FORGOT TO TELL YOU

Dave has reminded me that I forgot to tell you, the surgeon wanted to do key hole surgery but he dropped the key so had to make a zip to get in!
Tina

Home at last

Surgery was early hours of Sunday morning. Dave got through the rest of the night with the help of morphine. The surgeon arrived about 8.30am that morning to talk with us and to explain how very seriously ill Dave had been and how serious the operation was, it was a bit scary for me. Dave slept for most of Sunday with regular visits from various nurses and doctors throughout the day, he also got regular morphine injections and one of his Four bags changed for a full one, this seemed to happen every hour or so. The day passed full of visitors for him, starting as always with Steve and Irene-Maria, although Dave was unaware of most :O) I had a very disturbed night looking after poor Dave who had a lot of pain and felt very sick. No sleep at all.

Monday:

The following Day was a Monday and Dave’s improvement was evident to all. At six am the nurses would arrive to take blood. The surgeon arrived about 8.30 am to examine Dave’s tummy and explain all that was going on. He was amazed to see Dave sitting up and looking so healthy and happy. He kept saying “How you so well?” The blood results were also very good; the jaundice was disappearing faster than the surgeon could believe.

Later that morning Steve and Irene-Maria arrived and prayed with us, Steve explained that he had put Dave on a prayer chain (along with Poo) also the church were going to hold a prayer time for Dave, and have done so ever since. Joan (Dave’s sister) phoned to tell us that Dave has been put on their prayer chain and the Church body were also praying for him. Sunday passed with lots of food and drink for me, poor Dave was not allowed to eat at all.

We had visitor after visitor all that day, many Church family who prayed for us, but at the end of Monday Dave and I were exhausted. We were both ready for sleep. I had not slept of course since going to Hospital Friday.

Tuesday:

As usual the nurses woke us at 6 am for blood etc. and at about 8.30 the surgeon arrived to say that Dave’s jaundice had gone and his temperature was back to normal, again he kept saying how amazed he was at Dave’s recovery rate, impossible but it is true. He told us not so many visitors today as Dave must keep walking around the room to stop blood clots. He had so many drains and tubes that he wore only a very short hospital gown that done up badly at the back! What a sight he was lol. The surgeon removed the dressing to look at the wound. “Fantastic” I took a quick shot

he told Dave how pleased he was with his recover and that the ‘weeks’ may turn to days in the hospital” Dave immediately jumped in to say could he go to casa tomorrow. The surgeon said with a shrug of his shoulders “Maybe, you have a miraculous recovery rate, maybe indeed” He also said that today you have no visitors so you can walk around room. We said OK.

When Steve and Irene Maria arrived with all the goodies (it always included a plate of cakes and chocolates, and a yogurt.) We asked them to let the Church know how very grateful we were to them but we have been told by the doctor that we were to have no visitors until we returned home. This Steve did and apart from Jeanette and Brian and
Liz the day was visitor free.

It was also my 64^th Birthday :O). Only Jay knew this and she brought a card and present of sweets. A bag of liquorish allsorts (Dave’s favourite) so I gave them to him for when he got better. A chunky kit Kat- a bag of liquorish fruit sweets, and a very miniature carrier bag that held a musical ‘happy birthday’ tune.

Jeanette had gone to our post box and brought all my birthday cards up to me. You can see them in the background on the bed photo. Poor Dave only had two get well
cards! (He has now got five: O) The Church brought him a lovely one and all signed it with well wishes. (That was his first)

Later that morning Ernie came up with a beautiful birthday card with a message that It made me cry. It said

He also shocked us by telling us that Mary had been discharged, we were all confused as one minute she had surgery booked to unblock or replace the large artery that they could not manage to unblock before, and now suddenly she was going home!

I popped down to see Mary and she was very worried and not at all happy at being suddenly released like that. I do not think that Ernie could understand why or make him self understood. We were indeed blessed that our surgeon spoke perfect English with a little struggle.

After seeing Mary and Ernie off with the help of Liz I returned to my room to spend the rest of the day with Dave.

We spent a very quite afternoon with my help taking a slow walk down the corridors and around our room. What a funny site we must have made, I was wheeling one of his bag holder and his pee pee bag at the same time trying to hold his gown together and Dave was holding the other wheelie thing with a bag attached and his drainage bag whilst at the same time trying to get me to guide his catheter towards where it came from!!!! I kept lagging behind to clench his robe together! He said he would rather show off his bum than have his catheter pulled!!!!

We got a very early night, I had a sound sleep but Dave evidently did not. I was very upset at six when the nurse woke us to find that Dave had got out and into the armchair as he was in pain and then could not get back to bed. He did not wake me to help. I was so upset that I had slept through it.

Wednesday:

After the usual blood etc Steve and Irene-Maria arrived with goodies and then Jeanette and Brian with a salad and potato in jacket, Liz came later with sandwiches and a thermos, I had enough food to last me for ever. So different from my ten day stay in Vega Baja hospital where I had NO visitors at all, no money no food and no bed or bed clothing for me! A room was shared between two families, the other bed was occupied by an elderly man who looked and sounded as though he was 102 years old! About ten members of his family were there at any one time and as with most Spanish they were extremely loud with the Spanish radio blaring full blast.

Oooh nasty memories, back to today :O)

In this room I had a beautiful bed with a pillow supplied with crisp white sheets and a lovely blue velvety blanket, bliss! My bed folds away and becomes the wall to the large shelve.

I will take you on a quick tour of the room (although for some reason my mobile phone camera would only take sort of close up’s, I stood as far away as possible yet when I put the camera up it zoomed in, I could not show you how big the room was because of this.

This is the shower room (again it was quite large with shelving up inside.)

other photos.

This was a large TV (only Spanish of course!)

bed has been tucked away

The surgeon arrived for his visit much later than usual, He was very pleased with Dave and said a few more days, maybe three or four. Dave said he would be happier at home and heal much quicker. The surgeon asked if he was unhappy with the hospital, Dave assured him that we were delighted with everything but home is home.

Eventually he said lets see how you manage with this out, he pointed to the catheter. After he left the nurse came in within minutes to remove it. I said to Dave I was taking a little walk and left them to it. When I came back he had NO tubes of any kind. All gone!

I was amazed, Dave said “I am free at last” not long after they brought him his first proper meal

I ate my wonderful salad and warm potato. It was simple delicious.

The surgeon came back to speak to Dave, he once again asked if he was sure about going home, it has been a very short visit. Dave assured him he would be fine. He shook Dave’s hand and said come back if you are feeling unwell at all, if you vomit or have pain. Dave said yes and he was gone with a smile and a ‘wonderful’

Once the forms were all filled in and the surgeon returned to check Dave out he said OK you can go but you are very welcome to stay a few more days, Dave thanked him and said he would be happier at home. We phoned for a lift and Jeanette and Brian arrived to take us home.

The doggies were delighted to see us, we were home! Over the next two days our home was like Piccadilly Circus, the phone never stopped ringing, I think every member of our family as well as every member of our Church family phoned. The visitors were also none Stop. Every neighbour and friend visited Dave along with members of our Church.

This carried on for Thursday and Friday until we pulled down the blinds and turned the camera on the TV to monitor the visitors.

Saturday went by with hardly any visitors at all.

Sunday I decided to go to Church on my own as Dave was not up to it. I welcomed everyone in and stayed by the door as usual for 15 minutes after the service started to welcome late comers in. I had just sat down when I heard the door go, I decided to leave them to come in alone as it would be less disruption. I noticed someone walking down to the front and taking the platform, I thought it looked a lot like Dave. Suddenly he turned to face the front and to everyone’s amazement it was Dave. He asked Steve if he could say a few words. Steve was delighted to see him and said please.

Dave thanked every one for their prayers and said the surgeon had told Tina and me that I was very seriously ill and I had emergency surgery that ended with dialysis and the ICU ward and three days later I was walking from the hospital! God is good. He was so excited he was almost jumping!

We did not stay after the service as someone gave Dave a big hug and almost had him screaming in tears!

The rest you know. Thank you all for your well wishes and love.

Tina and Dave x

Operation

We settled into our room and I sat with Dave as he waited to know what was to happen to him.

The surgeon came in, he spoke very good English. He explained that at this point he wanted Dave’s temperature and blood count to return to normal before operating if possible. He said that Dave’s gall bladder was in trouble and that it would need surgery at some point, either tonight or tomorrow depending on the results of a blood test. He smiled at Dave and tapped my arm and said see you later and disappeared. A little later a nurse came and gave Dave a morphine injection (in his tummy) and took some blood. Dave was still on drips (three of them).

Dave was in a great deal of pain and kept saying the morphine wasn’t working. After about one hour the surgeon came back. He said to Dave “Your temperature is going up..up..up and your jaundice count is also going up..up..up we have to operate now!”

He disappeared to get ready and a nurse came in with his hospital gowns

I felt so sorry for him, he must have felt so nervous, it is his first proper operation (apart from the emergency surgery on his lung and he did not know much about that!)

A little later two young nurses came in; they were very sweet but could not speak English. They had an incontinent pad in their hands and a small towel, they trying to tell us something, eventually we understood that Dave was to lift his bum as they put the pad under, then from the towel dropped about ten razors into the bed!! All at once we both new what was to happen to Dave. I said I shall wait outside (I thought it may embarrass Dave with me there) but the nurses said “No you stay” I asked Dave and he said stay.

Well I have never seen the likes of it before nor will you ever!

They stripped the bed sheet up along with his gown and a nurse stood each side of him, they each placed a razor in the middle of his tummy just under his ribs, they each drew it towards themselves and flicked the hair of onto the pad and met again in the middle. They worked together and very fast! They worked there way down in the same way. It was all over very quickly and cleanly. They lifted his but and whipped the pad out with all the fuzz and the razors, rolled it up and threw it in his bin. Done! They removed all his rings (including his wedding ring) Dave tried very hard to keep it on, saying “tape on it” but she said not possible. The nurse started to take it off for him and he said “No, my wife put that on 43 years ago and she will take it off” Sweet, he handed me his hand. I was nearly in tears. They then asked about teeth, poor Dave had to take his teeth out to!

At this point Liz and Tony arrived for a visit

a few moments later Ernie arrived from Mary's room to see how things were going.

Upon all the visitors arriving Dave quickly asked for his teeth again lol. I got them out and he discreetly put them in. It was now getting on for 9.40pm.

I think the visitors helped take David’s mind of what was about to happen, I think I felt more worried then he did.

Just before ten the door opened and the nurse and the porter arrived to take Dave down. The visitors all went out side and Dave suddenly got out of bed stark naked! The nurses had removed all his clothes! He said sorry and rushed to the toilet. The nurse gave me his operation gown and asked me to put it on him. I slipped into the bathroom with him and dressed him, He told me he was dyeing to go to pee pee but as he had no clothes on and had visitors he could not get out of bed. Poor Dave.

The nurse painted his entire tummy with the pad you see in the photo of his op clothes and then they got his hat and bootees on and into the bed he slipped

They wheeled him out and past the visitors, I was so sad because I would have followed him down if we had not had visitors. I suddenly remembered his teeth and had to run after them. I think the Nurse thought I wanted to kiss him goodbye when I bent close and whispered “Teeth” :O) he slipped them out and gave them to me. I did kiss him goodbye then: O (

The visitor said goodbye outside the room, they left me to go into the empty bedroom with just a pair of slippers left of Dave

I felt so lonely and sad. Thank goodness I did not know how ill he was and what was about to happen to him.

The specialist had told me he would be gone about two hours so I waited for his return at about midnight. I sat there and sat there, at 2am I went to see a nurse, I eventually got her to understand what I was asking and she said that there had been an emergency and David was waiting. I thought she meant he was waiting for his op at the time but she meant Dave was the emergency and he was in ICU on a dialysis machine!

I felt so sorry for him. As the surgeon had told me three hours I thought if he hasn’t even had the op yet he won’t be up before about 4.30 – 5am. I started to make my bed up when the door opened and the surgeon came in, he sat on the wheelchair and explained to me that Dave was very seriously ill; I thought he said he may go to ICU but I have since been told he did go there. He explained that his gall bladder had burst and all the puss and poison had evaded his blood and organs. He had removed the gall bladder and cleaned his inside; he was at this point just coming off dialysis. He told me that Dave would be in the hospital for many, many days perhaps weeks as he was very ill. I just felt numb and scared to death and very alone at that moment. I had no way of contacting the children or family.

Dave was wheeled back within 15 minutes of the surgeon leaving the room; he looked so ill and had so many drips and tubes. I was far too distressed to take any photos: O (

He was sleeping but moaning and groaning all the time. I went to see a nurse and she gave him morphine which settled him down. He woke about 30 minutes later asking to be sick, he wasn’t. He was in a bad state of pain. He said could I take him to pee pee, I explained that he had a catheter in, at first he did not understand and then he said “How do I use it? I am not sure, do I just wee in the bed? “Poor little thing, I explained that he did not need to go to pee pee it would just empty into the tube as it went in the bladder.

I was so worried about the children and whether they had been told. I could not get in touch with Jeanette via her mobile or Brian’s.

I had managed to let Jeanette know both the Leeta’s telephone numbers when she took the dogs and asked her to tell them that Dave had gone into hospital possible to have his gall bladder removed. That was all I knew at that moment.

It is all a bit of a haze now but I think Sandie phoned at about 10.30 and I was able to say Dave had just gone down, I am not sure.

This will continues tomorrow.

Hospital visit

As some of you are aware both Dave and I have been with Ernie and Mary at the hospital for a period of two weeks. We arrive early morning and leave late afternoon. I have been supplying them with sandwiches and hot coffee! I must say they was a delight to be with, they are both such darlings, although they do not appreciate this themselves :O)

We were returning from just one of these visits and both feeling a little tired on Friday 4th at about nine pm. I started to make the dinner and Dave sat down, at about 9.15 Dave suddenly said “No dinner for me Tiny, my tummy is aching” that was the start of all the pain that worsened as the evening got later. By about 11 Dave said he was going to bed, we both thought at that time that he had very bad wind. The pain was very high in the middle of the stomach just in-between his ribs and also in the right side of the neck. I have often had such bad wind that it affects my neck, so I thought that this was perhaps what was wrong with Dave.

I gave Dave a windeze but the pain did not let up, I sat up with him whilst he was propped in a sitting position in bed, he did not go to sleep at all and was moaning a little.

I wanted to call an ambulance but Dave said it was probably wind (As Dave is one of those luck individuals that have never suffered an ear ache, muscle pain, heart burn or much of any other pain he was not sure as to what this was.)

My dear friend Sheila

I decided to phone Sheila, who speaks fluent Spanish; she is a member of our Church. I waited until eight am before phoning. she told me she would be straight over.

We were in the hospital by 8.45 and Dave was seen right away by a doctor who told us that he had a high fever, his blood pressure was fine. He was immediately transferred to another room to await a specialist, I was not aloud in but Sheila went with him.

I could not understand it; people were coming in with broken bones, cuts and bangs and were also going through that double door into the room that Dave had disappeared in but coming back out with plasters etc. Still no sign of Dave, I waited for 4.1/2 hours! Eventually I went up to the guard (there were two blocking the double doors) everyone argued to go in with their loved ones: O(

He seemed to understand me and disappeared through the doors, he returned about ten minutes later saying my friend will come and see me. Very shortly Sheila returned full of apologies, saying she had not been able to leave Dave as he was having many tests and seeing a few doctors! She said he was being looked after very well and had already had x-rays, scans, heart monitors, blood and seen several doctors and had many other tests. He was evidently Jaundice.

Sheila returned through the double doors again leaving me scared and alone.

Eventually she re appeared and said I may now replace her, there was nothing further she could do as Dave was waiting to go up to the ward!

At last I was aloud through the illusive doors, I was greeted by a very long corridor with cubicles that had curtains closed down each side. I did not have a clue as to where Dave was. I had no other option then to peep in all of then until I found Dave about half way up! He was sitting by a bed looking very sorry for him self. He did look a bit yellow now that I looked! A bit later a nurse came in and got him into bed.

Very soon after that another nurse came in and wired him all up ready for a heart monitor I think. He had wires clipped to ankles, arms, and chest.

I managed to take a quick photo of the chart before she disappeared with it :O) As soon as she left Dave got out of bed as it was far too painful to lay flat, she returned to attach a drip to his arm, smiling at him and pointing to the bed, Dave said (in sign language) that it was painful so she just nodded and left him sitting.

After a doctor came in and spoke to us in broken English Dave was taken along many corridors and up lifts to the ward. Well you cannot really call it a ward; he was put in a very large clean and bright private room. This was the new hospital that has only recently been built.

We were not sure if this was where he was going to stay or what was going to happen to him, we were not even sure if he was staying the night!

This is a view of the hall in the room, far door is the door into the room, to the left of the photo is the double wardrobe and shelves and to the right is the door into a large room that houses a shower/toilet and sink.

Thank you for reading this. I will do some more tomorrow.

Tinax