Thursdays at Fego

 

 

Ruth & Nicky - Cappuchino Time

 Thursday - lunch with Ruth & Nicky which is a lovely treat - such fun!

Me & Ruth - are we advertising for Fego showing the logo ?

Delicious Tuna Melt Pannini! I missed you!

 I didn't even need to look at the menu as I knew what I was having! As I promised to myself before the op - tuna melt panini - and because I have missed it so much I splashed out on some fries - yumm!

Close up!

Follow up with Consultants – Dates now confirmed

Basingstoke always deliver in confirming appointments. I received a letter last Friday with a follow up date to see the liver consultant on 6 March. This means that I have another 10 days to get even stronger before I see them. I am hoping that I will get the green light from the consultant that I am able to travel so that I can go on the postponed holiday to South Africa.

I suddenly thought yesterday that I should speak to Nicky & Helen the nurses at Basingstoke to check whether I should see the Bowel cancer consultant as well, so I can get the go ahead from him to travel. I also need to speak to him to see what follow up treatment if any will be required.

I spoke to them this morning and within 30 minutes I had a telephone call from the consultant’s secretary confirming an appointment with the bowel consultant for 9 March at 10.00 a.m. How efficient is that! They never cease to amaze me.

For all the critics of the NHS I have nothing but admiration for the teams at Basingstoke. I would not have received better treatment if I had paid to be treated privately.

No more stitches

Beautiful flowers from Sarah

I had the stitches out on Monday afternoon. I was advised to have them removed 2 weeks after the operation. Monday was 2 weeks since the op so I had booked an appointment with the Practice Nurse at my GP's practice. My friend Sarah drove me as Neil had to go back to work that day. He had been off for over a week looking after me and so it was back to Colin & me.

Taking the stitches out was more painful that I had expected. I had healed so quickly that made taking the stitches out more awkward. The Practice Nurse said that these were the most difficult stitches she had to remove in 30 years of nursing! Great - not an achievement I really wanted. I came out in a bit of a sweat when she was  tugging away. I had to deep breathe to get me through. I was so glad when it was all over and I had to lie on the bed for 5 minutes after to compose myself and then get up slowly so I didn't keel over.

Sarah suggested that what was needed was a cup of tea at Fego's -I agreed as I needed a treat after this ordeal. Great minds think alike as just as we arrived home Ruth texted me to see how I had got on and if I fancied a cuppa at Fego ..... so the three of us went - which distracted me from thinking about the experience of having the stitches out. 

The area around the wound felt different afterwards, A little tenderness which seemed to get worse as the evening progressed.A good night's sleep and it was much better on Tuesday. It seemed to be settling down again. I guess that where the stitches had embedded themselves around the healing skin taking them out had disrupted things so they had to reheal. So I might have to resort to taking a few painkillers to get me through the next few days.

Just think..............

It is just over a week since my operation - and that week has passed incredibly quickly. Neil has once again done a brilliant job in keeping close friends and family up to date with what was happening as well as visiting me every day and walking Colin. Even when he has been worried himself or exhausted he has always brightened up my day. He always finds that extra time to let everyone know how I am progressing.

A BIG BIG thank you to you all for your cards, emails and texts which were so important in encouraging me to get well.  I am still amazed at the recovery I have made after the liver resection operation. I was home Thursday evening feeling tired, knocked around and sore.

Thursday had been a busy day. All the tubes and drains were removed in the morning about 30 minutes after the Registrar said they could, which meant that once this was done, I was freely mobile again. A shower - such bliss when you have had to do with a wash for 2 days - and was a real pick me up. I then had two tests to pass before I could be discharged. One was walking up and down a flight of stairs with the physio - which I passed easily. The second was to make sure that I was peeing properly and again I passed that test. So having completed these by 4.00pm I was ready to be discharged on Friday.

But when the Registrar did his rounds at 5.00pm and said that I was good to go - Neil cheekily asked if he could take me home that evening. Surprising the Registrar agreed! So an hour later I was on my way home up the M3. Still thinking how quickly it all happened and I was home 3 days ahead of what I had thought would be the earliest I would be home.

How good it felt to be back home even if I was sore and tired. Colin was so happy to see me, his tail wagging and his famous smile!

No smile! Notice the cushion in the back ground! Very true!

 I could not pick him up as it would have been too uncomfortable as I still have all the stitches in. The stitches will be there for another week when I go to the Practice Nurse at the GPs for their removal.

It was so lovely to sleep in my own bed and Friday I felt infinitely better. I continue to get stronger each day. Since I came home I have rested a lot either in bed watching DVDs, reading or watching TV in the living room. It was so cold at the weekend that I didn't venture outside the front door!

It was lovely to see people who dropped by over the weekend with a selection of goodies to eat as well as to receive beautiful floral gifts that friends had sent me. Here is just a selection.

Beautiful Roses

Stunning Orchid

Crocus Time.

I am truly humbled yet again by the kindness and generosity that people have showed over the last week. This includes the nurses, doctors, cleaning staff at the hospital as well as from family and friends - but most of all to Neil who without I would find this all too difficult at times. And here is my welcome home card from Neil...........

Welcome Home Heart in the Snow outside the kitchen doors.

Pre Op Assessment - Thursday 2 February

Main entrance at Basingstoke Hospital.

I attended my pre operation assessment at Basingstoke on Thursday.This involves completing all the necessary paperwork and consent forms as well as giving some blood samples, a medical to confirm that I am fit for the operation and a chest x-ray. I passed all the requirements, even if my blood pressure was slightly raised, compared to the reading that I had taken at home earlier in the morning.

The nurse was very reassuring and told me what to expect. I am to arrive on Sunday afternoon around 4.00 p.m. I am first on the surgery list for Monday morning so should be in  theatre for 8.00 a.m. I have never had a Monday morning like this before!  The op should take about 3 hours plus 1 hour in recovery. Then I will be moved to the High Dependency Unit for 24 hours where I will be closely monitored and have one to one nursing. I was told what to expect in terms of tubes and drains and when they would be removed which while interesting verged on too much information.

All being well I will be moved back to the ward sometime on Tuesday where the physios will have me up and walking about and sitting in a chair. If there are no complications then I should be in hospital for about 7 days.

I was given a mouthwash that I have to use twice a day for 2 days before the operation which will cut down on the bacteria in my mouth and throat. I now understand why this is necessary as the liver fights off bacteria and as it is going to be reduced in size it needs all the help it can get in easing the strain over the next few weeks.

Fego Sunningdale

I needed a treat after the realisation of what the next week held for me - so I just had to go to Fego and have a Tuna Melt Panni!

Yummy!

When I am at home convalescing I will have to ask Ruth to bring me one back when she goes to Fego.

So just have to keep busy until Sunday!!!

What does the liver do?

If like me you ever wondered what the liver does here is a  brief summary from the British Liver Trust but not all as  surprisingly it has more than 500 functions: 

• processing digested food from the intestine
• controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood 
• combating infections in the body 
• clearing the blood of particles and infections including bacteria 
• neutralising and destroying drugs and toxins 
• manufacturing bile 
• storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals 
• breaking down food and turning it into energy 
• manufacturing, breaking down and regulating numerous hormones including sex hormones 
• making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues.

Some of the most important functions include:

Producing quick energy
One of your liver’s most important functions is to break down food and convert it into energy when you need it. Carbohydrates such as bread and potatoes from our diet are broken down to glucose and stored mainly in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When energy is required in an emergency the liver rapidly converts its store of glycogen back into glucose ready for the body to use.

Your liver also helps the body to get rid of waste products. Waste products which are not excreted by your kidneys are removed from the blood by the liver. Some of them pass into the duodenum and then into the bowel via the bile ducts.

People with liver damage may sometimes lose the ability to control glucose concentration in the blood and need a regular supply of sugar.

Fighting infections
Your liver plays a vital role in fighting infections, particularly infections arising in the bowel. It does this by mobilising part of your body’s defence mechanism called the macrophage system. The liver contains over half of the body’s supply of macrophages, known as Kuppfer cells, which literally destroy any bacteria that they come into contact with.

If the liver is damaged in any way its ability to fight infections is impaired. 

Who knew!

Busy busy busy............

Keeping busy as I find this a great distraction from thinking too much about the operation next week. Monday was busy catching up with people - daughter( Lisa) made a visit to see me and we took the opportunity to have a delicious lunch at Fego with Sara & Ruth. Dave came for dinner and stayed over as he was off bright and early for Warsaw this morning - where he hopes to relocate shortly. This could be an opportune move from Neil's perspective as one of the venues for UEFA Euro 2012 is Warsaw.

Tuesday I went to the gym and saw Ben my Personal Trainer and told him the latest news about me going into hospital on Sunday. I really had a good training session and can feel my stamina and strength coming back. I ran 2.5 km at 9.5 km an hour in 17.09 mins last week with which I was really pleased. I was planning on being able to run a 5k in March or April and raise some money for the Pelican Trust. I am a bit disappointed that I won't be able to do this. I now face the prospect of going backwards and after the op taking things slowly. I am hoping that the hard work getting back to some level of fitness will hold me in good stead for a speedy recovery. If I hadn't seen the scan myself I would query the diagnosis as I am feeling fine. Normally you come out of hospital feeling better than when you went in - something I can't think will apply to me. But at least the tumour will be gone - and then I can focus on getting stronger.

I have also added to the costs of providing benefits !  I am now claiming Employment and Support Allowance. I thought why not after all I have paid my National Insurance all my working life so by claiming I think of it as getting a refund! The advisor on their help line who guided me through completing my claim was surprisingly helpful and even said that he hoped that my operation was a great success and that I was feeling better soon. You find empathy from people in the strangest of places.

Off to the Doctors this morning and then going into Windsor.

So keeping busy I find is the key to getting through this waiting period.