Day 19.

I had a better night, having not gone to bed until 11 pm, because I was helping a friend with her computer. I slept till 3.30 am, went back to a dozing sleep until 6 am and then I got up and made myself a cuppa.

With all the boat chores done and Mog and Dog happy, I walked to the hospital to find Keith in bed looking very sleepy.

Keith had a difficult night, with his bile bag leaking twice and soaking the bed and him. When I got there the bag was changed for another stoma bag with out a pipe and bag hanging off it, which means it should not over fill causing the stoma bag on his drain to fall off. But it does mean they will have to empty it more often. Will be interesting how many times they will have to empty it over night, because it keeps filling up and shows no sign of slowing down. Keith has been a bit dizzy and light headed today, but that maybe due to the fact he is not eating much. He did manage cereal for breakfast and a little bit of fish for lunch. In himself he is feeling much happier.

As for his new drain, which in his notes say's It must be flushed once a day, well I was not leaving today until they flushed his drain. I had to ask 3 times throughout the day, because the drain was not working, I kept being told the nurses are very busy at the moment grrrrrr.

At the moment the doctor has him down for coming home on the 5th February, but that could well change.

Day 18.

Keith had an uncomfortable night as the new drain was giving him jip. When I got there, they had just taken out his stomach drain which was not producing much and they took out his catheter, which proved to be easier said than done. It did not want to come out and left him completely washed out after the job was done and the pain eased away.The morning visit ended with him looking pale, he reckoned he was hot, but he felt cold and sweaty. He managed a few spoonful’s of hot pot for lunch, which is the first real food he has managed, I do not count soup as real food, which he has had before. His colour was also better. I noticed the new drain, which was put in yesterday was blocked with goo and therefore nothing was reaching the bag, so I asked one of the nurses to flush it. They are supposed to flush it once a day. The consultant told Keith this morning it would be another week, but who knows. We are making progress which is fantastic.

Staples out and new drain in.

Well Keith went down to have his CT scan and new drain put in on the left hand side, which is draining yellow fluid out of his abdomen. They were going to put it in the right and Keith said No it is supposed to be in the left, after questioning it twice they checked the latest scan and apologised to Keith saying he was correct it should be the left grrrrrrrrr. He is very sore and so they have given him some Morphine, so hopefully he will sleep. They have taken his staples out after 15 days, which I photographed because Keith cannot see them and wants to know what they are like. The hospital surgeon stopped his antibiotics, which the naval surgeon was not so keen on doing so soon, but we shall see. If his temp goes up again they will put them back on. The new drain has to be kept in for at least another 4 to 5 days, so he will not be home just yet. They weighed him this morning and he has lost at least 2 stone, which does not surprise me. In himself he is fine, so lets hope he now improves and he can come home soon. It is just as well I go in everyday, because I am keeping his care up to my standard. The nurses seem to forget he is there some of the time, like he came back from having his new drain put in and they had it crossing his body and hanging down the right side with his other ones, which means it is not draining properly because it has to go uphill over his stomach first, so I questioned it and so they agreed and moved it to the left where the drain has been put in, common sense I would have thought. The tube is so long it is was lying on the floor, so I sorted it out and hung it off the bed rail. In himself he is bright and chatty, now we just need to get him eating proper food and get the drains out, so he can come home. We will see how the next few days go xxxxx

Thank You.

I want to take this opportunity to Thank each and everyone of you who has been kind enough to post messages of support on the blog. I read each and everyone of them and you will have no idea how much they have helped over this difficult period.
I apologise that I have not answer them all, it would take so much time and I would never do them justice, because they have meant so much, so please accept this posting as a huge THANK YOU from both Keith and I. We have felt the love from you and hopefully he will be home xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Progress again.

Keith was in good spirit today, they moved him last night into another ward, which he was thankful for because the new patient next to him spent the past two nights on his laptop all night with the light on, having little regards for the other 5 people. The nurses did not say anything because they had all ready been verbally abused by him when he came in. Keith still has a temperature issue, BP low and resps high but they do not seem to be worried. He had his first cup of coffee today in two weeks. The naval doctor gave him some vitamin K through his IV because his blood is a little thin and with him having the drains put in tomorrow they do not want him bleeding to much. The most frequent cause of Vitamin K deficiency is the long term use of antibiotics, which would explain it or it could be due to the fact he has not been eating. Again the doctor was not concerned, they just want him right for tomorrow. They stopped his IV fluids, but they may go back on after tomorrow we will see. He is booked to go down at 1 pm, but of course he maybe later. He had cereal this morning and soup for lunch and has finally warmed up. it was so good to see Keith laughing and joking. Here's to tomorrow and getting the drains in and sorting Keith out once and for all.

Hooray, Hooray, Hooray.

Hooray, Hooray, Hooray. I have finally found someone who will tell what is going on and you can only imagine how happy that makes me. He is a Naval surgeon on secondment from the Navy for 6 months. He was with the surgeon this morning when they visited Keith and so was happy to talk me through what was going to be done and why and he has said I can chat to him anytime. Keith has two pools of fluid in the stomach cavity about 10 to 15 cm's in size, which need draining, they could be where they washed him out and the fluid was left over and pooled, or it could be bile from a leak or infection, they will not know until they put a drain in on Wednesday. I hear you say why Wednesday?

They cannot do it until then because they need to book the CT scanner and they need to make sure the right surgeon is on hand to do the job. Keith is in no danger because he is still on the antibiotics, so we have to wait now. I was so pleased to see Keith looking so much happier today and he was warmer than yesterday. He had feet and hands like blocks of ice yesterday. Keith had a better day in himself today, he was smiley and not so down. They have allowed him to eat something today, so for lunch he had some leek and potato soup and he really did enjoy it. Better still it stayed put. Progress was made today, even if it was only in finding out what is going on xxxxxxxx

Here is another day

There was I thinking I am going to get a decent nights sleep, because I felt shattered. I went to bed at 9.40 pm due to having a problem keeping my eyes open. I snuggled down beneath the duvet and was soon asleep. At 11.30 pm I was woken up with a start after the fan on the freezer was making a hideous noise. I shot out of bed to investigate, but the noise stopped. heart rate through the roof, I got back into my nice warm bed and tried to sleep again, but the dam fan went off again, this time it did not last long. I did manage to drift off until 3.45 am. I lay awake and then got up to make myself a cuppa. Marmite joined me back in bed and had a natter with me. If only I knew what she was talking about. Cuppa drunk, it was time to try and get at least another hour of sleep, otherwise I was going to be a zombie for the rest of the day. I managed to stay in bed till 5 am, then I decided enough was enough I would get up. I look forward to getting my body clock back to normal.

This morning at 5 am up the Arm.

Up at 5 am, I went to the laundry and put the new pyjama’s I bought for Keith yesterday (Saturday) in the wash, because they were a bit stiff and would not be at all comfortable. Whilst they and other items washed, back on the boat I relit the back cabin stove, which was stubborn to get going.  Eventually it kicked into life and the back cabin was soon warming up. After some breakfast I walked Paddy, fed him and Marmite and then myself.

Boat chores done, I rang for a taxi because it was lashing it down with rain as forecast. 10.45 am I was on my way to see Keith. 11 am I was allowed in and found him looking sickly and very cold. Keith had a temp of 38.4 and was tachycardic so the doctor was concerned enough to order the CT today rather than waiting to Monday etc. They took him off of one of his antibiotics to see if it is that causing his sickness. He went for his scan this afternoon at 3.13 pm and the doctor on duty says it shows a build up of something, so tomorrow the surgeon will decide what to do, they may drain it off, but the doctor could not give me anymore information than that, as he had not had a proper look at the scan. Keith cannula became blocked again, It took three people over a couple of hours to get a new cannula in, because Keith's veins have shut down. Finally they got one in using a hot water bath. Keith has been very emotional today bless him, so I stayed as long as I could. Fingers crossed for tomorrow and they finally sort him out.

An arm like Popeye.

Today's update.

Keith was sick in the night and in pain and the sickness continued through today. They want him to drink, because he is not passing enough urine, but when he drinks it makes him feel sick or his is sick. They are giving him something for the sickness, but he would rather just not feel that way in the first place. He was poorly this morning but perked up this afternoon, so I walked him to the bathroom and gave him his wash.

The doctor had to redo Keith's cannula before I left yesterday, because his other one was blocked, unfortunately the doctor did not put it into his vein it went into his tissue and during the night his arm filled up with fluid, so he looks like popeye on one arm. Thankfully one of the senior nurses on night duty noticed it and sorted it out. Next week Keith is supposed to be having CT scan or now they are saying they may put a camera into his stomach. So not sure what is going to happen now. He is feeling a little fed up and wants to come home. I just hope things are better tomorrow.

A better day.

I went to bed last night at 9.30 pm, mainly because I was tired, but also I could not sit and watch the TV any longer because my mind was not switching off. Being on my own with my thoughts, gives me way to much time to think about what has been happening over the past few weeks. I think to be honest I could get depressed if I allowed myself too, but that would get neither myself or Keith anywhere, because he needs me to be strong for him, because I am his voice. Because of all the drugs Keith has had pumped into his body, he is finding it hard to remember anything, which means even of he is told things by the doctors, physio’s and nurses, he does not remember it all. So I am his eyes, ears and voice, when I get the chance, this comes with issues, because my brain does not shut down when I get home and therefore sleeping is sometimes a major problem. Last night as I said I went to bed at 9.30 pm, all snugged down in the back cabin with the stove still toasty warm. Marmite was curled up on Keith’s side of the bed, so I did not have the heart to disturb her.

I woke up at 12.10 am, which was not ideal, so I turned over, snuggled back down beneath the duvet and slept till 4.45 am. Marmite had disappeared from Keith’s side of the bed, she was in the galley looking through the porthole, probably watching for anything walking past. Laying awake, I listened to the Blackbird and Thrush belting out their dawn chorus above the sound of traffic on the road. There is something so comforting about listening to the dawn chorus, although I would have wished to have slept a bit longer. 5 am I got up got the back cabin stove going, as it was on its last legs and then made myself a cup of tea. Paddy was still snoozing, but Marmite was up to speaking to me. If only I knew what she was saying.

6 am with no further chance of me going back to sleep, I was up and dressed. The bed was rolled up and stowed away in the back cabin bed ‘ole and it was time to get on with the morning’s chores. Fire’s done, Paddy walked done, Animals fed done, my breakfast eaten, everything laid out for the days visit to the hospital done. I now get so ahead of the game, my routine is like a finely tuned engine.

I left the boat and headed off to the hospital, not sure what I would find today.

Last night Keith had a temperature, the shakes and then hot flushes, plus pain, so they got him extra blankets and more pain medication.

When I got there this morning he was sat in the chair with a pained expression on his face and feeling sick. He was not drinking either his water or protein drink due to the sickness feeling. He really wanted to go back to bed, but before going back to bed the Physio's walked him down the corridor which he managed very well, even though he was a bit wobbly on his pins. I think they had a job to keep up with him. I requested a visit from the doctor, so I could get answers to many questions, which have been keeping my mind racing, when I am supposed to be sleeping. That happened after lunch and I had my mind put at rest. They will not re-open him up unless they absolutely have to because of further infection, which was music to our ears. After the registrar had gone Keith was much more his old self and got up again. I walked him to the bathroom and gave him a spruce up and finally he got rid of the hospital gown and got into some snazzy hospital PJ's.

 

Although it has to be said the top was a little tight. From speaking to a couple of the registrar's it seems that Keith is having a CT scan next week, to see what is going on. He will have a dye put down him to show up if there is a further perforation going on or if the drain has moved, either of these could be causing him pain and the continued infection. If it is another perforation that could explain his temperature and shaking again, but positive thoughts we hope it is not that. He is still on the antibiotics for a few more days and still no eating. So all in all a good day. Keith sends you his best wishes.

Yes he really was wearing the sick bowl. He is beginning to get his sense of humour back which is lovely to see.

Back at the boat now and it is raining again, what a delight. I am going to have dinner, walk the dog and then settle in for the night. I hope Keith has a better night tonight.

How am I.

I have been posting about my poor dear hubby and people keep asking how are you, so I thought I would do a posting about me and this difficult time.

I guess for me this all began back on December 20th, when Keith went into hospital for three days with his back, since he came home it has been one thing after another, what with the sickness bug and then the water infection after Christmas, but nothing could have prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions that I have had since Keith went into hospital for his Gallbladder on January 13th. I had spent the past few weeks nursing Keith on the boat and had little sleep whilst I kept one eye open in case he needed me. With this event, at first I was focused on just making sure he was fine, forgetting that I needed to look after myself. Then on the 15th to get the phone call to say “You have 20 minutes to get to the hospital, because Keith is going to theatre”. I was thankful that my neighbour rushed me to his side and she did not break the speed limit. I needed to hug him and tell him I loved him. I did not want to fall apart then, because he needed to know I was strong and I have been strong throughout really. Then it was the sight of him in ICU. I was calm with him all wired up and tubes coming out of him,  but he was supposed to have the surgery and then go to the ward. But because they could not wake him and the operation was an emergency and lasted two and half hours he had to go to ICU, so everyday I was going twice a day to sit with him, even though he did not know I was there. I would walk to and from the hospital twice a day. He was on three antibiotics and lots of pain relief. I am so grateful to everyone at the mooring, who supported me whilst he was in ICU. I was not sleeping and did not really eat properly, I picked at the left over Christmas food. My mind was racing as Keith was fighting to wake up and the sepsis which had poisoned his body. I was helpless to do anything for him, but I felt I needed to be there. Then on Sunday 19th after four days in ICU they moved him at 7.30 pm on to the hospital ward. I had been with him all day and whilst it was good he was coming out of ICU, I still could not help thinking it was to soon. His morning did not help me sleep or eat, because there was going to be a long way to go. He has now been on the ward for four days and is having up and down days just like me. My day starts usually early hours because I cannot sleep. I get up and make myself a cuppa before going back to bed, where I toss and turn. 6 am I get up and on some days go and do my washing in the laundry. I then sort the boat fires for the day. Feed mog and dog and walk dog. I have to say they have been so good. I then do the 20 minute walk to the hospital and get there for visiting. I am allowed to visit in the morning, then there is an hours break and then back in the afternoon for a couple of hours, before I walk the 20 minutes back to the boat, where mog and dog greet me every evening. On some of the evenings I have gone and given updates to the neighbours and then returned to the boat where I sort dinner for mog and dog and then something for me. Tonight I felt like Scampi and Duck Spring Rolls with Chilli Sauce. I know they are not healthy but I fancied them mmmm.  I have had tears over this past week and a half, but thanks to my friends here, on the phone and Facebook, I have enjoyed much needed hugs.

The boat has been looking after itself, all’s I have done is get coal in and fill the water tank. I did put the hoover around this morning and as I said before I have got the washing done. I am so thankful that we are on a mooring, because if we had been on the towpath in the middle of no where, we would never have coped and I dread to think what could have happened to Keith.

I know that it is going to be a long haul for Keith, so I need to stay well and strong for him, because he is going to need a lot of TLC when he finally comes home.

So you can see I am fine and I am managing.

Keith update:

He had a very bad night pain wise and had all the drugs thrown at him including Morphine. He had been up first thing this morning in the chair but felt so rough they put him back to bed, so when I got there he was looking a bit grey and very sleepy. He slept all morning, so I got on with some crochet. Apparently the doctors had been around first thing, so I never got to see anyone today grrrr. This afternoon he was wide awake when I got there and wanted to get into the chair so I could wash him and give him his shave, but no sooner that was done he was done in and back in bed with pain increasing again. He is still only allowed sips of water and a protein juice. The physios are not sorting him out for walking, they have been told to hold fire on all of that, so the nurses get him up now and put him back to bed. So not a bad day, but not a good one either. Pain is still an issue.

Debacle sorted and back on track.

OK folks, here is today's update. We spent a lot of time chatting today. he was up when I got there and so I did his washing and he did have a beard trim, sorry to those of you who were swooning over his facial hair . He was then worn out so was put back into bed, which is where he stayed.
I read his notes today and it has him down as having Bilary Sepsis, which having looked it up it says Sepsis occurs as a result of body's abnormal response to severe infection. Manifestation of sepsis include fever, rapid heart rate and rapid breathing. Blood work will reveal elevation of white blood cell count. Which is Keith's symptoms to a tee. I also got to the bottom of the debacle of yesterday and the stoppage of the antibiotics. It seems having spoke to the ICU nurse the pharmacist stopped his anti-sickness drugs because they are not supposed to go through the drip, he is supposed to take them by mouth, but the surgeon was not having that. As for the antibiotics, one of the junior doctors read the notes which said he had, had his 5 days of antibiotics and assumed they had to be taken off, what he should have done was checked with the surgeon first before signing them off. So Keith missed two lots of each antibiotics which helped to put his blood count up. They have him on Metronidazole and Tazocin, plus the pain killers and anti-sickness. Thankfully today he was on his antibiotics and they are written up for another 9 days, he is also back on a fluids drip and all his other medication has to go through the veins. He can have sips of water and a protein fruit juice, but no food. So today in some ways has been a good day. His pain was moderate when I left, so they were going to get him something. Tomorrow we see the surgeon again.

To much to bare.

Yesterday I was to upset to post.

When I arrived at the hospital Keith was sat in a chair by his bed and the look on his face said it all. He was in such a lot of pain. The problem is the physios want him to sit out, so he does not get a chest infection, but he is still in so much pain and pressure, he finds it hard to sit. he asked to go back to bed and they did allow it under protest. Keith went back to sleep for a while and mumbled when he was awake enough to chat to me. I find it so hard to see him in pain and the fact that they cannot control it still. He had at least eaten 3 spoons of Weetabix and was drinking water.
I stayed with him until 1.30 pm, as he was waiting for some lunch, he only fancied a cuppa soup, so I went off to have some lunch in the day room. I was allowed back into see him at 2.30 pm. He was once again sat out in the chair and he said the pain was so bad. But they insisted he sit out until at least 3 pm. In the end he was feeling so sick, they put him back in bed at 3.15 pm. The Nutritionist came to see him to check on his weight and to give him a protein drink. She is going to keep a close eye on him. Later in the afternoon the ICU outreach nurse came to see Keith and she checked his chest and his wound. She looked a little concerned, but did not give me any idea as to how he was doing, so I asked to see his surgeon. I have to wait for an appointment to do that, which I find stupid. I have not seen anyone who can tell me what going on since last Thursday and I know they are busy, but I want to know why he is still suffering a week on after his surgery.
I came away from him at 3.30 pm as he was sleeping and peaceful and I did not want him to see how upset I was. I came back to the boat so upset and really needed a hug from my dear man.

Today 21st January.

Keith say's "Hello". He asked me to take this photograph and to say thank you for all your messages of support. Today has been a better day. Good and not so good news.

So I will go with the good news first. Keith was much better in himself today and the pain has been controlled today yayyy. He had sat up for an hour this morning, but was very sick from what he had yesterday lunch time, so they put him back to bed. He was much more chatty and even smiled and joked, which was a huge improvement as the photo shows. After lunch they got him up and he walked a few steps but felt very dizzy, so they put him back to bed. I spoke to his physios and they have agreed to take things a lot slower with him and go with what he wants. He wanted to sit in the chair this morning, but it proved to much. The surgeon came to see me and check on Keith this afternoon. He was furious because the Pharmacist had stopped Keith's antibiotics. In his file I notice a note from her saying" The IV is unlicensed and must be stopped immediately". No idea what that meant, but the surgeon was not happy, especially as Keith's white cell count had jumped up by a lot. So he is back on two antibiotics. The surgeon said it will be for at least another two weeks on the IV antibiotics. He is concerned there is still infection in there and will be seeing Keith again Thursday. He was checked over and his stomach was listened to for bowel sounds and the decision was taken, he cannot eat again at the moment and can only have sips of water because his bowel is sleepy. So good news he is happier in himself but not so good news he still has infection in there somewhere. The surgeon was very helpful and answered all my questions. As for me I am also happier now I know what is going on. xxxxxxx

One step forward and so on.

Another update. I have been with Keith all day. When I got there he was sitting in a chair as the physios were with him. But after about an hour he was sick, probably due to all the movement, so he was put back in bed. He was not even keeping down water today, so they have given him something to stop the sickness. Had to laugh they bought him cheese sandwiches for his lunch, a yogurt and banana. The poor man has only had a small piece of scrambled egg and they think he is going to eat a plate full of cheese sandwiches grrrrrr. He has not eaten again to day, but they have moved him out of ICU and on to a ward at 7.30 pm this evening. Because I was worried about him I did not bother leaving the hospital after the morning visit, I just stayed and then went back in to see him at 4 pm. I am still worried about him, but I am probably being paranoid. To get him out of ICU they had to take out some of his drips, otherwise the ward would not accept him, now I am unsure if that is a good sign or just them cutting corners to release beds in ICU because they are full. Time will tell. Shall let you know more tomorrow. One thing I do know it has been a long day.

Ward here we come.

Keith Update : Well today has been a good day. They have taken the drain from his nose to his stomach woo hoo and tonight they have said that as far as his surgeon is concerned they can do no more for him in ICU, so they may well move him on to a ward tomorrow, which is fantastic. Surgically he is stable, he just needs to mend now and get stronger. His temperature went up last night, so he is remaining on the toxic antibiotics of which he is taking three different sorts, but they have stopped infusing the Morphine, he now has to administer it himself, but he tends to forget, due to still being out of it a bit.
Keith is still confused and in a little bit of pain, but he has made real progress today, even to the point he is drinking water and asked if he could have something to eat. He does not remember eating scrambled egg yesterday or the fact that I fed him. But he is making the nurses giggle with the things he is coming out with, but that is the drugs talking bless him. I am so happy to see progress and to have a bit of a conversation with him, and hopefully the rest will come.

As for me well, sleeping is still a problem, but who knows tonight maybe better. Today I went out with friends for lunch before heading back to the hospital. It was nice to chat and just relax for an hour or so.

Progress has been made today.

Been with him this morning. He had a rough night, but they now seem ahead of the pain, so progress I hope in that department, He is still sleepy and saying weird things, when I was there he was sure he could hear Nb Alton coming with Brian and Ann Marie. It goes to show he has his mind on boats even though he is poorly. He has managed open both his eyes today which was fantastic. He is now allowed to sip water and I even fed him a few small pieces of scrambled egg, so we will see how that lies. He still has all the tubes and wires and they are keeping a close eye on him. His blood test this morning came back as almost normal, which is excellent. I spoke with the pain management doctor and they had thought about putting in a epidural, but because Keith is so toxic, it causes its own issues of infection, so they are holding fire on that for the moment. His colour is good and he looks more relaxed in the face, so the pain relief seems to be doing its job at least. So much happier today to see him peaceful. He still does not really know I am there all time and he is quite random with what he talks about when he is a wake. They hope to reduce the pain relief gradually over the next few days. I was told it is still early days, but I am much more positive having seen him this morning. He is on 3 antibiotics which are very toxic, so the ICU is the best place for him right now. Thank you for the wishes, which I pass on each day, he does not take it all in but I am sure when he reads all your messages he will be over whelmed.

Afternoon Update.
I am a happy bunny tonight, because I got the smile from Keith I have been waiting for this evening. I am beginning to believe he has turned the corner. Tonight they will give him the last of his domestos antibiotic Gentamicin , but keep the other 2 up. They have his pain under control, so much so that they were able to roll him without him going through the roof and he was helped by the physio's to sit on the side of the bed for a few seconds. Progress is definitely being made and I can see him being moved out of ICU if he continues to progress over the weekend. But as the nurse reminded me, things can still go pear shaped very quickly, so I will not count my chickens just yet, but I will start gathering them together for the count. He is still saying strange things and seeing things, but I just go with the flow, that should stop once they get the Morphine and Tramadol down to decent level.

Further UPDATE

Went into see Keith this morning and I spoke to his surgeon who came to see and. Keith has Peritonitis. He was in theatre for two and half hours and he was a mess. The Gallbladder was very nasty and had stuck to the liver and other things, so the operation was complex. The surgeon is not certain the Gallbladder caused the problem, because when he removed it he could not find a tear in it, but there were stones in it, so they are keeping a close eye on Keith in case they need to take him back to theatre, but at the moment he is holding his own and they seem to be getting on top of his pain. He looks better in himself, he has some colour and he was a little more awake, but he is poorly. The surgeon says it is going to be a long haul and even when he comes home he will have to wear drains for a further 6 weeks.

Further update.
Went back to see him this afternoon and evening and he was much more rested because instead of him using a Bolus to give himself meds, they are doing it for him as he is so weak and does not press the button in time to get the Morphine. So on the pain front I think they are winning. He is on three different antibiotics to try and get on top of the infection.
Keith did have his eyes open a little more and was responsive when spoken to which was a plus.
It is early days and I have been told many hurdles to jump over, but I am positive and I know he will keep fighting.

It's stupid o'clock

It is 2.27 am Thursday morning and I am up drinking tea, so I thought I would update you on Keith.
Yesterday (Wednesday) at 1.30 pm I got a phone call from the Eva the nurse looking after Keith telling me they had called the consultant in and he wanted Keith in surgery and it would happen in around 20 minutes. Jack our neighbour very kindly drove me to the hospital, so I could see Keith before he went down. At 2.10 pm Keith was taken down to theatre to have his Gallbladder removed. Whilst he was there I walked back to the boat, sorted the dog out with a quick walk, found my phone which I would be needing and was then taken back to the hospital to wait for Keith to come out of surgery. He arrived back up to the Intensive Care Unit at 7.15 pm.
I was shown into the ICU and was told not to worry about all the leads, noises and things going on, Keith was fine. He had been put in ICU because he had been under the anaesthetic along time and they were finding it hard to wake him up. He was still in a lot of pain which he could control with a bolus pump, the problem was he was to sleepy to press the button, so they were doing it for him. They tried to remove the Gallbladder by keyhole but had to open him up. I am going to meet with the surgeon today to find out what they had to do, but it seems that it may have perforated, but I will know more later.
I am so relieved that they finally did something and now he can start the healing process.
A huge thank you for your messages of support, they continue to help us get through this.

Still no good news.

I have been in to see Keith. When I got there he was in dreadful pain, as they had changed him and his bed. Moving him caused him extreme pain, so they gve him an injection to help with that. They are not able at present to manage his pain, so are waiting for the pain management team to visit again. He is on 100mg Tramadol, 5 mg Diazepam, Buscopan and Morphine and this should knock an Elephant out, but it is not even touching Keith's pain and they do not know why. He is to have two more bags of fluids and then they will revue him again. His temperature is up and down and the poor man is sweating so much because of the pain he is in. If his temperature spikes again they are to give him another antibiotic drip and call the doctor.
When I left him, he was a little more settled, but the nurse looking after him is concerned they cannot control his pain yet. She is excellent and filled me in with what the doctors had to say. So no good news yet, but maybe tomorrow.
Once again thank you for all your support, it really is helping. I passed on your messages to Keith. We love you all xxxxxxxxxx

Never rains unless it pours.

Hi Friends.

You know when they say things come along in three's, well they lied.

For Keith it is four's. I am sad to report he is back in hospital, not with his back, or the stomach bug or water infection, this time he has a severely inflamed Gallbladder...No I am not joking, he is poorly again.
I had to call 111 at 4 am this morning (Monday) and an ambulance was sent. Having been in A&E his sats were dropping so he was rushed into resuscitation where they could keep a closer eye on him and do all the tests needed. They did an x-ray and ultrasound on the spot and then rushed him down for a CT scan. The verdict was they say his gallbladder is poorly. When I say poorly I mean severely inflamed, which was causing him excruciating pain. Anyone of you who has suffered with this will know what I mean. He had 30ml of Morphine whilst in Resus plus other drugs and they thought they had got him stable enough to get him on to the 23 hour ward, but having moved him from the trolley to the bed, the pain was just as intense, so they gave him Tramadol, Diclofenic and Diazepam as well. Finally it appeared to knock him out enough that he was moaning in his knocked out state about the pain, but at least he was more settled. The nurse looking after him was on doing checking him every five minutes, because of all the medication he had been given. I think the amount given could have knocked out a Elephant. He is on Oxygen to keep his sats up and on an Antibiotic drip and it is now a matter of waiting and seeing. The hospital has the Norovirus, so one I left him at lunch time, I was told I cannot go back in to see him, until the hospital get the all clear, so will have to phone to get his condition. Just wanted to let you all know...

UPDATE: I rang the hospital before going to bed and was told despite still being in pain, he is more settled and sedated on the drugs. The lock down of the hospital due to the Norovirus over the weekend had been lifted slightly and I can go and see him for an hour on Tuesday, so I will hopefully know more.

It never rains unless it pours for Keith at the moment, but he is in the right place, everyone there has been wonderful.

Day 7.

So here we are my friends into day 7 of 2014 and although the wind is blowing, the rain has stopped for at least today. Already this year there seems to have been so much going on.

Us Brits love talking about the weather and so I will start there. Large swaths of our beautiful country is under water due to the high tides and the deluges we have been having recently. It makes me glad I live on a boat, but I do so feel for all the people who are flooded out. It must be a living nightmare trying to clear out your property after the water has left its damage and for some people it is not the first time they have been flood over the past few months. I then look to the sort of weather they have been getting in the USA and think how thankful we should be at not having. Parts of the US and Canada have been experiencing brain freezing temperatures, down as low as -51C (-60F) with the effect of wind chill, forecasters say. Brrrrr it reminds me of the film “The Day After Tomorrow”. They are blanketed with snow and people have lost their lives due to the cold. It makes what we are experiencing look so trivial. Now we have to hope that their weather does not come across the Atlantic to us.

It has been a couple of busier days. Keith is now up and about, so we took a short walk, so he could see how his back was fairing. yesterday I had to collect a prescription for more back medication for him having spoken to the GP in the morning. The fires were stoked, water tank filled and chores done. Today I slept in until 8.30 am, which is unheard of for me, but I have had a few sleepless nights lately. Having gotten up, Paddy was taken out as he was almost walking with crossed legs. Then it was breakfast time. Once the saloon stove was stoked up, I got some washing done, which included my old North Face jacket, which is going on Ebay. By the time all that was done, it was lunchtime and then I waited for Mr Tesco to call with our food delivery. He arrived at 1.25 pm and very kindly wheeled the crates down to the boat on his trolley, I then handed the crates into Keith through the galley doors and he emptied the food onto the work surface. After the nice Mr Tesco man had gone, I then stowed the food supplies away. Because we had not eaten much over the Christmas and New Year, I did not have a big order, but the cupboard, fridge and freezer were still all fit to bursting point.

Not a huge amount to write about at the moment, but just felt the need to type something to let you know how things are in our world right now.

So here we are.

Five days into the New Year and I never even gave resolutions a thought. I suppose that is because I never really make them.  It could be said I am apathetic at best and cannot be bothered at worst. After all who actually ever keeps to them anyway.

I intend to just keep on doing what I do. I am not doing diets, or changing my look. I am just going to be me.

I began to recycle in earnest this year since having a mooring, because we have a great recycling point at Sainsbury, so this year I am going to embark on even more recycling, by checking if there is anything we throw away that can go into the recycling bins. I have already cut our bin down by three quarters, which I am so pleased with. At the moment we can recycle clothing, cans, paper, plastics and bottles at Sainsbury and all veg waste is put into the compost heaps at the mooring.

It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget about actually living and helping others.

1. I am going to make the most of every day, after all this life is the only one I get as far as I know.
2. I hope that I will be able to do something which will make myself and others smile every day.

So how has the start to your New Year been?

Ours was quiet, what with Keith still being on the mend. Thankfully he is now up and about, all be it a bit dodgy on his pins, but that is due to being in bed for two weeks. His back is rather weak as well, so we need to work on getting that strengthened. He has finished most of his tablets now, so fingers are crossed that his back continues to improve and his water infection does not rear its ugly head again.

My New Year has whilst being quiet, was nice, because I got to watch plenty of TV. This was actually mostly films. What I did find very sad as the fact that most of the films were repeats and not just Christmas repeats, these films have been repeated time after time throughout the year, such as Star Wars and harry Potter, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Where Eagles Dare, etc etc, the list is endless. I would have thought with all the new films out there year on year, we could have had more new films shown over Christmas. I did watch The Terminal with Tom Hanks, I had not seen that before. I am not a soap lover and have not watched a single soap now for over 13 years. I am sick of the doom and gloom, shouting and screaming which seems to be the main stay of them these days. If they were more light hearted and up beat may just maybe I would have another look at them, but I think hell will freeze over before that happens. I really enjoy Still Open All Hours and the new Birds of a Feather. I am old school and like the older comedies. The Tv over Christmas the New Year was my friend what with Keith being poorly.

The weather has not been the best and there is a lot of flooding out there, so please stay safe where ever you are in the world.

Up and dressed.

Yes I have a smile on my face today. Keith has managed to get up and dressed this morning. Over the past couple of days he has tried to get up and has sat in his chair for a short period before heading back to bed. But this morning, he got up and dressed. 

I am now hopeful that he is over the worst of what was thrown at him over Christmas and we can now get on with enjoying the start of a brand new year. 

I have taken the nurses uniform off, but I will not tempt fate by putting it away just yet. It is wonderful to see him actually looking more like his old self. Not that he is old, but you know what I mean. Today he finishes the antibiotics for the water infection, so fingers will be crossed that they have done their job. He has a couple more days worth of back medication, and then we will see what happens there. Next week he has an appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat Consultant, to sort out his nose. I think 2014 is going to be a year of sorting out Keith's health, but getting him better is so important, so we can then get on with cruising again. 

I have been so very grateful for the help from people at our mooring and for all the support of bloggers, facebookers and twitters. Thank you you written support has been wonderful. xxxxxx