That month went quick... NOT!

Trish was told to pack to go back to Wagga early this morning but very soon after was told she would not be going today.  Wagga said they did not have a bed.  Nothing much else happening here Trish is comfortable and mostly painless just waiting for transfer and to continue the therapy.

Saturday nothing much to report

A quiet day in the Park.

Radiology and the weekend

Radiology has finished and we will probably get the results on Monday.  Some chance Wagga is on the agenda for next week.  Brad and I expect a quiet weekend as most staff are off and it can be a bit boring.  Wheel chair to the park and kiosk being the highlight.

Up and about

Up and about

Doctors had a good look at her legs and muscles and after checking her medical records from St Vs think they will be upping the physio from tomorrow to maybe 3 times a day. (about time I say)

After the physio session we spent sometime on the balcony getting some air.  This time in a wheel chair.

Soon on foot...

radiotherapy

First day of radiotherapy this morning it was uneventfully and easy apparently.  They just wheel the bed down and put her in the machine for 5 minuets and then back to the ward.  Physio team start working on walking again tomorrow.

Ride in the park

A tour around the ward and a snack in the kiosk followed by a ride in the park, next time in a wheel chair.

Saturday

Saturday was another quiet day at Sacred Heart.  Tomorrow, Sunday, Brad and I are planning to take Trish for a ride in the gardens of the hospital either by bed or wheel chair. It has been sometime since she has seen the light of day and the gardens here are worth the effort.

Nothing to report today.

Nothing to report today.

Sacret Heart Hospital

She has settled in OK.  Nice and quiet compared to the main hospital.  Physio is on the agenda they want to get her walking around and the hospital has some private gardens that would be a good retreat away from the main stream.

Moving to Sacred Heart Hospital

Trish will be moving, tomorrow morning, to the Sacred Heart Hospital at 170 Darlinghurst Rd just one street away.  They specialise in Oncology.  She will have 5 days of radiation treatment starting on Monday.  Radiation Oncology Associates will provide the treatment and care.  She is expected to be there until the end of the month, at least.

Having just been told she was off to Wagga a new plan is in place.

After a lengthy discussion with doctors from the Oncology team who advise that it would be best for Trish if she were to stay here in Sydney and start radiation treatment sooner rather than later.  She will start treatment from Monday and expect it to take a week for the initial session.  It would seem I will complete my latest loyalty card at the coffee shop afterall and maybe then some.

Up and about

She looking and feeling better all the time.  Physiotherapy has started already with a short walk across the room with support and assistance.  An administrator told us she maybe ready to go back to Wagga Base as soon as tomorrow.  Air ambulance not Winnebago motorhome thank goodness.

Back to 7 north

Trish is back on the ward and improved 100%.  They have had her up and walking around and she is bright and chipper.

Ready to go back to the ward

I spoke with Trish on the phone this morning and she sounds really good.  If they don’t need the bed she might stay in ICU for today but she is fit enough to go back to the ward.

ICU Saturday afternoon.

The duty doctor told me that there had been an infection in the lungs.  They were not sure where it came from.  The treatment is working and she is now looking a lot better.  Not real comfortable but if she continues to improve she will be released back to the ward tomorrow afternoon.

Good news from ICU

Trish is awake and doing well. Could be back on the ward tomorrow.

She is awake

Trish is awake and able to move her hands and feet and the nurse thinks she will have the respiratory tube out by the time I she her this afternoon.

I rang ICU for an update at 5.30pm.

More xrays and scans.  She is still out to it, sleeping.

No change

Still sleeping.

ICU Thursday

I got to see Trish twice today but both times she was asleep.  The third time she was having a procedure and I was not admitted and spent more time in the waiting room. 

ICU is very protective of their patients and their privacy and a lot of waiting room time can be involved.

I did get an update from her nurse.  She confirmed that the consensus is that the spinal procedure went well but was marred by the vomit/lung thing happening.  But they are all over it and will resolve it.  They were expecting a quiet night with her sleeping through.

ICU Update

The previous posts were short because I was sending from my phone.  I’m now on the PC at ‘home’.

The neurosurgeon told me he was happy with the op and all went well from his point of view.  After the main procedure a complication occurred when Trish coughed up some vomit and breathed it into her lung.  They had to put her back on the respirator tube to make sure her breathing was OK overnight.  She was sedated and asleep when I got to she her.  Her nurse said she will be slowly brought up from there bit-by-bit and by tomorrow afternoon should be awake.  They expect her to be in ICU for 2 or 3 days then back to 7 north for sometime.

Note: They do not permit organic flowers in ICU and they don’t look good at my place either.

I will follow up with more detailed questions of the medical staff tomorrow when I’m a bit sharper and more likely to remember the answers.

Thanks to all for your support, flowers, prayers and best wishes.

Tim.

FW: Now in ICU

The operation went well just a bit of a problem with her breathing but otherwise ok

FW: Still no news

Still sitting in ICU waiting room. At 2pm they said 3pm. At 5pm they said soon. 7pm very soon. Just now its 20 mins more.

Still waiting

I spoke with the in-charge doctor about an hour ago she will contact me when Trish comes to ICU

Tomorrow finally...

Tomorrow is the day.  It maybe delayed to the afternoon but she is restricted to no solids from midnight tonight.  A few more tests today beside the normal daily routine of checking blood sugar, temp and I don’t know what else.  Never thought I would be looking forward to getting her of to surgery.  But the waiting takes a toll.

Waiting

No tests just waiting, Wednesday at 11am has been confirmed.

Quiet Day

Even the hospital was very quiet compared to last Sunday.  Nothing new to report.  Just waiting...

Saturday

Quiet day no tests.  We went down to the ground floor Trish in her wheelchair and a quick look outside, too hot high 30s, so just sat in the cafe for a bit.

Friday

The biopsy results are back from the lab and it just confirms what we all new anyway, cancer.

Trish had another CT scan and now it seems they are ready to schedule the operation but it won’t be till after the weekend.

Should be an uneventful weekend other than planning a wheelchair excursion to the great outdoors or at least to the lawns out the front door of the hospital.

Thursday

We still haven’t heard if the results of the biopsy are in or not.  Or it could be a hold up elsewhere you never know in big busy hospital like this with so much going on 24/7.

Trish has had a quiet and uneventful day.  Her meals are varied and she reports they are pretty good.  The staff are friendly and helpful and the coffee in the café down stairs is good.  So we’ll have to wait just a bit more.

 Not expecting anything to happen tomorrow at this stage anyway.

Wednesday

Dr Winder (Neurosurgeon) had a long discussion with us this morning.  The results of the biopsy hadn’t returned so there was no news on that front.  But he went on to explain that the game plan has shifted a bit now that they have a better handle on the other problems.  He will be consulting the Heart/Lung experts to see if some work can/could/should be done at the same time whilst looking at the spine issues.

Otherwise an uneventful day and no firm date for the operation.

Tuesday Night

Trish had a biopsy today whilst in the CT scan donut.  The surgeon used the scanner in real-time whilst he poked the needle into her back to take a sample.  It all went well and after a chest xray as well they appear to be closer to firming up on the game plan for the operation.  Could be tomorrow but things are pretty fluid and can change from moment to moment.

We are learning to go with the flow and take it just one step at a time.  She is in very good hands here.  Thanks you for your messages of support they brighten her day.