First of all, apologies for yesterday’s post (part two (end bit)), especially to those who saw the uncensored version with the F word in it ! I was very low, but there is no excuse, so sorry.

I had a good chat with Marie and Jane today, and Marie related her relationship with her son Lee (who had leukaemia) in the time he was very ill in hospital. Marie always used to get picked on by Lee in his most desperate moments while Lee would be fine with other visitors such as Karen. She believes, as do I now, that this is because the love is so great that Lee knew he could vent the frustration at his mam and she wouldn’t desert him. Karen is just doing the same with me and knowing this makes me feel a lot better. It’s not personal – As Margo says in her comment, it shows the deep love between us.

Thanks Marie + Margo !!

Back to the main woman.

A CORKER OF A DAY !

Karen has made a big leap today !!! For 3 hours this morning she was took off the bellows and left with a oxygen mask over her tracheostomy tube. No Problems !!! SO THEN –>

They took her off the oxygen and she spent MOST of the day breathing naturally and there are no plans to put her back on the ventilator. She is breathing TOTALLY for herself !!

Go Karen Go – Go Karen Go ! Yay Rah Rah !! (Girly cheerleader time again)

She ate some ice cream today. She drank some tea (about a teaspoon). Loads of Water. Pineapple Juice. Gin and some Vodka straight (no ice). Well maybe not so much vodka

She was chirpy and had us in stitches again.

Just out of the blue she said to the lovely nurse Dawn (who she keeps calling Claire, Diane and others names)

kp: So are you having to go through “Agenda for Change” (an NHS policy change that affects the blood service).

Marie and I looked at each other instantly gobsmacked.

Another time, a doctor came over. He hadn’t seen karen since she was sedated and he said

Doctor :- You are looking a lot better
kp :- Do I look striking ?

LOL !

The doctor laughed.

When I first went in, Karen was on a machine that automatically exercised her right leg for 10 minutes (moving it up and back).

kp: David, they are torturing me.

She wasn’t happy.

dp: Just another 3 minutes to go love.
kp: No, its been on 10 minutes. Get them to switch it off.

Poor kp.

Another time, the nurses were ganged around Karen and were turning her to treat her leg and head sores. There were 3 female nurses and a male nurse doing it.

kp gave them instructions as to how she wanted to be turned.

kp: I want to get my leg over

The male nurse blushed, the female nurses were laughing. The nurses kept teasing the male nurse throughout the day about it.

So, lots of fun today. kp had lots of smiles throughout the day.

She had a visit from a nurse who specialises in cushioning wounds so they don’t hurt. I can’t remember her title.

Karen’s head was cut at the front and the back in the accident. The front wound was stitched and has totally healed, stitches removed. The back of her head was a bigger problem because they couldn’t do anything ‘cos kp HAS to lie on her back and therefore her head has to lie on the pillow. This was always her biggest annoyance because whatever position she was in, she had to have the back of her head on the pillow. And it hurt.

This nurse came with the appropriate cushions and bandages to alleviate this pain and when we returned her head was bandaged up and she was relieved that there was no more pain from her head. The nurses called Karen “Humpty Dumpty” the rest of the day because that was a very apt description of her head bandaging.

Fantastic Day. kp on top form.

So Proud !

Karen had a visit today from the tissue viability nurse…….She diagrammed kp’s wounds to the back of her head…….

More good news – now kp is off ventilation, there is talk of kp moving to another ward. The doctors debated whether this should be a stroke ward or an orthopedic ward. They decided initially on a orthopedic ward with the pelvis being the biggest injury. She could be moved as early as Sunday, but more likely next week some time. But then, they changed their minds and rightfully so to a neuro-based ward. Here’s the physio’s report….

Another thing referenced in this note is “CPM”. It stands for something Passive Movement. It is basically a machine that works your leg for you, when you aren’t strong enough to do it yourself. It literally moves your leg to a certain angle and back again.

The main hospital stroke consultant came to see Karen today also…………He remarked……

When Karen is moved off critical care, this is a sign that she is no longer critical. And therefore, stable.

Although Karen probably doesn’t appreciate the significance of the ward move, it is a great morale boost to the family and friends.

Very little negative to tell you today.

Karen was convinced she could see “bugs” on the wall. I ended up going to the wall and pointing at various things. It took a while to work out that what she thought were bugs were in fact the black parts of a whiteboard that she could only see side on. I think she was a bit happier when she realised there were no “bugs” in the ward !

Karen had no feeling in her left hand today, but she could feel various prods on her left arm and left foot. I am sure that is enough to work on to gain full feeling in these areas eventually. And with a bit of luck, be able to move her left side, which at the moment she can’t do.

Can’t think of anything else, although I feel sure I have forgot some things.

Cracking Day. Karen is proving to be the Mohammed Ali of fighters and I feel sure tomorrow will bring something else new.