Author: brendawontbackdown

Sleeping from midnight to 5am clearly has its benefits. I returned from the school run to find this tableau and no patient. Brenda appeared looking spruce wearing Laura’s Bliss foot softening turquoise socks (an alternative look.)

The Bonz doing his bit in the healing process whilst pushing the doggy dos and don’ts to the limit.

A beautiful, crisp sunny day – perfect for Brenda’s first excursion to pick up the FT from the paper shop. Then a drive in the country with Madelaine before a bit of a protest march around the driveway #womensmarchlondon

Apparently Hillary had nothing in her diary today so dropped in for coffee. Lovely to see Jane and Christiane from Brenda’s ‘Hillside Moms’ group. (Teddy’s school.)

Brenda is happy to be home and although she is waking through the night she is getting more sleep than in hospital. She is a bit thin but, we can work on that. Brenda is a bit achy and still struggling to get comfortable on occasions.

Thank you to everyone again, lovely flowers have arrived almost seemingly on the hour and a delicious care package from Cludsy to keep the wolf from the door.

 

Not much to add to this.

 

 

The Blog stats show that there have been 1,115 visitors to the site who have viewed it 7,100 times. The outpouring of love and positive thoughts have given Brenda a tremendous boost. The Blog has kept everyone informed and has saved me from having to recount the same details over and over again. Unwittingly, it also created a goal for Brenda, each day’s news creating a benchmark for her to better. As a result, she was told today that she can come home on Wednesday – exactly two weeks since her ten hour operation. It is brilliant news.

India, Dianne and I arrived this morning to find Brenda’s room empty. Her slippers were by the side of her bed and I found myself wondering ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ Eventually, Brenda wandered in looking composed having given her new silver shoes a test drive whilst doing her exercises.

 No Teddy today as he was rehearsing for a play but, Brendan Moran  (surgeon) joined us for his daily check on the patient. Today’s conclusion, that Brenda’s central line be removed and that she aim for a mid-week return home.

Obviously, this amazing news is subject to all those things needing to be ticked, being ticked. Brenda is still desperate for a decent night’s sleep and the emotional toll of the extraordinary procedure on her cannot be underestimated. Therefore, the sooner we can get her home ‘safely’ the better.

At home we received a care package from Adele (thank you). A delicious roasted tomato soup and trimmings making a welcome change to sandwiches on the hoof.

So many steps in the right direction and lots of positive news. Brenda is no longer connected to anything, she is walking freely, there is evidence that the surgeons reconnected everything and even talk of going home. However, Brenda has not had a proper night’s sleep to date which would be draining without the trauma of the radical surgery. Despite the smiley face and all the good news she had a difficult morning. Lots of nice attention from Constantina, today’s nurse and a shower perked her up a little. A whirlwind visit from Gabrielle (which failed to add to her collection of cardboard politician proved a distraction. I left Madelaine, who has pulled hundreds of miles on the clock of her car for us, with her. Hopefully she will catch some Zzzzs and feel more upbeat tomorrow. A bit of a lump in the throat day for me too.

 

 

2.40 am just east of Basingstoke a long awaited  passing of wind…HURRAH!

A day of firsts in more ways than one. Having last eaten on the 3rd January Brenda had a bowl of soup and an ice cream this evening. The intravenous pain relief has been changed to one taken orally. Lots of walking today and a nice visit from our old friend Polly who survived the Bali Bombing and knows what it takes to get through a protracted hospital stay. (Her charity Dan’s Fund for Burns is an inspiration.)

Medicinal chocs too – thanks Jane and family.

From the coalface…

‘When I feel bad I start going through my gratitude checklist – found it early, able to take it all out, no stoma and no more chemo and hopefully no more cancer and in a couple of weeks I will be home!  However, it’s amazing the small things can have a disproportionate impact-not being able to get out of bed or even get comfortable on my own, not being able to have a shower or wash on my own, inability to sleep properly and night sweats.  They are all so minor in the grand scheme of things, but I could be reduced to tears by any one of them.  At the same time, having made some friends with the ICU team, when they pop in to say hi and cheer me on, that makes all the difference as well.  It is certainly an experience that tells you a lot about yourself.’