Good Afternoon All,
Good news all round.District Nurses continue to call 3 times a week, but my favourite nurse has just left for another job.She tried to get my leg repaired before she left and almost made it. Since last week,I've been taking intravenous Guinness and , guess what, its just about worked.As at Wednesday, the original 12 x 2 inch hole has now reduced in size to three small holes around the size of a 10p piece. No more blood oozing through the dressings, no more nasty surprises when I wake up , we are almost there.
Wednesday saw our latest visit to Birmingham. I AM CLEAR. The operation removed the tumour and everything else. My surgeon wants to finish the job as soon as he can, it will take a few more operations but they will all be relatively small ones which are 'run of the mill' dental work.When he has finished, I will have a bottom set of teeth and nothing will stop me eating that piece of cow ( medium/rare).
Swelling continues to reduce, we dont really know what I will be left with, but I am more than satisfied with my face as it now stands ( couldn't really improve on perfection anyway !!).I tried to see my GP last week but couldn't get an appointment which didn't clash with other medics,one of his colleagues has sent me to Bassetlaw Hosp. next week to have a funny looking skin blemish on the top of my head examined ( no, not to get my head examined !!).Birmingham had a look while I was there and believe its a typical sun blemish which bald men get. Dont know why I've got it, I'm not bald, just got a wide parting !Anyway, a different Hospital will make a change.
Social life going well - Lincoln won on Tuesday and 3 friends turned up, much better watching with others.Thursday night saw a cabaret act which I wasn't expecting, but a good night anyway. Tonight and tomorrow I'm selling raffle tickets at this years pantomime ( no Dame this year ) Its about the only job I can do sitting down but I will enjoy the company. Thanks for letter G, nice surprise .
Best Wishes to all
Chris
Friday 27 January 2012
Thursday 19 January 2012
Steady Progress ?
Good Evening All,
Its been a week now since my last offering and there is not a lot to report. The trip to Birmingham was very interesting as I met up with the people who are producing the project which I cannot tell you anything about yet but if this blog interests you, I'm quite sure you will be interested in the project when it is released.
The surgeons are so pleased with the way that the jaw has stabilized and the movement in it ,that an appointment has been made next Wednesday to meet the dental expert who will be inserting the dental implants ( teeth ) in my lower jaw at a date to be agreed in March. I've agreed to have the operation filmed, not that I will know much about it, but at least someone will get something out of it.
The swelling has reduced substantially over the last week, so much so that I can now sculpture the beard back into the shape it was prior to the op. Its me, again ! The leg continues to annoy me, I can walk a reasonable distance now without any pain but I cant stand still for more than 5 minutes .When I meet anyone on my way to the paper shop, I have to give my apologies after a few minutes as my leg starts to throb, but as soon as I start walking again or put it up on the pouffe, the pain disappears. Looks like golf is a possibility soon, but umpiring may take a little longer.I've still got a few days of penicillin left so intravenous Guinness on Monday night then the repair of the skin will kick in at a greater rate of knots.
My shoulders locked on Sunday so I stopped the exercises.The physio released them on Monday, moaned at me for pushing too hard and not taking pain killers, so more gentle exercises this week at a slightly slower rate
Socially,I'm getting out much more now, went to watch Lincoln and Carshalton on Saturday just to remind me what depression really is, went to a concert in Gainsborough on Sunday , once again it was OK while my leg was raised, but it gave me a bit of jip when it was down. Going to see Dan and Han ( eldest son and daughter-in-law (that sounds odd)), this weekend- first time away since coming home, proving to be a logistical exercise remembering all the pills,creams,bandages and other aids but I'm looking forward to it.
Blog next week.
Best Wishes to all ( there are 4000+ of you now )
Chris
Its been a week now since my last offering and there is not a lot to report. The trip to Birmingham was very interesting as I met up with the people who are producing the project which I cannot tell you anything about yet but if this blog interests you, I'm quite sure you will be interested in the project when it is released.
The surgeons are so pleased with the way that the jaw has stabilized and the movement in it ,that an appointment has been made next Wednesday to meet the dental expert who will be inserting the dental implants ( teeth ) in my lower jaw at a date to be agreed in March. I've agreed to have the operation filmed, not that I will know much about it, but at least someone will get something out of it.
The swelling has reduced substantially over the last week, so much so that I can now sculpture the beard back into the shape it was prior to the op. Its me, again ! The leg continues to annoy me, I can walk a reasonable distance now without any pain but I cant stand still for more than 5 minutes .When I meet anyone on my way to the paper shop, I have to give my apologies after a few minutes as my leg starts to throb, but as soon as I start walking again or put it up on the pouffe, the pain disappears. Looks like golf is a possibility soon, but umpiring may take a little longer.I've still got a few days of penicillin left so intravenous Guinness on Monday night then the repair of the skin will kick in at a greater rate of knots.
My shoulders locked on Sunday so I stopped the exercises.The physio released them on Monday, moaned at me for pushing too hard and not taking pain killers, so more gentle exercises this week at a slightly slower rate
Socially,I'm getting out much more now, went to watch Lincoln and Carshalton on Saturday just to remind me what depression really is, went to a concert in Gainsborough on Sunday , once again it was OK while my leg was raised, but it gave me a bit of jip when it was down. Going to see Dan and Han ( eldest son and daughter-in-law (that sounds odd)), this weekend- first time away since coming home, proving to be a logistical exercise remembering all the pills,creams,bandages and other aids but I'm looking forward to it.
Blog next week.
Best Wishes to all ( there are 4000+ of you now )
Chris
Tuesday 10 January 2012
New Year, same old problems
Good Evening Friends,
Had a very interesting last few days, some improvements, another target achieved ,another setback and an interesting take on cutbacks.Not bad for five days.So lets start in chronological order.
Friday was my first visit to the Hospice for physio on my shoulders or so I thought. It turned out to be an administrative exercise to determine whether I was eligible for treatment. Whilst the staff were very friendly and welcoming, it became more obvious throughout the hour long form-filling exercise that the services provided by the Hospice had been severely curtailed since my father accessed them less than a year ago.As the tumour which was killing me had been removed, the question of whether or not I remained terminally ill was the focus of the eligibility process. Eventually, after much discussion, it was agreed that as I remained under treatment from QE and had not been informed that I was not going to die imminently, then I could access the physio and an appointment was set up.
Monday started in a dis-organised fashion scuppering the planned quiet day. The phone rang at 8.30 - yes that was a.m. Rob- with my GP informing me that the swab from the leg wound taken on the previous Wednesday had shown an infection and a course of penicillin was required. Shortly afterwards,QE Birmingham rang to ask if I would go to clinic on Friday of this week. The QE text arrived around half an hour later showing an appointment time 5 hours before that agreed earlier,so another phone call to find out which was right. Net result is that we are off to Birmingham for 1.30 on Friday.What delights await me there ?
Today was my first visit with the physio who very quickly identified the problem which had been caused as a result of the aftermath of the op.A pressure point massage and a few exercises helped to increase the flexibility of my shoulders and I was given a few exercises to undertake 3 times a day. The dumbbells have to go back into storage for a month or so because I was building up muscles which might permanently stop the shoulders sockets from returning to normal, so exercises and pill taking will be this weeks plan.
Socially, all is going well. Friday evening I called round to the pantomime practise and read in for a couple of characters who were missing - I found that that helped develop my speech further and my fellow cast members felt that I had lost none of my volume.
Saturday, I went to watch Lincoln City ( fourth goal achieved ). Lynn drove me in and picked me up after the game. The match is better described as a typical Lincoln effort - 93 minutes before a shot on target. Saturday evening we went out with friends - we usually share the driving ( I drive there, she drives back ) but now she has to drive both ways. Sunday we went to a Luncheon / Dance to celebrate a friends birthday and Monday evening we went out to celebrate Petes birthday. As I'm not taking as much exercise as I used to , I will have to watch my eating soon as I've already had my stomach disapprovingly poked by you know who.Pills means less Guinness so that may help - not ?? Time for exercises ,so bye for now and thanks for reading.
Best Wishes
Chris
Had a very interesting last few days, some improvements, another target achieved ,another setback and an interesting take on cutbacks.Not bad for five days.So lets start in chronological order.
Friday was my first visit to the Hospice for physio on my shoulders or so I thought. It turned out to be an administrative exercise to determine whether I was eligible for treatment. Whilst the staff were very friendly and welcoming, it became more obvious throughout the hour long form-filling exercise that the services provided by the Hospice had been severely curtailed since my father accessed them less than a year ago.As the tumour which was killing me had been removed, the question of whether or not I remained terminally ill was the focus of the eligibility process. Eventually, after much discussion, it was agreed that as I remained under treatment from QE and had not been informed that I was not going to die imminently, then I could access the physio and an appointment was set up.
Monday started in a dis-organised fashion scuppering the planned quiet day. The phone rang at 8.30 - yes that was a.m. Rob- with my GP informing me that the swab from the leg wound taken on the previous Wednesday had shown an infection and a course of penicillin was required. Shortly afterwards,QE Birmingham rang to ask if I would go to clinic on Friday of this week. The QE text arrived around half an hour later showing an appointment time 5 hours before that agreed earlier,so another phone call to find out which was right. Net result is that we are off to Birmingham for 1.30 on Friday.What delights await me there ?
Today was my first visit with the physio who very quickly identified the problem which had been caused as a result of the aftermath of the op.A pressure point massage and a few exercises helped to increase the flexibility of my shoulders and I was given a few exercises to undertake 3 times a day. The dumbbells have to go back into storage for a month or so because I was building up muscles which might permanently stop the shoulders sockets from returning to normal, so exercises and pill taking will be this weeks plan.
Socially, all is going well. Friday evening I called round to the pantomime practise and read in for a couple of characters who were missing - I found that that helped develop my speech further and my fellow cast members felt that I had lost none of my volume.
Saturday, I went to watch Lincoln City ( fourth goal achieved ). Lynn drove me in and picked me up after the game. The match is better described as a typical Lincoln effort - 93 minutes before a shot on target. Saturday evening we went out with friends - we usually share the driving ( I drive there, she drives back ) but now she has to drive both ways. Sunday we went to a Luncheon / Dance to celebrate a friends birthday and Monday evening we went out to celebrate Petes birthday. As I'm not taking as much exercise as I used to , I will have to watch my eating soon as I've already had my stomach disapprovingly poked by you know who.Pills means less Guinness so that may help - not ?? Time for exercises ,so bye for now and thanks for reading.
Best Wishes
Chris
Thursday 5 January 2012
Happy New Year
Good Afternoon ( or whatever time of the day it is for readers ),
Happy New Year to you all.
We are now 5 days into the new year and it has been over a week since my last offering so here is the latest update.
Starting as usual with medical matters, after all this is what this blog is designed for ! Still progressing, still proving difficult to heal and testing the experts.The good news is that the donor site for my second skin graft ( which fell off ) has now stopped bleeding, the scabs have all dropped off and whilst it looks red raw, there is no pain and parts (around 5%) have already reverted to normal skin colour. The second good news is that the swelling continues to recede around the jaw , so much so that I can now open my jaw to its full extent ( just in time to start yelling at those lazy articles turning out at Sincil Bank ) and my tongue can extend far enough to feel the internal stitches which have yet to dissolve in my mouth. That means that all above the knee is progressing well.
The main wound, that bit where a part of my fibia was relocated into my mouth, is healing at a different pace in different areas of the leg. The top section and the bottom section are over granulating ( which apparently means healing too quickly - I had the same problem with the trachy hole healing) .That means that the proposed doppler exercise is pointless because a compression bandage will speed up healing over all the area and now we are trying to slow down some parts - bugger it !!
I have been given an appointment at the physio at the Hospice tomorrow as I'm having some difficulties with my shoulders ( must get that right before my first round of Golf - not that it would make much difference - I'm no bandit at 26 !! ). I have had some discomfort since my first operation, but thought it was because I was propped up in an awkward position 24 hours a day for over a week. When we went out on new years eve, I had much difficulty putting on my jacket, it was then that I realised that my shoulders had fallen forwards giving me a humped back. The District Nurse felt that I might be doing more harm than good with my dumbbells so I've stopped that until I get advice from the physio.
On the social front I've had another good week- had a couple of visitors and a good many phone calls as people begin to realise that I can hold an intelligent conversation ( dont know how the surgeons managed to implant that ability).The New Years Eve dance with Jo at Morton Village hall was a really good do. It took me a long time to get ready, almost 20 minutes to tie the bow tie and almost as long to get into my dinner jacket. I was allocated a corner seat so that I could have my leg raised without being in anyones way and I was really looked after by Ann, Pete and Jo, including special puddings and extra cakes as my bun eating is not yet up to scratch. Leg started to give me a bit of jip around 10.30 , thats when I realised that I didn't have it high enough but another guinness took the pain away. Its nice to see in the New Year with friends , especially when I didn't expect to see this one in at all. Monday night we went round to Ann & Petes for a meal and a natter , haven't done that for some time but it was a good night and Ann cooked according to my eating abilities.Hoping to get out a bit more this next week or so.
Bye for now
Chris
Happy New Year to you all.
We are now 5 days into the new year and it has been over a week since my last offering so here is the latest update.
Starting as usual with medical matters, after all this is what this blog is designed for ! Still progressing, still proving difficult to heal and testing the experts.The good news is that the donor site for my second skin graft ( which fell off ) has now stopped bleeding, the scabs have all dropped off and whilst it looks red raw, there is no pain and parts (around 5%) have already reverted to normal skin colour. The second good news is that the swelling continues to recede around the jaw , so much so that I can now open my jaw to its full extent ( just in time to start yelling at those lazy articles turning out at Sincil Bank ) and my tongue can extend far enough to feel the internal stitches which have yet to dissolve in my mouth. That means that all above the knee is progressing well.
The main wound, that bit where a part of my fibia was relocated into my mouth, is healing at a different pace in different areas of the leg. The top section and the bottom section are over granulating ( which apparently means healing too quickly - I had the same problem with the trachy hole healing) .That means that the proposed doppler exercise is pointless because a compression bandage will speed up healing over all the area and now we are trying to slow down some parts - bugger it !!
I have been given an appointment at the physio at the Hospice tomorrow as I'm having some difficulties with my shoulders ( must get that right before my first round of Golf - not that it would make much difference - I'm no bandit at 26 !! ). I have had some discomfort since my first operation, but thought it was because I was propped up in an awkward position 24 hours a day for over a week. When we went out on new years eve, I had much difficulty putting on my jacket, it was then that I realised that my shoulders had fallen forwards giving me a humped back. The District Nurse felt that I might be doing more harm than good with my dumbbells so I've stopped that until I get advice from the physio.
On the social front I've had another good week- had a couple of visitors and a good many phone calls as people begin to realise that I can hold an intelligent conversation ( dont know how the surgeons managed to implant that ability).The New Years Eve dance with Jo at Morton Village hall was a really good do. It took me a long time to get ready, almost 20 minutes to tie the bow tie and almost as long to get into my dinner jacket. I was allocated a corner seat so that I could have my leg raised without being in anyones way and I was really looked after by Ann, Pete and Jo, including special puddings and extra cakes as my bun eating is not yet up to scratch. Leg started to give me a bit of jip around 10.30 , thats when I realised that I didn't have it high enough but another guinness took the pain away. Its nice to see in the New Year with friends , especially when I didn't expect to see this one in at all. Monday night we went round to Ann & Petes for a meal and a natter , haven't done that for some time but it was a good night and Ann cooked according to my eating abilities.Hoping to get out a bit more this next week or so.
Bye for now
Chris
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