As hoped Doug was discharged from Livingston St Johns last Sunday (5th Feb) and is safely resettled at home.
Douglas has now had all the staples removed from his head wound (if that's the correct term) - all 47 of them!! He asked the nurse if he could have them to take home. Why she said .... want to use them to staple my documents he said!!!! Now that is Douglas for you ........
He assures us all that removal was not at all painfull, thanks to the skill of nurse and her wonderful line of chat :-) I suspect both Sheena and I 'felt' it more !!
The healing process is now well under way although, unfortunately, a small part is weeping rather badly which means repeated dressing replacement and two weeks of a powerful anti-biotic. All a bit of a pain really.
We have daily visits by the District Nurse who does the dressing change. This is a great relief since, to us, any supturation looks dramatic and worrying and she can assess and evaluate much better.
Things are getting better day by day.
The important part, the eye, is fine and looking good and the specialist is very pleased. Doug goes back to see her in a couple of weeks.
To look at Doug now, aside from the head dressing, it is hard to believe that he has had such intrusive surgery to the head and face. I think we had all expected much more bruising and swelling - a tribute to the skill of the plastic surgeon I feel.
He has coped really well with the whole procedure and can still have a good crack about things like 'there are not many that have a tap in the heid' !
He also jokes about how difficult it is to bandage the head, especially from ear to ear! The nurses have come up with an ingenious solution to holding dressings in place! A pair of elasticated mesh pants over the head, with the leg openings knotted!!!! Keep this quiet ....... Doug will do me an injury if he hears it is public knowledge :-(
(Superman wore his underwear over his trousers ..... SuperDuper man wears them over his head - ho, ho, ho - yeah right!!!!)
In a couple of weeks I think he'll be able to get back to his gym exercises and his bike training but we'll just have to be a bit careful not to overdo it initially.
In the meantime he is looking forward to being able to wear his reading specs comfortably ..... a bit sore behind the ears right now ...... and being able to read using his Kobo ebook reader again. As he says, if it takes much longer, he'll have to start at the beginning of the book again!! Exageration I'm sure, but I can understand his frustration.
By the bye, the Kobo Reader is a wonderful thing for anyone who has problems reading conventional books because the font type and size can be tailored to that most suitable for the reader. We were able to find the right size and font using his laptop computer and then download them to the Reader.
Whether or not this was the intention of the Kobo software folk ... VERY WELL DONE. You have just made reading once again an enjoyable passtime for one young man.
Iain (the auld yin)
Friday, 10 February 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
EYE to the front
As you will know if you've read the last post, Douglas has left eye problems and the long term prognosis was very poor. The Opthalmology doctor looking after him had, in mid 2011, identified a technique which, from trials in the USA, appeared to have a good possibility of significantly reducing the long term deterioration of the eye by restoring sensation to the eye ball.
After much discussion and debate, Doug decided that he wanted the procedure to be carried out and, in due course, a date was set for the 24th January 2012 in the Plastic Surgery department of St Johns Hospital, Livingston.
So, having had the Op., how are things going .................
The operation itself has been declared a success in that the surgical (plastic surgery) elements went smoothly and the nerve implant into his left eye ball was achieved with no evident problems. Unfortunately the whole operation lasted a lot longer than had been anticipated (9 and a half hours rather than 6).
As a consequence of this, Doug developed pressure sores on both buttocs and a really sore back.
As he says you go in to have your head opened up, and what hurts when its all done ....... your bum!!!
Seriously though this has been (and still is) a really painful aspect of his recovery, particularly since, in order to reduce post op swelling of his face and eye, he has had to lie in bed in a semi reclined position which puts increased pressure on lower back and bottom.
Regrettably he also developed quite serious congestion of his upper respiratory tract and to ease his breathing a more upright position is necessary.
So when we saw him on the evening of the op (Tuesday at about 10pm) he was still a bit woosy and not at all comfortable and as a result got no sleep that night.
The following night (Wednesday) was equally bad, despite frequent nebuliser applications to ease his breathing and a number of a pain killer meds. It was really quite upsetting to see him in such a distressed and painful condition - we felt so damned helpless.
Fortunately the Doctor managed to find a much more effective pain killer during the night and Doug did, at last, manage to get some rest.
When we visited to-day (Thursday) he seemed in much better spirits and, although the pressure sores were still painful, they appeared to be tolerable. During the day his catheter was removed, as was the venflon in his left arm. He appeared much more comfortable and despite being, as he put it, a bit antisocial, things seemed to be improving. It all went a bit downhill come late evening when, on going to bed, his breathing difficulties suddenly started and he became very distressed. However, after a nebuliser, a pain killer and a fair bit of position changing, he had settled more by the time we left at 9:30pm.
We have no clear indication of when he will be discharged although there was talk of Friday (to-morrow!) because surgically he has done really well. However there remain the breathing issues (we have no nebuliser facilities at home!) and the pressure sores (we don't have access to the appropriate strength of pain killer). Added to this, he would be sleeping on a conventional bed with no real adjustment for reclining.
So I think this is where we have to start thinking of our own health and well being..
Personally I think he will not be discharged before Saturday but ..........
As to the future -
He has wound running over the top of his head from left ear to right ear which has about 4 staples per inch of length! (and a rather peculiar hair do into the bargain!) These will have to come out in about 10 days and this will require a further hospital visit I guess.
He has an appointment Wednesday next week at the Eye Hospital with Jan Kerr, the opthalmology surgeon who was part of the operating team.
I guess, at some point we will have an appointment with his hair dresser (!!!!) to see what can be done to restore his good looks!
But seriously though, since this was the first ever operation of this type done in the UK, I guess he will be monitored frequently and his condition will be of great interest to the surgeons involved.
As regards the possibility of visiting ..........
I honestly think we must wait until he becomes much more comfortable in himself.
I have no idea just how long this may take although I hope it will not be long.
I shall use this Blog to keep you all advised. Of course, when Doug gets home he will be back on FaceBook and Hotmail just as soon as he can so keep the msgs coming but excuse answer delays please!
In the meantime Doug has asked me to thank everyone for their good wishes, their get well cards (all of which I am definitly going to keep safe :-) ) and their texts.
Personally I'd also like to add my sincere thanks. Dougs friendships are so important to his psycological well being ... enough said.
Watch this space for more ............................................
Iain (the auld yin!)
PS If anyone is interested I think I still have the web link to the medical journal papers describing the procedure. Just let me know if .......
After much discussion and debate, Doug decided that he wanted the procedure to be carried out and, in due course, a date was set for the 24th January 2012 in the Plastic Surgery department of St Johns Hospital, Livingston.
So, having had the Op., how are things going .................
The operation itself has been declared a success in that the surgical (plastic surgery) elements went smoothly and the nerve implant into his left eye ball was achieved with no evident problems. Unfortunately the whole operation lasted a lot longer than had been anticipated (9 and a half hours rather than 6).
As a consequence of this, Doug developed pressure sores on both buttocs and a really sore back.
As he says you go in to have your head opened up, and what hurts when its all done ....... your bum!!!
Seriously though this has been (and still is) a really painful aspect of his recovery, particularly since, in order to reduce post op swelling of his face and eye, he has had to lie in bed in a semi reclined position which puts increased pressure on lower back and bottom.
Regrettably he also developed quite serious congestion of his upper respiratory tract and to ease his breathing a more upright position is necessary.
So when we saw him on the evening of the op (Tuesday at about 10pm) he was still a bit woosy and not at all comfortable and as a result got no sleep that night.
The following night (Wednesday) was equally bad, despite frequent nebuliser applications to ease his breathing and a number of a pain killer meds. It was really quite upsetting to see him in such a distressed and painful condition - we felt so damned helpless.
Fortunately the Doctor managed to find a much more effective pain killer during the night and Doug did, at last, manage to get some rest.
When we visited to-day (Thursday) he seemed in much better spirits and, although the pressure sores were still painful, they appeared to be tolerable. During the day his catheter was removed, as was the venflon in his left arm. He appeared much more comfortable and despite being, as he put it, a bit antisocial, things seemed to be improving. It all went a bit downhill come late evening when, on going to bed, his breathing difficulties suddenly started and he became very distressed. However, after a nebuliser, a pain killer and a fair bit of position changing, he had settled more by the time we left at 9:30pm.
We have no clear indication of when he will be discharged although there was talk of Friday (to-morrow!) because surgically he has done really well. However there remain the breathing issues (we have no nebuliser facilities at home!) and the pressure sores (we don't have access to the appropriate strength of pain killer). Added to this, he would be sleeping on a conventional bed with no real adjustment for reclining.
So I think this is where we have to start thinking of our own health and well being..
Personally I think he will not be discharged before Saturday but ..........
As to the future -
He has wound running over the top of his head from left ear to right ear which has about 4 staples per inch of length! (and a rather peculiar hair do into the bargain!) These will have to come out in about 10 days and this will require a further hospital visit I guess.
He has an appointment Wednesday next week at the Eye Hospital with Jan Kerr, the opthalmology surgeon who was part of the operating team.
I guess, at some point we will have an appointment with his hair dresser (!!!!) to see what can be done to restore his good looks!
But seriously though, since this was the first ever operation of this type done in the UK, I guess he will be monitored frequently and his condition will be of great interest to the surgeons involved.
As regards the possibility of visiting ..........
I honestly think we must wait until he becomes much more comfortable in himself.
I have no idea just how long this may take although I hope it will not be long.
I shall use this Blog to keep you all advised. Of course, when Doug gets home he will be back on FaceBook and Hotmail just as soon as he can so keep the msgs coming but excuse answer delays please!
In the meantime Doug has asked me to thank everyone for their good wishes, their get well cards (all of which I am definitly going to keep safe :-) ) and their texts.
Personally I'd also like to add my sincere thanks. Dougs friendships are so important to his psycological well being ... enough said.
Watch this space for more ............................................
Iain (the auld yin!)
PS If anyone is interested I think I still have the web link to the medical journal papers describing the procedure. Just let me know if .......
Monday, 11 April 2011
Rehabilitation is not just for Christmas ...........
It has been a LONG time since I posted anything on the Blog, so I'll try to update you all ..........
Douglas is now into year three of his post stroke rehabilitation and, despite how slowly improvements happen, improvements there have been!
A very significant improvement has been brought about by the incredible generosity of a multitude of friends who raised money (at the instigation of Annette and Steve Irvine of Alien Rock fame!!) to buy a 'proper' recumbent trike for him!!!!!!!!!! (pikkies on Facebook)
This quite amazing effort has had a quite amazing outcome! Douglas is now able, with a support rider, to get out and about on his own recumbent trike (an ICE 3 Sprint made by Inspired Cycle Engineering) This gives him so much pleasure ........ it's hard to describe. At long last he has the ability to be in control of his own environment! If he crashes (and he has done so on a couple of occasions, quite spectcularily) he has only himself to blame!
The important thing is that HE is in control ... he is NOT reliant on others (at least in the riding phase) to do things for him. Bike riding was such a great part of his pre-stroke life and this (to a degree) has been returned to him.
We (Douglas, Sheena and I) can never express adequate gratitude to all his friends for their generosity.
There have been a couple of backward steps in the rehab process mainly related to his left eye sight problems.
I do so wish that the medical team involved in his Intensive Care had appreciated the significance of the left side paralysis in relation to his eye condition. The inability to close the left eye in the early stages of the stroke led to ulceration of the cornea with the resulting adverse effect on his eye sight that remains a problem. Had this been truly recognised in the early stages of the stroke, perhaps all the subsequent eye operations and poor prognosis may have been avoided. (Eye lid closure for example)
Douglas has now had three operation in an attempt to correct his inability to fully close his left eye with only partial success. He still suffers from 'dry eye' where the effectiveness of the tear duct is hampered by the laxity of the facial muscles around the left eye. This has resulted in the need for 4 times per day application of eye lubrication to prevent ulceration of the cornea. The long term prognosis is however not good.
Thanks to the diligence of the eye surgeons a further procedure has been identified as being appropriate and, come the 11th May, we'll find whether or or not this is the best course of action.
Balance remains a problem unfortunately. Doug describes it as being drunk and standing with all your weight on your heels! Not the best of feelings .... This coupled with the slowness of response to muscle movements means that any corrective action is usually too late and exagerated (like a spasm). Walking unaided is impossible and, even with the support from a zimmer frame, is difficult and slow - a great source of distress and anger to Doug.
Throughout all this the most significant positive element has been the support of his pre-stroke friends.
It is impossible to properly thank all those who, by personal visits, by social invitations to evenings out or by email contacts, have maintained the close relationships that mean so much to Douglas. Such contacts maintain the link between what was and what is now possible and re-enforce the belief that past ambitions are perhaps not impossible.
Headways in Edinburgh have also made a very considerable contribution to this through their Befriending Scheme that matched Douglas up with a young chap (a volunteer) with very similar interests; a better match could not have been hoped for - ThomasH and Doug very quickly became close friends and meet socially on a regular basis outside the home environment.
My wife and I can never truly appreciate the importance of such issues to Douglas but we can see the beneficial effects on his well being on a daily basis.
Douglas has, contrary to earlier fears, developed a great interest in his physical well being and spends many hours devoted to physiotherapy both at home, at Headways (a Charity devoted to acquired brain injury patients) and in the local Gym (Drumbrae Leisure Centre - courtesy of Edinburgh City Council). This is so important in maintaining his physical strength especially given the neurological stroke damage he has suffered. I am not sure what he would do without such support and encouragement. The benefits on his mental well being are of course equally important.
It is however sad that such support services appear to be in such short supply in the NHS. Since so much effort is devoted to sustaining life, it is a shame that the quality of life saved is given so little attention once the crisis has passed.
Throughout all this a key area of concern remains ........ neither my wife nor I are getting any younger and what happens to Douglas when neither she nor I are able to support him is a continual worry to us. At 39 years of age he has many more years of life left than either my wife or I have. The way in which the state care provision is moving gives us no great hope for the future.
It is unfortunate that politicians seem unable to comprehend a time scale greater that the next election!! If they could they might appreciate what us commoners are faced with!
This raises an important question however, especially for parents of a disabled person. What happens to this person when we have gone?????
Aaaah now there is a question that we'd rather not contemplate.
None the less it a serious concern and one which is not honestly addressed by any of the many support agencies. This is especially true of the state agencies where help and assistance is so diversified - Disability Living Allowance (nothing to do with the ability to work) - Unemployment Benefit (or whatever is is now called) without which National Insurance credits (payments?) seem to be impossible ................................ etc etc.
Fortunately Douglas seems to have retained his sense of humour and his resilience for which I and Sheena are forever grateful.
I just hope that we can follow suit!!
Iain
Douglas is now into year three of his post stroke rehabilitation and, despite how slowly improvements happen, improvements there have been!
A very significant improvement has been brought about by the incredible generosity of a multitude of friends who raised money (at the instigation of Annette and Steve Irvine of Alien Rock fame!!) to buy a 'proper' recumbent trike for him!!!!!!!!!! (pikkies on Facebook)
This quite amazing effort has had a quite amazing outcome! Douglas is now able, with a support rider, to get out and about on his own recumbent trike (an ICE 3 Sprint made by Inspired Cycle Engineering) This gives him so much pleasure ........ it's hard to describe. At long last he has the ability to be in control of his own environment! If he crashes (and he has done so on a couple of occasions, quite spectcularily) he has only himself to blame!
The important thing is that HE is in control ... he is NOT reliant on others (at least in the riding phase) to do things for him. Bike riding was such a great part of his pre-stroke life and this (to a degree) has been returned to him.
We (Douglas, Sheena and I) can never express adequate gratitude to all his friends for their generosity.
There have been a couple of backward steps in the rehab process mainly related to his left eye sight problems.
I do so wish that the medical team involved in his Intensive Care had appreciated the significance of the left side paralysis in relation to his eye condition. The inability to close the left eye in the early stages of the stroke led to ulceration of the cornea with the resulting adverse effect on his eye sight that remains a problem. Had this been truly recognised in the early stages of the stroke, perhaps all the subsequent eye operations and poor prognosis may have been avoided. (Eye lid closure for example)
Douglas has now had three operation in an attempt to correct his inability to fully close his left eye with only partial success. He still suffers from 'dry eye' where the effectiveness of the tear duct is hampered by the laxity of the facial muscles around the left eye. This has resulted in the need for 4 times per day application of eye lubrication to prevent ulceration of the cornea. The long term prognosis is however not good.
Thanks to the diligence of the eye surgeons a further procedure has been identified as being appropriate and, come the 11th May, we'll find whether or or not this is the best course of action.
Balance remains a problem unfortunately. Doug describes it as being drunk and standing with all your weight on your heels! Not the best of feelings .... This coupled with the slowness of response to muscle movements means that any corrective action is usually too late and exagerated (like a spasm). Walking unaided is impossible and, even with the support from a zimmer frame, is difficult and slow - a great source of distress and anger to Doug.
Throughout all this the most significant positive element has been the support of his pre-stroke friends.
It is impossible to properly thank all those who, by personal visits, by social invitations to evenings out or by email contacts, have maintained the close relationships that mean so much to Douglas. Such contacts maintain the link between what was and what is now possible and re-enforce the belief that past ambitions are perhaps not impossible.
Headways in Edinburgh have also made a very considerable contribution to this through their Befriending Scheme that matched Douglas up with a young chap (a volunteer) with very similar interests; a better match could not have been hoped for - ThomasH and Doug very quickly became close friends and meet socially on a regular basis outside the home environment.
My wife and I can never truly appreciate the importance of such issues to Douglas but we can see the beneficial effects on his well being on a daily basis.
Douglas has, contrary to earlier fears, developed a great interest in his physical well being and spends many hours devoted to physiotherapy both at home, at Headways (a Charity devoted to acquired brain injury patients) and in the local Gym (Drumbrae Leisure Centre - courtesy of Edinburgh City Council). This is so important in maintaining his physical strength especially given the neurological stroke damage he has suffered. I am not sure what he would do without such support and encouragement. The benefits on his mental well being are of course equally important.
It is however sad that such support services appear to be in such short supply in the NHS. Since so much effort is devoted to sustaining life, it is a shame that the quality of life saved is given so little attention once the crisis has passed.
Throughout all this a key area of concern remains ........ neither my wife nor I are getting any younger and what happens to Douglas when neither she nor I are able to support him is a continual worry to us. At 39 years of age he has many more years of life left than either my wife or I have. The way in which the state care provision is moving gives us no great hope for the future.
It is unfortunate that politicians seem unable to comprehend a time scale greater that the next election!! If they could they might appreciate what us commoners are faced with!
This raises an important question however, especially for parents of a disabled person. What happens to this person when we have gone?????
Aaaah now there is a question that we'd rather not contemplate.
None the less it a serious concern and one which is not honestly addressed by any of the many support agencies. This is especially true of the state agencies where help and assistance is so diversified - Disability Living Allowance (nothing to do with the ability to work) - Unemployment Benefit (or whatever is is now called) without which National Insurance credits (payments?) seem to be impossible ................................ etc etc.
Fortunately Douglas seems to have retained his sense of humour and his resilience for which I and Sheena are forever grateful.
I just hope that we can follow suit!!
Iain
Thursday, 16 July 2009
PFO is now closed .....
Sorry for the delay in posting an update but things have been rather hectic recently.
Douglas went into the Royal Infirmary on the 8th July for closure of the PFO. As requested he was really zonked out for the whole procedure so remembers little of the whole affair!! Closure was done using the femoral vein to place a couple of wee umbrella like devices, one on each side of the hole.
According to the cardiologist, it was a straight forward op and all went very well with no complications.
Doug was back home by around 9pm the same day.
He will have a follow-up examination at the Western in around 3 weeks just to check that all is still OK.
Needless to say he is a very relieved young man! I think the PFO business was really weighing heavily on his mind and he is mightily relieved that it is all over. As he says ... no more excuses!!
He had an appointment with the eye man on the Friday and it was decided that since his left eye was not really self sustaining, it would be necessary to do a small op to insert a gold weight above the muscle in the upper eye lid. We all expected a lengthy delay but, on the following Monday he got an appointment for the procedure to be done on the Wednesday (15th).
Doug was a bit taken aback at the speed of the whole thing and was somewhat reluctant. However, on the day, it turned out that he knew the eye surgeon from his climbing days at Alien Rock!! Talk about a small world. She explained it all to him and, to our delight Douglas agreed.
He has now been renamed 'Man with the Golden Eye'! As he says it is wonderful to be able to close his left eye for the first time on 15 months.
Hopefully this will stabilise his eye condition and even lead to improvements.
Iain
Douglas went into the Royal Infirmary on the 8th July for closure of the PFO. As requested he was really zonked out for the whole procedure so remembers little of the whole affair!! Closure was done using the femoral vein to place a couple of wee umbrella like devices, one on each side of the hole.
According to the cardiologist, it was a straight forward op and all went very well with no complications.
Doug was back home by around 9pm the same day.
He will have a follow-up examination at the Western in around 3 weeks just to check that all is still OK.
Needless to say he is a very relieved young man! I think the PFO business was really weighing heavily on his mind and he is mightily relieved that it is all over. As he says ... no more excuses!!
He had an appointment with the eye man on the Friday and it was decided that since his left eye was not really self sustaining, it would be necessary to do a small op to insert a gold weight above the muscle in the upper eye lid. We all expected a lengthy delay but, on the following Monday he got an appointment for the procedure to be done on the Wednesday (15th).
Doug was a bit taken aback at the speed of the whole thing and was somewhat reluctant. However, on the day, it turned out that he knew the eye surgeon from his climbing days at Alien Rock!! Talk about a small world. She explained it all to him and, to our delight Douglas agreed.
He has now been renamed 'Man with the Golden Eye'! As he says it is wonderful to be able to close his left eye for the first time on 15 months.
Hopefully this will stabilise his eye condition and even lead to improvements.
Iain
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
..... Back on a bike again !!!!!!!
Tuesday 23rd was a momentous day .............
Douglas went for his first bike ride since April 2008!!!!!
OK, so it was on a recumbent tricycle and definitely not up to his high standards but, hey, what a step forward :-)
Sheena and I took him out to Dalkeith where he and one of the Physios (Margot) borrowed a recumbent for a couple of hours to try it out and, much to our delight, off he went complete with brand new crash helmet, a birthday present from the guys and gals in the Coop.
They covered a couple of kliks including some short sections on the public highway, the rest being on a beautiful cycle path (part of the original Borders railway).
Needless to say Doug was all fired up about it and is planning for another outing next Tuesday if it can be arranged. The chap who lent the bike is quite willing to let us have short loans provided we can arrange transport from Dalkeith (and safe storage obviously).
Watch this space!!!
Iain
Douglas went for his first bike ride since April 2008!!!!!
OK, so it was on a recumbent tricycle and definitely not up to his high standards but, hey, what a step forward :-)
Sheena and I took him out to Dalkeith where he and one of the Physios (Margot) borrowed a recumbent for a couple of hours to try it out and, much to our delight, off he went complete with brand new crash helmet, a birthday present from the guys and gals in the Coop.
They covered a couple of kliks including some short sections on the public highway, the rest being on a beautiful cycle path (part of the original Borders railway).
Needless to say Doug was all fired up about it and is planning for another outing next Tuesday if it can be arranged. The chap who lent the bike is quite willing to let us have short loans provided we can arrange transport from Dalkeith (and safe storage obviously).
Watch this space!!!
Iain
Monday, 22 June 2009
... and as for the PFO ...
Douglas now has a date for closure of his PFO (hole in the heart) of the 8th July.
He will be in the New Royal Infirmary pretty much all day and, hopefully, will not have to stay in overnight.
Seems incredible really that such a procedure is now classed as 'minor' in the great scheme of things.
He appears to be fairly relaxed about it all and I think is secretly relieved that he will have one less thing to worry him.
We are not certain precisely which closure method is to be used although it will be done in the same way as fitting a Stent i.e. going into an artery in the groin and working up to the affected part of the heart.
Hopefully we'll find out more when we eventually get the actual letter from the surgeon (postal strikes etc. permitting).
So things they are a movin'
Iain
He will be in the New Royal Infirmary pretty much all day and, hopefully, will not have to stay in overnight.
Seems incredible really that such a procedure is now classed as 'minor' in the great scheme of things.
He appears to be fairly relaxed about it all and I think is secretly relieved that he will have one less thing to worry him.
We are not certain precisely which closure method is to be used although it will be done in the same way as fitting a Stent i.e. going into an artery in the groin and working up to the affected part of the heart.
Hopefully we'll find out more when we eventually get the actual letter from the surgeon (postal strikes etc. permitting).
So things they are a movin'
Iain
Friday, 19 June 2009
Home Sweet Home ....
Well Doug has survived the first full week at home under the tender care of Mom and Pop!!!
It is great to have him home in familiar surroundings and to be able to resume a more normal life style.
Doug was rather concerned that it would be a case of 'out of sight - out of mind' where the rehab programme was concerned but in reality it has been quite the reverse!
We now have a well established schedule for each day that starts at around 7:30 am with breakfast closely followed by a wash and brush up session that can take us through to about 9:45.
He has a short rest period up to 11:00 am when he is taken in hand by the physios and OT's for around an hour of pretty intensive activity.
This is followed by another rest period then lunch.
We are trying to ensure that Doug gets a post prandial nap up to around 3pm and its then all hands on deck for the afternoon and evening of more domestic stuff.
Douglas is really doing very well indeed having acquired a new lease of energy and commitment with his discharge from the Astley. Of course it is still all too slow for him, but none the less he is progressing. Most notable is the improvement in his standing and mobility. He is now able to stand unaided (albeit a bit shaky for now) for periods in excess of a minute - and getting longer by the day too! This really helps his confidence in using the zimmer and and in particular in washing, dressing and using the toilet. As he said to me the other day, try doing all that with one hand, standing on one leg and you'll get an idea of how it feels! Needless to say I haven't taken him up on that - I've got trouble enough already :-)
Physio is also addressing co-ordination (hand and eye) issues and in improving Dougs use of his left hand which still tends to be 'forgotten' much of the time.
Doug is hoping that the OT's may be able to offer solutions to the vision issue when he is trying to read PC size screens and text. There appear to be some solutions available but whether or not they'll suit remains to be seen. In the meantime I'm acting as a somewhat inefficient secretary in this respect.
There does seem to be a very slow improvement in his ability to blink with the left eye although we still need to apply liquid tears as a lubricant four times per day and tape the eyelid shut over night. Not the best of situations but needs must when the devil drives.
Visiting friends have also added a new dimension and he has had several outings without M&P fussing around :-) I cannot express my thanks enough to his circle of friends who are such an important part of the support team and do so much to bolster Dougs spirits and help him back into the great outside world.
Needless to say we are all having to learn new ways of doing things around the house which is not helped by the fact that some of the 'essential' modifications have not yet happened (like a door on the downstairs toilet!!!!) Having said that, the City Council have been great in providing the mechanical bits and bobs like handrails at the front door and bannisters on the staircase. We are so fortunate in this respect.
As regards visiting ........ afternoons and early evenings are the ideal since it gives Doug a rest period after his rehab exercises in the late morning and time to have lunch. So I'd suggest 3pm onwards but if that's not suitable, just give me a ring and we'll see what we can do. We usually have tea at around 6pm.
For those who have tried finding us in Cammo ........ I've just painted up a new house number so you don't have to worry about trying to recognise car number plates or anything else!
Iain
It is great to have him home in familiar surroundings and to be able to resume a more normal life style.
Doug was rather concerned that it would be a case of 'out of sight - out of mind' where the rehab programme was concerned but in reality it has been quite the reverse!
We now have a well established schedule for each day that starts at around 7:30 am with breakfast closely followed by a wash and brush up session that can take us through to about 9:45.
He has a short rest period up to 11:00 am when he is taken in hand by the physios and OT's for around an hour of pretty intensive activity.
This is followed by another rest period then lunch.
We are trying to ensure that Doug gets a post prandial nap up to around 3pm and its then all hands on deck for the afternoon and evening of more domestic stuff.
Douglas is really doing very well indeed having acquired a new lease of energy and commitment with his discharge from the Astley. Of course it is still all too slow for him, but none the less he is progressing. Most notable is the improvement in his standing and mobility. He is now able to stand unaided (albeit a bit shaky for now) for periods in excess of a minute - and getting longer by the day too! This really helps his confidence in using the zimmer and and in particular in washing, dressing and using the toilet. As he said to me the other day, try doing all that with one hand, standing on one leg and you'll get an idea of how it feels! Needless to say I haven't taken him up on that - I've got trouble enough already :-)
Physio is also addressing co-ordination (hand and eye) issues and in improving Dougs use of his left hand which still tends to be 'forgotten' much of the time.
Doug is hoping that the OT's may be able to offer solutions to the vision issue when he is trying to read PC size screens and text. There appear to be some solutions available but whether or not they'll suit remains to be seen. In the meantime I'm acting as a somewhat inefficient secretary in this respect.
There does seem to be a very slow improvement in his ability to blink with the left eye although we still need to apply liquid tears as a lubricant four times per day and tape the eyelid shut over night. Not the best of situations but needs must when the devil drives.
Visiting friends have also added a new dimension and he has had several outings without M&P fussing around :-) I cannot express my thanks enough to his circle of friends who are such an important part of the support team and do so much to bolster Dougs spirits and help him back into the great outside world.
Needless to say we are all having to learn new ways of doing things around the house which is not helped by the fact that some of the 'essential' modifications have not yet happened (like a door on the downstairs toilet!!!!) Having said that, the City Council have been great in providing the mechanical bits and bobs like handrails at the front door and bannisters on the staircase. We are so fortunate in this respect.
As regards visiting ........ afternoons and early evenings are the ideal since it gives Doug a rest period after his rehab exercises in the late morning and time to have lunch. So I'd suggest 3pm onwards but if that's not suitable, just give me a ring and we'll see what we can do. We usually have tea at around 6pm.
For those who have tried finding us in Cammo ........ I've just painted up a new house number so you don't have to worry about trying to recognise car number plates or anything else!
Iain
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Outside is forever (nearly!!)
Well things are really starting to move now!
Doug had his first two nighter at home last week-end and enjoyed it greatly:-) Even better, Nick, Heike, Jules, Malky and Clare took Doug out for the afternoon on Sunday and after perambulations along the foreshore, ended up in the local hostelry!!! Talk about breaking the mould!! Doug REALLY enjoyed the afternoon ......... thank you folks so much.
No sooner had he 'checked back in' than a rather dishy young doctor (female I am assured) came along to take out his PEG feeding tube! (Monday) I think we were all a bit concerned about this, but, according to Doug, it was just a question of grabbing a hold of the tube and giving it a quick heave and ... pop ... out it came. Huummmm Not sure it was really that simple but ......
Apparently the outside hole heals very rapidly (a day or so) and the inside one (in the gut?) seals almost immediately. I'd still be a bit worried about the leaking inner tube thing though they know what the're about.
So - now all food and liquids are taken orally!!!! Liquids still have to be thickened because of the swallow reflex deficiency but fortunately Doug has taken a liking for Lemon and Barley water which he drinks by the litre!! Anyone tried thickening gin and tonic???????
To top it all off we now have a discharge date for Doug. 10th June is the big day!
From that point on he'll be at home, under the care of Mom and Pop, aided and abetted by the Community Rehab Team who, I am told, will really be working him hard.
The 10th will be out for visiting what with the transfer followed by the Rehab Team visit.
So I guess, for those of you who work in and around the town centre, visiting could be a little less easy; however, on the plus side we'll not be constrained by hospital visiting hours and the surroundings are certainly more congenial!! Clearly we'll have to work around the Rehab schedule (whatever that turns out to be). If the weather keeps up remember to bring sun cream so you can all sit out in the sunshine!!
Dougs mood certainly seems much more positive now although he still has trouble with the balance issue and therefore with the business of walking and standing.
He has started the process of applying for 'a place of his own' through Edinburgh City Council although that is likely to be a fairly long drawn out process given both his particular requirements for wheel chair access and the relative shortage of such housing. He tells me he is very apprehensive at the idea of living on his own but hopefully his fears will diminish as he becomes more confident around the house.
He has also applied for a Blue Badge that will make going anywhere just that little bit easier and a Taxi Card that gives discounts on cab fares around the city.
We have still not heard anything further about the PFO business (closure of the hole in the heart) and I hope this is simply due to pressure on available resources. Were it otherwise I'm sure we'd have been advised.
The upcoming week-end (5th; 6th and 7th) Doug will be at home - Friday lunchtime till Sunday evening, so if you want to pop in for a visit in the afternoon, give me a bell first just to make sure allus OK.
Iain
Doug had his first two nighter at home last week-end and enjoyed it greatly:-) Even better, Nick, Heike, Jules, Malky and Clare took Doug out for the afternoon on Sunday and after perambulations along the foreshore, ended up in the local hostelry!!! Talk about breaking the mould!! Doug REALLY enjoyed the afternoon ......... thank you folks so much.
No sooner had he 'checked back in' than a rather dishy young doctor (female I am assured) came along to take out his PEG feeding tube! (Monday) I think we were all a bit concerned about this, but, according to Doug, it was just a question of grabbing a hold of the tube and giving it a quick heave and ... pop ... out it came. Huummmm Not sure it was really that simple but ......
Apparently the outside hole heals very rapidly (a day or so) and the inside one (in the gut?) seals almost immediately. I'd still be a bit worried about the leaking inner tube thing though they know what the're about.
So - now all food and liquids are taken orally!!!! Liquids still have to be thickened because of the swallow reflex deficiency but fortunately Doug has taken a liking for Lemon and Barley water which he drinks by the litre!! Anyone tried thickening gin and tonic???????
To top it all off we now have a discharge date for Doug. 10th June is the big day!
From that point on he'll be at home, under the care of Mom and Pop, aided and abetted by the Community Rehab Team who, I am told, will really be working him hard.
The 10th will be out for visiting what with the transfer followed by the Rehab Team visit.
So I guess, for those of you who work in and around the town centre, visiting could be a little less easy; however, on the plus side we'll not be constrained by hospital visiting hours and the surroundings are certainly more congenial!! Clearly we'll have to work around the Rehab schedule (whatever that turns out to be). If the weather keeps up remember to bring sun cream so you can all sit out in the sunshine!!
Dougs mood certainly seems much more positive now although he still has trouble with the balance issue and therefore with the business of walking and standing.
He has started the process of applying for 'a place of his own' through Edinburgh City Council although that is likely to be a fairly long drawn out process given both his particular requirements for wheel chair access and the relative shortage of such housing. He tells me he is very apprehensive at the idea of living on his own but hopefully his fears will diminish as he becomes more confident around the house.
He has also applied for a Blue Badge that will make going anywhere just that little bit easier and a Taxi Card that gives discounts on cab fares around the city.
We have still not heard anything further about the PFO business (closure of the hole in the heart) and I hope this is simply due to pressure on available resources. Were it otherwise I'm sure we'd have been advised.
The upcoming week-end (5th; 6th and 7th) Doug will be at home - Friday lunchtime till Sunday evening, so if you want to pop in for a visit in the afternoon, give me a bell first just to make sure allus OK.
Iain
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Outside is not all that bad ...............
Doug went for his Ear Nose and Throat consult on the 7th May and the results were a bit like the curates egg - good in parts.
The good news was that it now appears that both vocal chords are working (previously only the right one was doing its stuff) and this should make swallowing more certain. Whether or not it is reflected in his speech remains to be seen. :-)
As for hearing ....... the consultant was not very encouraging although he did not rule out slow improvements. He more or less said that, as Doug has found, it is possible to 'tune out' the tinnitus (white noise) with a lot of practice. Huuuummm
In balance - there was some progress.
Needless to say (and quite understandably) this was NOT what Doug may have hoped for so he was a bit down for a while.
None the less there is progress ..............
We have had bannister rails fitted on the house entrance to the front door and on both side of the internal staircase to the first floor.
Doug coped very well with the outside rails (Sat 16th), getting from his chair on the front path to inside the house with the minimum of assistance and then down the hall on his zimmer. However it was all a bit tiring - pretty good for a first attempt I say!!!! Doug did concede that it was somewhat short of perfect :-)
We are waiting for a high backed chair, the seat of which will be more on a level with the cushion on his wheel chair, fitted with rail arm rests that should make transfers to and from wheel chair or zimmer much more practical.
In the mean time Doug is being worked pretty hard by the Physios on stair climbing (and descending) and is doing very well at this so we are told.
All this is aimed at Doug being able to stay at home overnight at week ends in the short term (like this week end?!), with weekday visits to the Astley for physio.
To help with this we have converted the downstairs dining room into a bedroom for him. Sadly he will have to have his showers between Monday and Friday in the hospital.
The ultimate aim is to have him home full time in around 5 to 6 weeks when his physio etc. will be managed by the Community Nursing system although I guess this will depend on his stair climbing ability.
After a period of 'settling down' in the home environment (around 6 weeks) he will be entered into the Out Patients Rehab Programme at the Astley under Dr Todd.
To be honest, a lot of this period is aimed at 'de-institutionalising' (if there is such a word) Doug and getting the idea firmly fixed in his mind that a return to normal life is what it is all about.
However, on that subject, his friends have been absolutely great especially in the last 10 days or so in persuading him that the great 'outside' is not a bad place!!!!! For the first time for over 6 months Doug actually agreed to go for a walk in his wheelchair (whoopeee!!!) with Nick Stephenson. Nick we are forever in your debt!!
Then, much to our delight he went out in the Astley grounds with Veronica yesterday afternoon.
It all sounds a bit naff I guess, but Doug had set his mind on only going outside in a social sense when he could 'take himself walking' so to speak and we just did not seem to be getting out of the rut on this one. I know several others have tried persuading him without success but PLEASE do not take his refusal as any sort of personal comment - so much depends on how he is feeling at any particular time. None the less, having broken the mould I hope casual outings will become the norm.
So what about visiting I hear you say!!!
For the moment Mondays to Fridays at the Astley from 3 till 8 (but not 5.45 to 6.30 - Meal time) are great.
Saturday and Sunday any time between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm at home.
I will confirm the week end timings once we have agreed things with the Astley (hopefully Friday this week).
EXCEPTION ........ Friday 22nd Doug will be at home being put through his paces with stairs, handrails etc. etc. so really the 22nd is a no go.
Oh, by the way ......... Kay, if you read this Doug did his extra 3 steps!!!! I have no idea what this is all about but I'm sure you'll know :-)
Iain
The good news was that it now appears that both vocal chords are working (previously only the right one was doing its stuff) and this should make swallowing more certain. Whether or not it is reflected in his speech remains to be seen. :-)
As for hearing ....... the consultant was not very encouraging although he did not rule out slow improvements. He more or less said that, as Doug has found, it is possible to 'tune out' the tinnitus (white noise) with a lot of practice. Huuuummm
In balance - there was some progress.
Needless to say (and quite understandably) this was NOT what Doug may have hoped for so he was a bit down for a while.
None the less there is progress ..............
We have had bannister rails fitted on the house entrance to the front door and on both side of the internal staircase to the first floor.
Doug coped very well with the outside rails (Sat 16th), getting from his chair on the front path to inside the house with the minimum of assistance and then down the hall on his zimmer. However it was all a bit tiring - pretty good for a first attempt I say!!!! Doug did concede that it was somewhat short of perfect :-)
We are waiting for a high backed chair, the seat of which will be more on a level with the cushion on his wheel chair, fitted with rail arm rests that should make transfers to and from wheel chair or zimmer much more practical.
In the mean time Doug is being worked pretty hard by the Physios on stair climbing (and descending) and is doing very well at this so we are told.
All this is aimed at Doug being able to stay at home overnight at week ends in the short term (like this week end?!), with weekday visits to the Astley for physio.
To help with this we have converted the downstairs dining room into a bedroom for him. Sadly he will have to have his showers between Monday and Friday in the hospital.
The ultimate aim is to have him home full time in around 5 to 6 weeks when his physio etc. will be managed by the Community Nursing system although I guess this will depend on his stair climbing ability.
After a period of 'settling down' in the home environment (around 6 weeks) he will be entered into the Out Patients Rehab Programme at the Astley under Dr Todd.
To be honest, a lot of this period is aimed at 'de-institutionalising' (if there is such a word) Doug and getting the idea firmly fixed in his mind that a return to normal life is what it is all about.
However, on that subject, his friends have been absolutely great especially in the last 10 days or so in persuading him that the great 'outside' is not a bad place!!!!! For the first time for over 6 months Doug actually agreed to go for a walk in his wheelchair (whoopeee!!!) with Nick Stephenson. Nick we are forever in your debt!!
Then, much to our delight he went out in the Astley grounds with Veronica yesterday afternoon.
It all sounds a bit naff I guess, but Doug had set his mind on only going outside in a social sense when he could 'take himself walking' so to speak and we just did not seem to be getting out of the rut on this one. I know several others have tried persuading him without success but PLEASE do not take his refusal as any sort of personal comment - so much depends on how he is feeling at any particular time. None the less, having broken the mould I hope casual outings will become the norm.
So what about visiting I hear you say!!!
For the moment Mondays to Fridays at the Astley from 3 till 8 (but not 5.45 to 6.30 - Meal time) are great.
Saturday and Sunday any time between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm at home.
I will confirm the week end timings once we have agreed things with the Astley (hopefully Friday this week).
EXCEPTION ........ Friday 22nd Doug will be at home being put through his paces with stairs, handrails etc. etc. so really the 22nd is a no go.
Oh, by the way ......... Kay, if you read this Doug did his extra 3 steps!!!! I have no idea what this is all about but I'm sure you'll know :-)
Iain
Monday, 4 May 2009
Maan ... he's all heart ..........
Douglas went for his cardiac investigation with some trepidation - not so much over the likely result but more over the actual examination itself since it involved swallowing a small ultrasound transducer. The swallowing part has always been very uncomfortable in the past.
However the staff at the Western recognised his concern and really zonked him out for the whole event, so much so that he took around 2 hours to fully come around afterwards.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that he definitely has one hole some 3mm in diameter and around 15 mm in length (a tunnel like defect) which appears to be classed as 'large'.
It was deemed a good candidate for sealing although we have not yet heard which sealing method is considered best. I understand that it will either be the umbrella type or the mesh type and definitely NOT the 'stitch it up' type.
We are all just waiting for feedback on this and on the date for an op (estimated at within 5 weeks).
Douglas had bets on the number of holes and suffice to say I won the bet. Mind you its not much of a win, since I have to give him the stake in the first place ........
We are currently getting set up for a 'home evaluation visit' by the physios and OT lassies to establish just how well Doug can manage at home. This will both set targets for the rehab programme and also give us some idea about any changes that may be needed around the house.
Unfortunately Doug feels a bit threatened by all this .......... they just want to get rid of me sort of thing. I can understand his concerns and Sheena and I have been doing our best to convince him that this is only the first step towards a getting home point sometime in the future. Not at all sure how well we have managed that though?
Saturdays at home continue to be a great favourite and Doug really relaxes when he gets through the front door - its so good to see!! Mind you he gets spoiled rotten (we'll not be admitting that to the OT's!!!!).
He continues with the rehab stuff but still has problems with balance that play havoc with his confidence in walking with the zimmer frame. Never the less he is slowly getting more flexibility in movement.
He agreed a wee while ago to be part of a study into Cronic Fatigue Syndrome in stroke victims and although I'm not really sure how it works, its a comfort to know that it is recognised as an adverse factor in rehabilitation. Whether or not it will all result in any palliatives or even a cure remains to be seen. In the meantime he still gets really pissed off at how easily he runs out of energy.
The next thing on the list is a visit to the ENT clinic on the 7th May. Doug has said recently that he occasionally gets bursts of what he describes as white noise in his left ear. Whether or not this indicates any degree of recovery of hearing on that side I'm not sure. Perhaps this appointment may help provide answers.
I'll pop up another update soon.
In the meanwhile, thanks again for all the visits and for the messages through the blog and facebook. Doug really looks forward to hearing them all.
Iain
However the staff at the Western recognised his concern and really zonked him out for the whole event, so much so that he took around 2 hours to fully come around afterwards.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that he definitely has one hole some 3mm in diameter and around 15 mm in length (a tunnel like defect) which appears to be classed as 'large'.
It was deemed a good candidate for sealing although we have not yet heard which sealing method is considered best. I understand that it will either be the umbrella type or the mesh type and definitely NOT the 'stitch it up' type.
We are all just waiting for feedback on this and on the date for an op (estimated at within 5 weeks).
Douglas had bets on the number of holes and suffice to say I won the bet. Mind you its not much of a win, since I have to give him the stake in the first place ........
We are currently getting set up for a 'home evaluation visit' by the physios and OT lassies to establish just how well Doug can manage at home. This will both set targets for the rehab programme and also give us some idea about any changes that may be needed around the house.
Unfortunately Doug feels a bit threatened by all this .......... they just want to get rid of me sort of thing. I can understand his concerns and Sheena and I have been doing our best to convince him that this is only the first step towards a getting home point sometime in the future. Not at all sure how well we have managed that though?
Saturdays at home continue to be a great favourite and Doug really relaxes when he gets through the front door - its so good to see!! Mind you he gets spoiled rotten (we'll not be admitting that to the OT's!!!!).
He continues with the rehab stuff but still has problems with balance that play havoc with his confidence in walking with the zimmer frame. Never the less he is slowly getting more flexibility in movement.
He agreed a wee while ago to be part of a study into Cronic Fatigue Syndrome in stroke victims and although I'm not really sure how it works, its a comfort to know that it is recognised as an adverse factor in rehabilitation. Whether or not it will all result in any palliatives or even a cure remains to be seen. In the meantime he still gets really pissed off at how easily he runs out of energy.
The next thing on the list is a visit to the ENT clinic on the 7th May. Doug has said recently that he occasionally gets bursts of what he describes as white noise in his left ear. Whether or not this indicates any degree of recovery of hearing on that side I'm not sure. Perhaps this appointment may help provide answers.
I'll pop up another update soon.
In the meanwhile, thanks again for all the visits and for the messages through the blog and facebook. Doug really looks forward to hearing them all.
Iain
Monday, 20 April 2009
Looking good .........
A short update on the results of Dougs eye examination.
The condition of his left eye appears to have stabilised and is good apart from the presence of a couple of ingrowing eyelashes - a common problem we are told.
He has been changed to a less viscous type of eye drop which should improve the vision but we'll have to wait and see (not a pun I assure you!).
His next appointment will be in around 6 weeks assuming the new eye drops do their job OK.
If the eye lash problem repeats they plan to do a simple electrolysis job on the offending lashes which should resolve the issue.
His mood remains good although he can very easily get into a negative frame of mind about things. To be truthful this is the most worrying aspect of his recovery and we are all a bit at a loss to understand how best to deal with it.
The guys and gals from the Coop gave him a great birthday pressy of a replacement bike helmet (a Xen ??) in preparation for his first outing ............. not for a while yet I'm afraid!! He was absolutely delighted.
Oh and by the bye, his birthday outings went off very well - awesome in his words - Kay took him out for a curry one evening and Jules took him for a day out down the coast. The actual day was spend at home and was relatively quiet with a visit from our next door neighbours.
Douglas wants me to say a real big thank you to everyone for their best wishes, texts and cards.
Sheena and I echo that ....... the moral support you all give is priceless.
Next big event ..... the Transesophageal echocardiogram on the 30th of this month.
Iain
The condition of his left eye appears to have stabilised and is good apart from the presence of a couple of ingrowing eyelashes - a common problem we are told.
He has been changed to a less viscous type of eye drop which should improve the vision but we'll have to wait and see (not a pun I assure you!).
His next appointment will be in around 6 weeks assuming the new eye drops do their job OK.
If the eye lash problem repeats they plan to do a simple electrolysis job on the offending lashes which should resolve the issue.
His mood remains good although he can very easily get into a negative frame of mind about things. To be truthful this is the most worrying aspect of his recovery and we are all a bit at a loss to understand how best to deal with it.
The guys and gals from the Coop gave him a great birthday pressy of a replacement bike helmet (a Xen ??) in preparation for his first outing ............. not for a while yet I'm afraid!! He was absolutely delighted.
Oh and by the bye, his birthday outings went off very well - awesome in his words - Kay took him out for a curry one evening and Jules took him for a day out down the coast. The actual day was spend at home and was relatively quiet with a visit from our next door neighbours.
Douglas wants me to say a real big thank you to everyone for their best wishes, texts and cards.
Sheena and I echo that ....... the moral support you all give is priceless.
Next big event ..... the Transesophageal echocardiogram on the 30th of this month.
Iain
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Oh so slow and sometimes not all that sure .......
Doug continues to make progress in the walking and Occupational Therapy stuff (making soup, chopping veg etc.) but unfortunately, having come off the anti-depressant, his mood swings have returned a bit. Fortunately neither as deep nor as prolonged as before, but more than enough to upset and slow down all the rehab tasks.
He still does not really seem to have made the connection between how hard he works and the rate of improvement which is VERY frustrating for us (and I'm sure also for the staff).
However the good news is that having had the last remaining stitch removed from his left eyelid last month (20th) , his eye seems to be staying in good condition with the application of lacrilube ointment. He has a checkup appointment at the Eye Pavilion to-morrow (Friday 17th) which hopefully will confirm this.
He also had an appointment with the cardiology folk on the 9th April to review his progress towards having a fix done on the PFO (hole in the heart) which is believed to have been the initiation of the stroke by allowing a small clot to pass through. He will be going for an ultrasound examination on the Thursday 30th to resolve the size of the defect and hopefully confirm that there is only one hole. This will provide the necessary information for the fix - in around 6 weeks we think.
The introduction of the probe down the throat is a knock-out job so will occupy most of the day and he'll probably still be woozy by evening time.
So all in all it has been a busy month so far, thankfully all of it positive.
He still finds it difficult to read normal size text so entertainment centres around music (from his iPod), DVDs on the Sony DVD player that so many of you presented to him (back in the Western days!) - oh and it gets very well used for Talking Books also. You have no idea just how much pleasure it has given him. Thank you.
I'll call a halt now, but will update after the eye stuff to-morrow.
Iain
He still does not really seem to have made the connection between how hard he works and the rate of improvement which is VERY frustrating for us (and I'm sure also for the staff).
However the good news is that having had the last remaining stitch removed from his left eyelid last month (20th) , his eye seems to be staying in good condition with the application of lacrilube ointment. He has a checkup appointment at the Eye Pavilion to-morrow (Friday 17th) which hopefully will confirm this.
He also had an appointment with the cardiology folk on the 9th April to review his progress towards having a fix done on the PFO (hole in the heart) which is believed to have been the initiation of the stroke by allowing a small clot to pass through. He will be going for an ultrasound examination on the Thursday 30th to resolve the size of the defect and hopefully confirm that there is only one hole. This will provide the necessary information for the fix - in around 6 weeks we think.
The introduction of the probe down the throat is a knock-out job so will occupy most of the day and he'll probably still be woozy by evening time.
So all in all it has been a busy month so far, thankfully all of it positive.
He still finds it difficult to read normal size text so entertainment centres around music (from his iPod), DVDs on the Sony DVD player that so many of you presented to him (back in the Western days!) - oh and it gets very well used for Talking Books also. You have no idea just how much pleasure it has given him. Thank you.
I'll call a halt now, but will update after the eye stuff to-morrow.
Iain
Monday, 23 March 2009
And the progress continues ....
Douglas paid a visit to the Opthalmic clinic on the 20th and he was greatly pleased when it was decided to take out the remaining stitch in his left eye lid. It is so good to see the eye open fully again! However he still finds it impossible to fully close the lid when blinking so I guess we'll have a continuation of the ointment to provide adequate lubrication. He hasn't said too much about improvement in vision, so I guess it wasn't quite the magic bullet he had hoped for.
He goes back again in a months time for a further check .............
The other day he was given permission by the Physios to walk unattended using a zimmer frame and to mark the occasion he was given his own personal one, set up for his height!!! This is absolutely great news although he is still a bit cautious about using it alone. The other day he walked up and down the ward corridor and appeared to manage it very well - and in a straight line as well! This means he is able to balance the forces in his arms - previously he tended always to go right.
Unfortunately he has had a couple of falls - overbalance being the issue. Luckily he appeares to have suffered no ill effects - as he says 'It'll just teach me to be a bit more careful in future!'.
This is a common issue with stroke patients during the rehab phase and, provided it does no damage either physically or to confidence, is a valuable lesson.
Next big thing is an evening out on the 25th to sample the delights of a favourite Indian eatery (a birthday treat courtesy of Kay)!!
Needless to say we had to do a 'dummy run' at home to make sure he could manage curry and rice and, of course, beer!!! That went well - particularly the beer :-)
So I guess things are progressing well and, despite having come off Amatryptoline (an anti-depressant) cold turkey, Doug has suffered relatively few damaging mood swings in the last month. We can but hope this improvement continues.
Iain
He goes back again in a months time for a further check .............
The other day he was given permission by the Physios to walk unattended using a zimmer frame and to mark the occasion he was given his own personal one, set up for his height!!! This is absolutely great news although he is still a bit cautious about using it alone. The other day he walked up and down the ward corridor and appeared to manage it very well - and in a straight line as well! This means he is able to balance the forces in his arms - previously he tended always to go right.
Unfortunately he has had a couple of falls - overbalance being the issue. Luckily he appeares to have suffered no ill effects - as he says 'It'll just teach me to be a bit more careful in future!'.
This is a common issue with stroke patients during the rehab phase and, provided it does no damage either physically or to confidence, is a valuable lesson.
Next big thing is an evening out on the 25th to sample the delights of a favourite Indian eatery (a birthday treat courtesy of Kay)!!
Needless to say we had to do a 'dummy run' at home to make sure he could manage curry and rice and, of course, beer!!! That went well - particularly the beer :-)
So I guess things are progressing well and, despite having come off Amatryptoline (an anti-depressant) cold turkey, Doug has suffered relatively few damaging mood swings in the last month. We can but hope this improvement continues.
Iain
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Much overdue update ...............
Things have been progressing moderately well with Douglas over the last wee while.
The much anticipated attendance at Nick and Heikes' wedding was a great boost to Dougs morale and he thoroughly enjoyed being amongst all his friends at such a happy occasion.
I thought he looked rather good all dressed up in his gear!! (Got lots of wolf whistles from the nurses - the female ones that is :-))
I was pleasantly surprised that he lasted so well given that this was his first exposure to a big crowd of people with all the attendant buzz and movement. Unfortunately we had to drag him away before the partying really started - we had a 9pm deadline at the hospital (which we only just kept!!). Staff were out with the breathalyser kit on our arrival but Doug had been very aware of the hazards in drinking thin liquids and had stayed off the booze. Shame in a way but I can not but agree with him.
His physio had been focusing on the possibility of walking at the wedding but, although he has been doing rather well in the hospital at this, staff felt it would be unwise to attempt a repeat given all the distractions, carpeted floors and the like. Poor Doug was a bit sad at this but could see the sense of it.
His next hurdle is an appointment with the opthalmic folk on the 20th of this month and we all hope it will have a positive outcome. I fear he may be somewhat disappointed since he has not really come to terms with how slow the healing process of the nervous system really is. He is doing his very best not to build too high an expectation.
He also will have an appointment with the cardiology folk at the Western for a second look at the root cause of all this ........ the PFO (or hole in the heart). It was recommended that this be 'fixed' at some time in the future (back in June 08) and I guess this is a follow up. I sometimes wonder whether that fact that Doug so easily feels tired may be due, in part at least, to the 'bypass' effect of this, although I would have thought that were it seen as being of such significance, a shorter time limit would have been put on the need for a fix.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
We continue with the Saturday day pass and Douglas does say he really enjoys being a home even though it's only for one day a week. The hospital staff feel Doug is getting quite close to the 'week-end out' point, where he effectively leaves the hospital on a Friday evening and returns on a Monday morning. However Doug is quite insistent that he wants to be able to walk better before this happens so I guess we have to be patient.
In the meantime he continues to look forward to visits with all the chat and gossip.
Many thanks you true and faithful friends.
Iain
The much anticipated attendance at Nick and Heikes' wedding was a great boost to Dougs morale and he thoroughly enjoyed being amongst all his friends at such a happy occasion.
I thought he looked rather good all dressed up in his gear!! (Got lots of wolf whistles from the nurses - the female ones that is :-))
I was pleasantly surprised that he lasted so well given that this was his first exposure to a big crowd of people with all the attendant buzz and movement. Unfortunately we had to drag him away before the partying really started - we had a 9pm deadline at the hospital (which we only just kept!!). Staff were out with the breathalyser kit on our arrival but Doug had been very aware of the hazards in drinking thin liquids and had stayed off the booze. Shame in a way but I can not but agree with him.
His physio had been focusing on the possibility of walking at the wedding but, although he has been doing rather well in the hospital at this, staff felt it would be unwise to attempt a repeat given all the distractions, carpeted floors and the like. Poor Doug was a bit sad at this but could see the sense of it.
His next hurdle is an appointment with the opthalmic folk on the 20th of this month and we all hope it will have a positive outcome. I fear he may be somewhat disappointed since he has not really come to terms with how slow the healing process of the nervous system really is. He is doing his very best not to build too high an expectation.
He also will have an appointment with the cardiology folk at the Western for a second look at the root cause of all this ........ the PFO (or hole in the heart). It was recommended that this be 'fixed' at some time in the future (back in June 08) and I guess this is a follow up. I sometimes wonder whether that fact that Doug so easily feels tired may be due, in part at least, to the 'bypass' effect of this, although I would have thought that were it seen as being of such significance, a shorter time limit would have been put on the need for a fix.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
We continue with the Saturday day pass and Douglas does say he really enjoys being a home even though it's only for one day a week. The hospital staff feel Doug is getting quite close to the 'week-end out' point, where he effectively leaves the hospital on a Friday evening and returns on a Monday morning. However Doug is quite insistent that he wants to be able to walk better before this happens so I guess we have to be patient.
In the meantime he continues to look forward to visits with all the chat and gossip.
Many thanks you true and faithful friends.
Iain
Monday, 9 February 2009
Back on track again ...................
Douglas does now appear to have beaten his chest infection and is coming to the end of his short antibiotics course although it certainly left him feeling a bit washed out.
However he managed to summon enough energy to pop off to the cinema in the care of Kay (a long time friend) to see Slum Dog Millionaire which they both enjoyed very much (even the sad bits!).
I was really chuffed to hear that they had also gone to the cinema coffee shop afterwards (ace coffee I'm told!!). Way to go maan :-)
He is doing quite well at the physio stuff, although I suspect he could do more although who am I to talk!! He is quietly working on the unaided standing when opportunity permits (although I suspect he hasn't told the physios yet!!) and on Sunday evening he stood unaided alongside his bed for a good three minutes!! I was absolutely chuffed ............ and it bodes well for the future that there was no apparent unsteadyness!
His moods still go up and down a bit but things are much more even than before.
He was really upset at the week end (Saturday) when we talked about his uncle (Graeme) in Aussy had also suffered a stroke, albeit for different reasons I believe.
Planning is well under way for Nick and Heikes' wedding late February and so there is much discussion on the merits or otherwise of tartan troos - especially valid given the current climate!!
Saturdays out continue and although a visit home does not seem that much of a bif deal, he seems to enjoy being in a different environment (and having REAL coffee for a change!).
Also seems like week ends at home are approaching fast particularly given his ability to eat 'regular' food now. However much hinges on suitable bed arrangements etc. which we still have to work out.
It is absolutely great to see all his visitors - we are hearing about another side to Duggie!!
Thanks folks ..........
Iain
However he managed to summon enough energy to pop off to the cinema in the care of Kay (a long time friend) to see Slum Dog Millionaire which they both enjoyed very much (even the sad bits!).
I was really chuffed to hear that they had also gone to the cinema coffee shop afterwards (ace coffee I'm told!!). Way to go maan :-)
He is doing quite well at the physio stuff, although I suspect he could do more although who am I to talk!! He is quietly working on the unaided standing when opportunity permits (although I suspect he hasn't told the physios yet!!) and on Sunday evening he stood unaided alongside his bed for a good three minutes!! I was absolutely chuffed ............ and it bodes well for the future that there was no apparent unsteadyness!
His moods still go up and down a bit but things are much more even than before.
He was really upset at the week end (Saturday) when we talked about his uncle (Graeme) in Aussy had also suffered a stroke, albeit for different reasons I believe.
Planning is well under way for Nick and Heikes' wedding late February and so there is much discussion on the merits or otherwise of tartan troos - especially valid given the current climate!!
Saturdays out continue and although a visit home does not seem that much of a bif deal, he seems to enjoy being in a different environment (and having REAL coffee for a change!).
Also seems like week ends at home are approaching fast particularly given his ability to eat 'regular' food now. However much hinges on suitable bed arrangements etc. which we still have to work out.
It is absolutely great to see all his visitors - we are hearing about another side to Duggie!!
Thanks folks ..........
Iain
Friday, 30 January 2009
Chickens, Eggs and the like ..........
Just to show that not so good things can still happen ...........
No sooner had I posted the last update than poor Doug caught a bit of a chest infection and is now on a weeks antibiotic course.
Poor fellah now has a really husky voice and a rather sore throat which, given his dodgy left vocal chord, means talking is a bit of a struggle coupled to a bit of a cough. To top it off he has developed a bit of a temperature. So, from having his drugs cut recently, he is now back to paracetamol plus .....
The view of the nurses is that he has been lucky not to have caught anything in the 3 months he has been at the Astley ............. We are not so pragmatic I'm afraid!!
We still plan for a day at home to-morrow (Saturday) but we'll see what the day brings.
Surprisingly he seemed quite chipper this afternoon although it has to be said he was not his usual talkative self.
Hey ho .................
Iain
No sooner had I posted the last update than poor Doug caught a bit of a chest infection and is now on a weeks antibiotic course.
Poor fellah now has a really husky voice and a rather sore throat which, given his dodgy left vocal chord, means talking is a bit of a struggle coupled to a bit of a cough. To top it off he has developed a bit of a temperature. So, from having his drugs cut recently, he is now back to paracetamol plus .....
The view of the nurses is that he has been lucky not to have caught anything in the 3 months he has been at the Astley ............. We are not so pragmatic I'm afraid!!
We still plan for a day at home to-morrow (Saturday) but we'll see what the day brings.
Surprisingly he seemed quite chipper this afternoon although it has to be said he was not his usual talkative self.
Hey ho .................
Iain
Thursday, 29 January 2009
And Douglas continues to improve ...
Well it has been a fairly busy few weeks for all of us, particularly Douglas.
He has been working hard at the business of getting from wheelchair to car and back again without using the bulky and heavy Sam Hall Turner. The new way uses a banana shaped plastic board that bridges the space between seats and Doug has to master the art of sliding himself across this.
So far he has done really well - so much so that we all had our first real day out last week end with a visit to a Roller Derby in the Medowbank Stadium, a shopping trip to the O2 store for a new phone and a few hours at home!!! Absolutely brilliant :-)
I think he felt a little out of place at the Roller Derby, partly because of the seating arrangements (a flat hall floor with banked seating on one side only) which meant that we had to sit close to the exit door (wheelchair issues) but also because everyone there seemed to 'normal', healthy and active. Never the less he enjoyed the time particularly since the two competing teams were all young ladies all togged out in outrageous gear (some fairly scanty!!) :-)))
Oh ..... and he got his new phone too!!
Physio and Occupational Therapy continues apace but, since (in Dougs words) he is a 'lazy git' it is never fast enough for him. He is working on the walking using a small zimmer frame and seems able to manage a reasonable distance although he does tend to veer off to the right a bit - all to do with having a strong right side I'm told. However practice will doubtless straighten things up - it has done with his wheelchair manoeuvres.
He also seems to have mastered the swallowing and chewing side of eating and has progressed from pureed food, through 'minced' food and is now eating normal consistency meals. As a result his PEG feed has been reduced to water only just to make sure he does not get dehydrated.
I suspect the PEG tube will stay in until they are quite certain he can be sustained by mouth.
A great boost is that he now can mix consistencies - no more thickened coffee!!!! Whoopee .....
(Apart from that, Baileys does NOT thicken well at all!)
He is seeing a slow return of feeling in the left hand side of his face although there is a long way to go and the other day he said that he heard me whisper into his left ear! If this is really the case it is terrific news since earlier hearing assessments indicated no hearing at all in that ear!
However we are trying not be overly optimistic about this (chickens and eggs and all that!)
His left eye condition keeps good although he still has one stitch in the lid. He is pinning a lot of hope on its removal and I do hope that this comes true although I have a feeling that the effect of the stroke on the optic nerves may take a lot longer to fix itself. I'm not sure how he will deal with this ...............
Plans are afoot for his attendance at a friends wedding in late February so I guess we'll be getting a flood of instructions shortly regarding suitable dress etc.! He is nothing if not particular in sartorial terms (mind it will mean that he has to comb his hair unless we can get it cut before then!!)
In the meantime the Saturday home visits continue and hopefully we'll be able to go further afield now the car transfers have been sorted.
A big thank you to DavyP in the antipodes who gave him a call the other day ........ he didn't stop talking about it for ages afterwards. It meant so much to him ............. although I'm not sure just how well Davy could understand Doug on the phone since his voice can get pretty raspy when he is tired. Thanks big fellah!!
And big thanks to all his friends who continue to visit (despite being subjected to a film or music quiz when they get there!!). Sometimes you just have to tell him to shut up and listen for a bit :-)
Iain
He has been working hard at the business of getting from wheelchair to car and back again without using the bulky and heavy Sam Hall Turner. The new way uses a banana shaped plastic board that bridges the space between seats and Doug has to master the art of sliding himself across this.
So far he has done really well - so much so that we all had our first real day out last week end with a visit to a Roller Derby in the Medowbank Stadium, a shopping trip to the O2 store for a new phone and a few hours at home!!! Absolutely brilliant :-)
I think he felt a little out of place at the Roller Derby, partly because of the seating arrangements (a flat hall floor with banked seating on one side only) which meant that we had to sit close to the exit door (wheelchair issues) but also because everyone there seemed to 'normal', healthy and active. Never the less he enjoyed the time particularly since the two competing teams were all young ladies all togged out in outrageous gear (some fairly scanty!!) :-)))
Oh ..... and he got his new phone too!!
Physio and Occupational Therapy continues apace but, since (in Dougs words) he is a 'lazy git' it is never fast enough for him. He is working on the walking using a small zimmer frame and seems able to manage a reasonable distance although he does tend to veer off to the right a bit - all to do with having a strong right side I'm told. However practice will doubtless straighten things up - it has done with his wheelchair manoeuvres.
He also seems to have mastered the swallowing and chewing side of eating and has progressed from pureed food, through 'minced' food and is now eating normal consistency meals. As a result his PEG feed has been reduced to water only just to make sure he does not get dehydrated.
I suspect the PEG tube will stay in until they are quite certain he can be sustained by mouth.
A great boost is that he now can mix consistencies - no more thickened coffee!!!! Whoopee .....
(Apart from that, Baileys does NOT thicken well at all!)
He is seeing a slow return of feeling in the left hand side of his face although there is a long way to go and the other day he said that he heard me whisper into his left ear! If this is really the case it is terrific news since earlier hearing assessments indicated no hearing at all in that ear!
However we are trying not be overly optimistic about this (chickens and eggs and all that!)
His left eye condition keeps good although he still has one stitch in the lid. He is pinning a lot of hope on its removal and I do hope that this comes true although I have a feeling that the effect of the stroke on the optic nerves may take a lot longer to fix itself. I'm not sure how he will deal with this ...............
Plans are afoot for his attendance at a friends wedding in late February so I guess we'll be getting a flood of instructions shortly regarding suitable dress etc.! He is nothing if not particular in sartorial terms (mind it will mean that he has to comb his hair unless we can get it cut before then!!)
In the meantime the Saturday home visits continue and hopefully we'll be able to go further afield now the car transfers have been sorted.
A big thank you to DavyP in the antipodes who gave him a call the other day ........ he didn't stop talking about it for ages afterwards. It meant so much to him ............. although I'm not sure just how well Davy could understand Doug on the phone since his voice can get pretty raspy when he is tired. Thanks big fellah!!
And big thanks to all his friends who continue to visit (despite being subjected to a film or music quiz when they get there!!). Sometimes you just have to tell him to shut up and listen for a bit :-)
Iain
Thursday, 8 January 2009
A guid New Year to ane an a an mony may ye see
Apologies for the lateness of this update, due entirely to a whole series of minor PC problems!!
Douglas managed to escape for New Years Day and was home with us from mid morning. He tells us it was ace ....... we managed not to burn the parsnips this time!
He is doing rather well although he had a bit of a mood swing on Sunday/Monday which left him feeling very low and useless. However all credit to him, he does seem to have rationalised things and recovered his equanimity (if thats the right word).
He loved seeing everyone over the festive season and has asked that I send a very big thank you to all, with very best wishes for 2009.
He had an optician look at the possibility of getting spectacles to help improve the sight in his right eye on the 5th Jan.. The results were a little mixed in that all the tests showed that his right eye was perfect and that specs would not do any particular good at this time. The vision effects Doug is finding are therefore down to the stroke and, as such, should improve over time. Needless to say this was a bit of a blow - patience is not one of Dougs strengths right now.
His physio and Occupational Therapy work continues apace and, although he finds it difficult to appreciate, he is making considerable strides. His wheelchair control is very significantly better and improving by the day. As he says he's a bit less like a drunken snake even though longer 'trips' are very tiring.
We are planning a series of 'days out' at week ends (all Saturdays) starting with a home visit this Saturday (10th). We'll be collecting him at around 10:30 am and should be home by 11:15 or 11:30 ish and plan to return him (undamaged!) to the Astley at around 7:30 pm.
All of us would like to wish all of you a good new year and hopes that 2009 brings health and happiness.
Iain
Douglas managed to escape for New Years Day and was home with us from mid morning. He tells us it was ace ....... we managed not to burn the parsnips this time!
He is doing rather well although he had a bit of a mood swing on Sunday/Monday which left him feeling very low and useless. However all credit to him, he does seem to have rationalised things and recovered his equanimity (if thats the right word).
He loved seeing everyone over the festive season and has asked that I send a very big thank you to all, with very best wishes for 2009.
He had an optician look at the possibility of getting spectacles to help improve the sight in his right eye on the 5th Jan.. The results were a little mixed in that all the tests showed that his right eye was perfect and that specs would not do any particular good at this time. The vision effects Doug is finding are therefore down to the stroke and, as such, should improve over time. Needless to say this was a bit of a blow - patience is not one of Dougs strengths right now.
His physio and Occupational Therapy work continues apace and, although he finds it difficult to appreciate, he is making considerable strides. His wheelchair control is very significantly better and improving by the day. As he says he's a bit less like a drunken snake even though longer 'trips' are very tiring.
We are planning a series of 'days out' at week ends (all Saturdays) starting with a home visit this Saturday (10th). We'll be collecting him at around 10:30 am and should be home by 11:15 or 11:30 ish and plan to return him (undamaged!) to the Astley at around 7:30 pm.
All of us would like to wish all of you a good new year and hopes that 2009 brings health and happiness.
Iain
Friday, 26 December 2008
Christmas Greetings to all ..........
Dougs home visit on Christmas Day went very well indeed. It was a bit emotional (quite understandable really!) and nearly proved disastrous when I tried liquidising tomato soup!!
We always wanted to change the colour scheme in the kitchen anyhow ............
Seriously though, it was really a very nice day - quiet with plenty of time for Doug to get used to the home atmosphere and settle into a different atmosphere.
He has been quite overcome by the good wishes for Christmas from all his friends - cards, emails and FaceBook posts, all of which really helped to make this Christmas quite memorable.
We returned him to the hospital at around 7.30pm, more or less intact (!!) and absolutely bushed but so happy. The staff tell us he slept like a babe (even through medication injections in the tummy!!) and woke up talking about his visit.
We plan to have him home on New Years Day though sadly medication, feed regime etc. mean he could not be with us to see the New Year in. I suspect that, given his propensity for calling folk on his mobile, some of you may just get a shout!!!!
Otherwise things have been ( and will be) a bit quiet until after the New Year holiday when the physio etc. all restarts. I sincerely hope that the home visits will have given added incentive to work hard at the programme since the biggest contributor to getting better is Douglas himself.
Douglas, Sheena and I all hope that you had a very happy Christmas and that you will all have a happy and prosperous New Year when it comes.
Iain
We always wanted to change the colour scheme in the kitchen anyhow ............
Seriously though, it was really a very nice day - quiet with plenty of time for Doug to get used to the home atmosphere and settle into a different atmosphere.
He has been quite overcome by the good wishes for Christmas from all his friends - cards, emails and FaceBook posts, all of which really helped to make this Christmas quite memorable.
We returned him to the hospital at around 7.30pm, more or less intact (!!) and absolutely bushed but so happy. The staff tell us he slept like a babe (even through medication injections in the tummy!!) and woke up talking about his visit.
We plan to have him home on New Years Day though sadly medication, feed regime etc. mean he could not be with us to see the New Year in. I suspect that, given his propensity for calling folk on his mobile, some of you may just get a shout!!!!
Otherwise things have been ( and will be) a bit quiet until after the New Year holiday when the physio etc. all restarts. I sincerely hope that the home visits will have given added incentive to work hard at the programme since the biggest contributor to getting better is Douglas himself.
Douglas, Sheena and I all hope that you had a very happy Christmas and that you will all have a happy and prosperous New Year when it comes.
Iain
Friday, 19 December 2008
Things they are a moving ...........
This is just a quick update to let folks know that, at long last, we have got the go ahead for a 'day release' for Doug on Saturday 20th.
We'll be picking him up at around mid-day for a home visit of up to 4 hours!!! Whoopeeeeeee :-)
In honour of this he took delivery of his spanking new wheel chair to-day (although he's already talking about mods to fit a 500cc power pack - harum).
From this you will have gathered that he has not only recovered his upbeat mood but has been doing very well at physio, occupational therapy and speech and language.
He has put up with his somewhat hesitant parents trundling him out to the car park and loading him into the front seat of the car (whenever the rain stops that is!!) As he says - "guess who's the dummy for this dummy run!!"
He is now dealing with semi solid food (creamy mashed potato consistency is the thickest he can manage) and routinely has soup, main course (pureed), sweet and coffee. Absolutely brilliant I say!! He can't consume very much of anything as yet 'cause it is quite an effort to swallow but this is improving the more he does it. He really relishes re-discovering the taste of food; something he has not experienced since April.
We just have to be a little careful to ensure that he sits up for at least 30 minutes after eating (to let gravity do its work) in order to avoid regurgitation. Mind you, its a pointer for us auld yins who often complain after eating very late and then collapsing in bed - yeah well ..........
He has really been doing very well although, as always with Doug, it's never quite fast enough! Never the less I do get a sense that he has established a better understanding of how he is improving and consequently seems a bit more at peace with himself.
A very happy (and nervous!) Pappy!!
Iain
........ must apologise to anyone who had planned to visit the glories of the Astley on Saturday but we only had final confirmation this evening of the visit. All rather weather dependant and, so far, looks OK.
We'll be picking him up at around mid-day for a home visit of up to 4 hours!!! Whoopeeeeeee :-)
In honour of this he took delivery of his spanking new wheel chair to-day (although he's already talking about mods to fit a 500cc power pack - harum).
From this you will have gathered that he has not only recovered his upbeat mood but has been doing very well at physio, occupational therapy and speech and language.
He has put up with his somewhat hesitant parents trundling him out to the car park and loading him into the front seat of the car (whenever the rain stops that is!!) As he says - "guess who's the dummy for this dummy run!!"
He is now dealing with semi solid food (creamy mashed potato consistency is the thickest he can manage) and routinely has soup, main course (pureed), sweet and coffee. Absolutely brilliant I say!! He can't consume very much of anything as yet 'cause it is quite an effort to swallow but this is improving the more he does it. He really relishes re-discovering the taste of food; something he has not experienced since April.
We just have to be a little careful to ensure that he sits up for at least 30 minutes after eating (to let gravity do its work) in order to avoid regurgitation. Mind you, its a pointer for us auld yins who often complain after eating very late and then collapsing in bed - yeah well ..........
He has really been doing very well although, as always with Doug, it's never quite fast enough! Never the less I do get a sense that he has established a better understanding of how he is improving and consequently seems a bit more at peace with himself.
A very happy (and nervous!) Pappy!!
Iain
........ must apologise to anyone who had planned to visit the glories of the Astley on Saturday but we only had final confirmation this evening of the visit. All rather weather dependant and, so far, looks OK.
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