Kath is awake and off the ventilator. She remains weak and is still under the watchful eyes of the CCU (critical care unit) team but her progress over the last two days has been massive. The first thing she asked was for something to drink and the second was whether she'd had the transplant. This is quite a common fear amongst transplant patients. When you are put on the list you are warned that sometimes things go wrong at the very last minute and they have to bring you round without performing the operation. To go through all that fear and anxiety just to wake up and be in the same state as you were when you went under doesn't bear thinking about. Now Kath is going to have to get used to the fact that almost a week of her new life has gone past without her knowing a thing about it. So much for Holby City's heart transplant patient sitting up with a cup of tea hours after the op. Real life is much slower and much more painful.
I recieved some personal good news this morning. My INR results are back and they are perfect, right in the middle of the 2 - 3 range at 2.5. I have graciously been granted a ten week reprieve before my next visit. This means I won't have to dice words with the stroppy receptionist as to why I can't make a round trip from Canterbury to have it done next Friday.
So there is nothing left to get in the way of our much longed for and much needed trip away next week. Though Peter said last night 'you know what's going to happen don't you?'
'No? What?'
'We will have just finished booking into the hotel and you'll get the call.'
'Would you mind?'
'Good God no, of course not, especially if it means this time next year we could be looking forward to a trip to Rome instead.'
You see, we both tend to look on the positives. Yes our much needed break will be ruined but we can have a better one instead. What's not to like?
Another PH friend and transplant buddy, Stacie, went to Papworth for her check up yesterday and, although she couldn't get in to see Kath, she had a long chat with her family and came away very excited about the progress being made. I'm due an appointment on the 18th so may have better luck at paying a visit. Though in my heart of hearts I'm hoping she'll have improved enough to go home by then.
No disrespect to Kath but the most interesting piece of news Stacie brought back was that Papworth has done so many heart/lung transplants this year there are very few of us left on the list. This is good news because, although I haven't been done yet, I'm competing against fewer people and my chances are being raised every time someone else gets their chance. You never know, maybe I will get my turn before I reach the one year marker, stranger things have happened.
Today is going to be a 'do nothing' day. I've had a busy couple of days all in all and I don't want to wear myself out before going away so I've decided to put my feet up for the day. I do have to bake a cake this afternoon, it's Andrew's birthday tomorrow and, as I didn't get to see Laurence on his birthday, I'm making them a joint treat, but as I enjoy baking I don't see that as a chore. Hopefully it will also make up for the fact Andrew's present hasn't arrived yet. I'm going to have to chase that on Monday. It pelted down with rain yesterday preventing me from checking for anymore ripened blackberries so I'll probably do that sometime today as well.
I'm sitting her with a very red, hot and sore face at the moment. I tried a free face cream sample that I got from L'Occitane when I bought my perfume. I smeared it on thinking this is nice but within a couple of minutes my face began to feel hot and I had to go and try to wash it off. Of course the blasted stuff had sunk in by then and although I got some of it off the damage had been done. Now I'm not blaming L'Occitane in the slightest. My skin is extremely sensitive and there are very few products, including soap, I can use on it so I should have known better than to try the sample in the first place. So it's back to Pond's cold cream and Nivea, at least I don't spend a fortune on skin care, that's one compensation I suppose.
Right time to put another cold flannel on my face to cool it down a bit. Hopefully it will have calmed down by the time I have to go out next. More updates on my face and Kath tomorrow.
I recieved some personal good news this morning. My INR results are back and they are perfect, right in the middle of the 2 - 3 range at 2.5. I have graciously been granted a ten week reprieve before my next visit. This means I won't have to dice words with the stroppy receptionist as to why I can't make a round trip from Canterbury to have it done next Friday.
So there is nothing left to get in the way of our much longed for and much needed trip away next week. Though Peter said last night 'you know what's going to happen don't you?'
'No? What?'
'We will have just finished booking into the hotel and you'll get the call.'
'Would you mind?'
'Good God no, of course not, especially if it means this time next year we could be looking forward to a trip to Rome instead.'
You see, we both tend to look on the positives. Yes our much needed break will be ruined but we can have a better one instead. What's not to like?
Another PH friend and transplant buddy, Stacie, went to Papworth for her check up yesterday and, although she couldn't get in to see Kath, she had a long chat with her family and came away very excited about the progress being made. I'm due an appointment on the 18th so may have better luck at paying a visit. Though in my heart of hearts I'm hoping she'll have improved enough to go home by then.
No disrespect to Kath but the most interesting piece of news Stacie brought back was that Papworth has done so many heart/lung transplants this year there are very few of us left on the list. This is good news because, although I haven't been done yet, I'm competing against fewer people and my chances are being raised every time someone else gets their chance. You never know, maybe I will get my turn before I reach the one year marker, stranger things have happened.
 |
| This is not the cake but I'm hoping for something similar |
Today is going to be a 'do nothing' day. I've had a busy couple of days all in all and I don't want to wear myself out before going away so I've decided to put my feet up for the day. I do have to bake a cake this afternoon, it's Andrew's birthday tomorrow and, as I didn't get to see Laurence on his birthday, I'm making them a joint treat, but as I enjoy baking I don't see that as a chore. Hopefully it will also make up for the fact Andrew's present hasn't arrived yet. I'm going to have to chase that on Monday. It pelted down with rain yesterday preventing me from checking for anymore ripened blackberries so I'll probably do that sometime today as well.
I'm sitting her with a very red, hot and sore face at the moment. I tried a free face cream sample that I got from L'Occitane when I bought my perfume. I smeared it on thinking this is nice but within a couple of minutes my face began to feel hot and I had to go and try to wash it off. Of course the blasted stuff had sunk in by then and although I got some of it off the damage had been done. Now I'm not blaming L'Occitane in the slightest. My skin is extremely sensitive and there are very few products, including soap, I can use on it so I should have known better than to try the sample in the first place. So it's back to Pond's cold cream and Nivea, at least I don't spend a fortune on skin care, that's one compensation I suppose.
Right time to put another cold flannel on my face to cool it down a bit. Hopefully it will have calmed down by the time I have to go out next. More updates on my face and Kath tomorrow.
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