, small enough to just hook onto the bed, or pick up and carry - for example, when going to the toilet, or getting out of bed to sit on a chair and have a meal, etc. The tubes will remain in place for 2 - 3 days and then will be removed prior to Husband being discharged from the hospital.
In addition, he asked Husband to identify which part of the body he would like to take a skin graft FROM - and after discussion with him, the left thigh was identified. Apparently, in this process (split-thickness graft), a very fine (wafer thin) layer of skin is lifted OFF the top layer of skin. This thin layer is then going to be grafted onto the sealed wound - From what I have read up, new blood vessels begin to grow within the first 36 hours, followed by new skin cells which then begin to grow from the graft to cover the wound area with new skin.
The area from which the skin graft was taken will take approximately 10 days to heal up and will, apparently, be far more painful than the site which received the graft!
As you can imagine - getting all these details about the need for the tubes, the pain that he is still going to have, etc, did not sit well with Husband. All this news was followed by another completely sleepless night, as Husband just could not get comfortable in any position, could not lie down for more than 15 minutes at any one time, could not sit in comfort, and was too tired to keep walking all night! They took him down to the Operating Theatre at 9.00am, to start at 9.30am, and the surgeon said it could take about 3 hours. So, I am waiting in the room for Husband to come back after the op, and just praying that things go very smoothly.
Please continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and your prayers.
Till later, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
In addition, he asked Husband to identify which part of the body he would like to take a skin graft FROM - and after discussion with him, the left thigh was identified. Apparently, in this process (split-thickness graft), a very fine (wafer thin) layer of skin is lifted OFF the top layer of skin. This thin layer is then going to be grafted onto the sealed wound - From what I have read up, new blood vessels begin to grow within the first 36 hours, followed by new skin cells which then begin to grow from the graft to cover the wound area with new skin.
The area from which the skin graft was taken will take approximately 10 days to heal up and will, apparently, be far more painful than the site which received the graft!
As you can imagine - getting all these details about the need for the tubes, the pain that he is still going to have, etc, did not sit well with Husband. All this news was followed by another completely sleepless night, as Husband just could not get comfortable in any position, could not lie down for more than 15 minutes at any one time, could not sit in comfort, and was too tired to keep walking all night! They took him down to the Operating Theatre at 9.00am, to start at 9.30am, and the surgeon said it could take about 3 hours. So, I am waiting in the room for Husband to come back after the op, and just praying that things go very smoothly.
Please continue to keep Husband in your thoughts and your prayers.
Till later, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Our home away from home...
... Pantai Medical Centre in Bangsar, KL, Malaysia :-D
We had asked for the same room we had last time, as we love the nurses on this floor who have been absolutely wonderful, and look after Husband (and me) really, really well. So, we got here around 1.30pm, and they told us that our requested room was still occupied so, temporarily, they would put us in one of their 'Deluxe' Singles, on the same floor, same lot of nurses, while waiting for our room. Well, we got into the Deluxe Single and rather liked it - nice big room, lots of space to put our paraphernalia away, and, best of all, a nice comfy SOFA for me to sleep on, instead of the awfully uncomfortable deck chair for which I get charged the princely sum of RM14 per night! So, we decided that we like our temporary room more than the room we wanted, so we are keeping it :-D.
In addition, the nurses got the same lovely comfy memory foam mattress from ICU for Husband, as he was actually able to sleep on it last time.
So, all the comforts of home, in some ways!
Now we are waiting for the plastic surgeon to turn up so we can get our last few questions answered.. and then it should be a quiet evening for us. From midnight onwards Husband has to fast - no food, no drink (the 'no drink' part is much harder than the 'no food' part!). The op is scheduled for 9am tomorrow... so, my next update will be some time tomorrow, after the op is over and Husband is back in this room again.
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
We had asked for the same room we had last time, as we love the nurses on this floor who have been absolutely wonderful, and look after Husband (and me) really, really well. So, we got here around 1.30pm, and they told us that our requested room was still occupied so, temporarily, they would put us in one of their 'Deluxe' Singles, on the same floor, same lot of nurses, while waiting for our room. Well, we got into the Deluxe Single and rather liked it - nice big room, lots of space to put our paraphernalia away, and, best of all, a nice comfy SOFA for me to sleep on, instead of the awfully uncomfortable deck chair for which I get charged the princely sum of RM14 per night! So, we decided that we like our temporary room more than the room we wanted, so we are keeping it :-D.
In addition, the nurses got the same lovely comfy memory foam mattress from ICU for Husband, as he was actually able to sleep on it last time.
So, all the comforts of home, in some ways!
Now we are waiting for the plastic surgeon to turn up so we can get our last few questions answered.. and then it should be a quiet evening for us. From midnight onwards Husband has to fast - no food, no drink (the 'no drink' part is much harder than the 'no food' part!). The op is scheduled for 9am tomorrow... so, my next update will be some time tomorrow, after the op is over and Husband is back in this room again.
Till then, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Op brought forward!!!
YES!! The plastic surgeon and the anaethetist, after the session this morning, figured that both Husband and I have almost reached the end of our tether.... so they are bringing the operation forward to THIS THURSDAY!! YES!!!
So, taking Husband in to hospital tomorrow afternoon. Operation on Thursday morning at 9am... and then we see what is what after that! We both happy, and we both scared too. I guess it must be normal to be scared prior to ANY operation, right?
Keep us in your prayers.
Stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
So, taking Husband in to hospital tomorrow afternoon. Operation on Thursday morning at 9am... and then we see what is what after that! We both happy, and we both scared too. I guess it must be normal to be scared prior to ANY operation, right?
Keep us in your prayers.
Stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Going... going.... nope, not quite gone yet.
Imagine looking at a hole, about 4 inches round, from the side view. Imagine, one side of the hole is shallower, about 1.5 inches deep, sloping down to 2.5 inches deep on the other side. Now, picture the shallower side, all filled up, and reaching almost to the top. On the deeper side, picture it filled half way, to about 1.5 inches deep. OK, there you have it - that is a depiction of the original cavity, and how much the cavity has shrunk. We went to see the plastic surgeon today to get the dressing changed on the cavity, and that is pretty much what I saw. Lots of healthy new tissue, though, of course, for Husband, the pain is still as bad due to the raw nerve endings that are within the cavity.
Anyway, they took the vacuum unit OFF (!), and replaced it with a dressing where they filled the cavity with gauze soaked in a strange green liquid (some sort of irrigation solution). They then covered the hole with more gauze, put another absorbent dressing on it, and then plastered the whole lot down and sent us home. My task, till our next visit, is to check the gauze in the cavity every 3 - 4 hours, and, if it is dry, then put another 5 to 10 cc of the green liquid on the gauze. The whole purpose is to keep it nice and moist... Next visit - Thursday 9th April, at which time Husband MAY be put back onto the vac unit again (obviously, the more the cavity closes up, the less intrusive the plastic surgery will be!). If so, the vac unit will remain on until next Monday 13th April.
The operation to completely close off the cavity is confirmed as scheduled for Tuesday 14th April, 8.30am, so Husband will have to be in hospital again the day before that.... but hopefully will not have to stay in for too long after the op. The sooner he gets out and heals up, the sooner we can start with chemo.
Well, that's where we are now folks. He is still very much in pain, and a lot (a LOT) of discomfort, but we are one stop closer to the end of this particular tunnel. We couldn't have made it this far without your prayers and thoughts for us, and we would really appreciate it if you could continue to keep us, especially Husband, in your prayers still.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Anyway, they took the vacuum unit OFF (!), and replaced it with a dressing where they filled the cavity with gauze soaked in a strange green liquid (some sort of irrigation solution). They then covered the hole with more gauze, put another absorbent dressing on it, and then plastered the whole lot down and sent us home. My task, till our next visit, is to check the gauze in the cavity every 3 - 4 hours, and, if it is dry, then put another 5 to 10 cc of the green liquid on the gauze. The whole purpose is to keep it nice and moist... Next visit - Thursday 9th April, at which time Husband MAY be put back onto the vac unit again (obviously, the more the cavity closes up, the less intrusive the plastic surgery will be!). If so, the vac unit will remain on until next Monday 13th April.
The operation to completely close off the cavity is confirmed as scheduled for Tuesday 14th April, 8.30am, so Husband will have to be in hospital again the day before that.... but hopefully will not have to stay in for too long after the op. The sooner he gets out and heals up, the sooner we can start with chemo.
Well, that's where we are now folks. He is still very much in pain, and a lot (a LOT) of discomfort, but we are one stop closer to the end of this particular tunnel. We couldn't have made it this far without your prayers and thoughts for us, and we would really appreciate it if you could continue to keep us, especially Husband, in your prayers still.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
He ain't heavy, he's my husband...
You know the one thing I am looking forward to, for both Husband and myself, once the cavity is all healed up? For both of us to SLEEP THE WHOLE NIGHT WITHOUT DISTURBANCE! With no worries about the colostomy bag leaking, with no worries about the pain from the sore, with no worries about staying connected to the vac pump, with no worries about keeping the dressing air tight!! Just to be able to sleep will be such luxury - especially for Husband. He has not slept properly for a long time, not since all this started, but in the last 3 nights he has not slept at all. This leaves him exhausted, despondent, angry.... and it just leaves me awfully awfully upset for him, because it is terrible to see him like this.
Keep us in your thoughts still, especially Husband.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Keep us in your thoughts still, especially Husband.
Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Vac Therapy, Round 2: 3 more days
Yep, 2 down, 3 to go. Then we head back to see the plastic surgeon on Tuesday morning, so he can evaluate whether the cavity has shrunk sufficiently yet.
Today (Saturday 4th Apr) we were supposed to go and see the surgeon who had done Husband's colon surgery/ileostomy and the subsequent reverse ileostomy, for a follow up. However, Husband is not finding it at all easy to SIT so instead of taking him to the hospital today, and then having to take him again on Tuesday, I asked if we could put off the Sat appointment to Tuesday, and both doctors (ie, the colorectal surgeon and the plastic surgeon) have kindly combined their appointments with Husband, to 9am on Tuesday morning - so only ONE trip required. Huge relief for Husband!
It has been a very very difficult 2 days for Husband. The dressing this time is far more airtight, which makes the vacuum therapy much more effective, and saves Husband and I the difficulty of having to re-plaster the dressing every day!! However, it is also very very uncomfortable, and very very painful still. Last night Husband did not sleep AT ALL! Every hour, when it got too painful to lie on his right side in his bed with the vac unit connected, he would disconnect, get up, go to the other bedroom and lie on his left side, just to take some pressure off the right side. Then, after 30 minutes, he would come back again, lie down on his right side and re-connect himself to the vac unit. So, sleep last night was not an option. (And, for those of you who are wondering why he couldn't just turn over onto his other side instead of the palaver of getting up and going to the other room - well, IT IS TOO PAINFUL FOR HIM TO TURN OVER!)
He is still eating reasonably well - milk to start and end the day, and breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in between, with mugs of hot Earl Grey tea from time to time, and lots of Ribena as well (since he wont drink plain water!). It is just the fact that he can't sleep, can't lie in comfort, and can't even SIT in comfort - which means he is not rested, his body can't relax, and therefore he is exhausted, and shaky.
So, fingers crossed, prayers still going, that by Tuesday the cavity will have shrunk enough with this vac therapy, that it will be feasible to do plastic surgery to fill up and close the remaining cavity.
That's it for now. Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Today (Saturday 4th Apr) we were supposed to go and see the surgeon who had done Husband's colon surgery/ileostomy and the subsequent reverse ileostomy, for a follow up. However, Husband is not finding it at all easy to SIT so instead of taking him to the hospital today, and then having to take him again on Tuesday, I asked if we could put off the Sat appointment to Tuesday, and both doctors (ie, the colorectal surgeon and the plastic surgeon) have kindly combined their appointments with Husband, to 9am on Tuesday morning - so only ONE trip required. Huge relief for Husband!
It has been a very very difficult 2 days for Husband. The dressing this time is far more airtight, which makes the vacuum therapy much more effective, and saves Husband and I the difficulty of having to re-plaster the dressing every day!! However, it is also very very uncomfortable, and very very painful still. Last night Husband did not sleep AT ALL! Every hour, when it got too painful to lie on his right side in his bed with the vac unit connected, he would disconnect, get up, go to the other bedroom and lie on his left side, just to take some pressure off the right side. Then, after 30 minutes, he would come back again, lie down on his right side and re-connect himself to the vac unit. So, sleep last night was not an option. (And, for those of you who are wondering why he couldn't just turn over onto his other side instead of the palaver of getting up and going to the other room - well, IT IS TOO PAINFUL FOR HIM TO TURN OVER!)
He is still eating reasonably well - milk to start and end the day, and breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in between, with mugs of hot Earl Grey tea from time to time, and lots of Ribena as well (since he wont drink plain water!). It is just the fact that he can't sleep, can't lie in comfort, and can't even SIT in comfort - which means he is not rested, his body can't relax, and therefore he is exhausted, and shaky.
So, fingers crossed, prayers still going, that by Tuesday the cavity will have shrunk enough with this vac therapy, that it will be feasible to do plastic surgery to fill up and close the remaining cavity.
That's it for now. Till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Still stuck in a vacuum.
Yep, afraid so, and that is getting Husband down, as it is awfully uncomfortable and painful for him. Can't sleep, can't sit, can't get comfortable. But, there IS progress. Let me tell you what happened.
To start with, Husband did not sleep at all last night. AT ALL! He just could not get comfortable even trying to sleep on his side, and sleeping on his back was impossible as the pressure of the vacuum pack under him felt like red hot skewers in his spine!! So you can imagine how exhausted and shaky he was this morning (still is, even now). Yes, he had a good breakfast - one mug of Enercal milk, 2 soft-boiled eggs, 2 slices of toast - and he did finish it all. But the lack of sleep and the exhaustion from that pretty much wiped out the energy-giving food/drink he consumed.
Anyway, went to the hospital this morning, getting there around 10.15am, for the plastic surgeon to remove the vacuum pack dressing on the cavity and evaluate the status. They got the anaesthetist in as well, as it would have been too painful for Husband if they had done the dressing change AND cleansing while he was awake. I DID get to see the cavity which, after one week of vacuum pack dressing, has already shrunk (the nurse says about 20% smaller), and is considerably cleaner and healthier looking than it was last week. And, No, I cant get my fist in there now - it IS smaller, even to my un-tutored eye.
So, they knocked him out, then kicked me out of the room so they could 'do their thing'. They cleaned the cavity, and put in a fresh new foam/vacuum dressing. He has to keep this on for another 5 days - we have an appointment to go back again for Tuesday next week (ie, 7th April). We got home by around 12.30pm, so the whole process did not take too long.
The plastic surgeon has told me that by the time we go see him next week, if the cavity has shrunk further (ie, another 20-30% smaller), they will then schedule plastic surgery on Thursday 9th April to fill the remaining space in the cavity. If the cavity still needs to shrink further, then he will have to suffer the vacuum dressing for ANOTHER 6 days, and the surgery will be the FOLLOWING Tuesday (ie, 14th April).
So, everyone, please keep praying for him, with the specific prayer that the cavity should heal and close up sufficiently by next Tuesday that he can have the surgery to close it up by Thursday. The longer the surgery is delayed, the more delay there is in commencement of chemotherapy!
In the meantime, he has to suffer the lack of sleep, the pain and the discomfort, and, the worst part, I can't do anything to take away that pain and discomfort from him and give him sleep :-(.
That's it for now folks... till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!! (and watch out for those bed-sores/pressure-sores IF you are bed-ridden for any reason!).
PS: For those of you who are wondering how this vacuum therapy works, go check out http://www.kci1.com/MOA_NoDisclaimer.swf.
To start with, Husband did not sleep at all last night. AT ALL! He just could not get comfortable even trying to sleep on his side, and sleeping on his back was impossible as the pressure of the vacuum pack under him felt like red hot skewers in his spine!! So you can imagine how exhausted and shaky he was this morning (still is, even now). Yes, he had a good breakfast - one mug of Enercal milk, 2 soft-boiled eggs, 2 slices of toast - and he did finish it all. But the lack of sleep and the exhaustion from that pretty much wiped out the energy-giving food/drink he consumed.
Anyway, went to the hospital this morning, getting there around 10.15am, for the plastic surgeon to remove the vacuum pack dressing on the cavity and evaluate the status. They got the anaesthetist in as well, as it would have been too painful for Husband if they had done the dressing change AND cleansing while he was awake. I DID get to see the cavity which, after one week of vacuum pack dressing, has already shrunk (the nurse says about 20% smaller), and is considerably cleaner and healthier looking than it was last week. And, No, I cant get my fist in there now - it IS smaller, even to my un-tutored eye.
So, they knocked him out, then kicked me out of the room so they could 'do their thing'. They cleaned the cavity, and put in a fresh new foam/vacuum dressing. He has to keep this on for another 5 days - we have an appointment to go back again for Tuesday next week (ie, 7th April). We got home by around 12.30pm, so the whole process did not take too long.
The plastic surgeon has told me that by the time we go see him next week, if the cavity has shrunk further (ie, another 20-30% smaller), they will then schedule plastic surgery on Thursday 9th April to fill the remaining space in the cavity. If the cavity still needs to shrink further, then he will have to suffer the vacuum dressing for ANOTHER 6 days, and the surgery will be the FOLLOWING Tuesday (ie, 14th April).
So, everyone, please keep praying for him, with the specific prayer that the cavity should heal and close up sufficiently by next Tuesday that he can have the surgery to close it up by Thursday. The longer the surgery is delayed, the more delay there is in commencement of chemotherapy!
In the meantime, he has to suffer the lack of sleep, the pain and the discomfort, and, the worst part, I can't do anything to take away that pain and discomfort from him and give him sleep :-(.
That's it for now folks... till next time, stay safe, stay HEALTHY!! (and watch out for those bed-sores/pressure-sores IF you are bed-ridden for any reason!).
PS: For those of you who are wondering how this vacuum therapy works, go check out http://www.kci1.com/MOA_NoDisclaimer.swf.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Getting better, despite everything
Yep, Husband said it himself. He IS getting stronger, despite the lack of sleep, despite the ongoing pain in the behind (I HAD to say it :-D ).
Food - back to normal. Just avoiding spicy stuff for now, as he needs to re-train his stomach to handle it!
Drink - lots of Ribena and Pink Dolphin peach flavoured water (he does not like plain water, unless it is ICE COLD), Earl Grey tea (with milk and one sugar!), and Enercal milk.
I have been giving him Enercal milk since Monday night - it is what he drinks last thing at night and first thing in the morning - and I can already see what a difference it makes. When he gets up in the morning he has the energy still to go downstairs and say Hi to my parents, and then come upstairs again - and this is all before he has breakfast! Contrast this to the days prior to drinking this milk, and he used to be absolutely wiped out in the mornings and could barely get himself up to eat his breakfast!
So, Yes, despite everything (including himself!!) he IS getting better daily. Now all we need is for the sore to HEAL UP ASAP, and we can get on with chemo and get on with LIFE!!
One final piece of news - re my Mum: She seems to have fully recovered from all the 'trotting' she had to do last week. Still being careful with food, but generally much better! We were so lucky that my sis-in-law had sent her maid back with me to KL, because the timing was perfect...my Mum did not have the strength to do anything, and the maid was able to take over. We owe a HUGE THANK YOU to my bro and sis-n-law.
Short and sweet today folks - for a change :-) - and no depressing news either!! We are definitely not out of the woods yet, but at least we are not in the deepest, darkest part of the forest either.
Hope life is treating everyone well, despite the miserable economy, and remember: Stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Till next time..
Food - back to normal. Just avoiding spicy stuff for now, as he needs to re-train his stomach to handle it!
Drink - lots of Ribena and Pink Dolphin peach flavoured water (he does not like plain water, unless it is ICE COLD), Earl Grey tea (with milk and one sugar!), and Enercal milk.
I have been giving him Enercal milk since Monday night - it is what he drinks last thing at night and first thing in the morning - and I can already see what a difference it makes. When he gets up in the morning he has the energy still to go downstairs and say Hi to my parents, and then come upstairs again - and this is all before he has breakfast! Contrast this to the days prior to drinking this milk, and he used to be absolutely wiped out in the mornings and could barely get himself up to eat his breakfast!
So, Yes, despite everything (including himself!!) he IS getting better daily. Now all we need is for the sore to HEAL UP ASAP, and we can get on with chemo and get on with LIFE!!
One final piece of news - re my Mum: She seems to have fully recovered from all the 'trotting' she had to do last week. Still being careful with food, but generally much better! We were so lucky that my sis-in-law had sent her maid back with me to KL, because the timing was perfect...my Mum did not have the strength to do anything, and the maid was able to take over. We owe a HUGE THANK YOU to my bro and sis-n-law.
Short and sweet today folks - for a change :-) - and no depressing news either!! We are definitely not out of the woods yet, but at least we are not in the deepest, darkest part of the forest either.
Hope life is treating everyone well, despite the miserable economy, and remember: Stay safe, stay HEALTHY!
Till next time..
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