Re: How is everyone?
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 5:04 pm
Hello Mike
Yes, your video describes it all very well, although when I sit down again my legs do take a few minutes to settle. They feel like there is an electrical current running through them until I am completely rested. I also notice that as well as shortness of breath, I start to sweat.
I am currently trying to get my body back to some "normality" after a stressful couple of months while waiting on the results of medical tests my husband was having. He had been unwell with continuing pain in the stomach region and early tests throwing up some "curly" results for the doctors. Of course, human nature being as it is, we and the doctors were thinking tumors, mainly because of his family history - father dying from pancreatic cancer, and mother having bowel cancer. Just on three weeks ago after he had an MRI, we finally had a result. Gallstones had made their way into his bile duct, causing a blockage, and this was causing serious infection. The Specialists didn't want him to go back to work on the Chatham Islands until he had surgery, so the following week we flew to Wellington for him to firstly have an endoscopic procedure to remove the stones from his bile duct, then the next morning to have keyhole surgery to remove his gallbladder. Unfortunately, during the surgery another stone was found in another branch of the duct, so it was back to theatre later that day for another endoscopic procedure to remove it. With two very heavy sedations and a full anaesthetic in less than 24 hours, it took a toll on his body (and mine!) and they were very concerned at his shallow breathing when he came back to his room. I sat with him for nearly two hours poking him to make sure he was breathing.
By the next morning my OT was kicking in big time - I guess I managed to keep it at bay up until then - so one of his nurses saw me at my shaky best. I took the opportunity to tell her about OT ....... so, that's one more person who has been made aware of what this frustrating disease can do to us. We returned to my home town of Blenheim where my husband has been recuperating. I thought things for me would settle down again within a few days, but I'm finding fatigue is still leaving me feeling very 'flat'. It is incredible what a bit of stress does to us.
Gloria, good luck with your decision on knee surgery. The surgery that I had on my foot last September was a big success - no more pain when I walk - and I'm so pleased I went ahead and had it done, despite my big concern that it would trigger more shakes from the OT. My fears were unfounded, so much so that I had surgery on both hands earlier this year to release tendons, without any affect on the OT. In fact, my husband's surgery has generated more problems for me than my own.
Regards from a very frosty and cool Blenheim.
Lynette
Yes, your video describes it all very well, although when I sit down again my legs do take a few minutes to settle. They feel like there is an electrical current running through them until I am completely rested. I also notice that as well as shortness of breath, I start to sweat.
I am currently trying to get my body back to some "normality" after a stressful couple of months while waiting on the results of medical tests my husband was having. He had been unwell with continuing pain in the stomach region and early tests throwing up some "curly" results for the doctors. Of course, human nature being as it is, we and the doctors were thinking tumors, mainly because of his family history - father dying from pancreatic cancer, and mother having bowel cancer. Just on three weeks ago after he had an MRI, we finally had a result. Gallstones had made their way into his bile duct, causing a blockage, and this was causing serious infection. The Specialists didn't want him to go back to work on the Chatham Islands until he had surgery, so the following week we flew to Wellington for him to firstly have an endoscopic procedure to remove the stones from his bile duct, then the next morning to have keyhole surgery to remove his gallbladder. Unfortunately, during the surgery another stone was found in another branch of the duct, so it was back to theatre later that day for another endoscopic procedure to remove it. With two very heavy sedations and a full anaesthetic in less than 24 hours, it took a toll on his body (and mine!) and they were very concerned at his shallow breathing when he came back to his room. I sat with him for nearly two hours poking him to make sure he was breathing.
By the next morning my OT was kicking in big time - I guess I managed to keep it at bay up until then - so one of his nurses saw me at my shaky best. I took the opportunity to tell her about OT ....... so, that's one more person who has been made aware of what this frustrating disease can do to us. We returned to my home town of Blenheim where my husband has been recuperating. I thought things for me would settle down again within a few days, but I'm finding fatigue is still leaving me feeling very 'flat'. It is incredible what a bit of stress does to us.
Gloria, good luck with your decision on knee surgery. The surgery that I had on my foot last September was a big success - no more pain when I walk - and I'm so pleased I went ahead and had it done, despite my big concern that it would trigger more shakes from the OT. My fears were unfounded, so much so that I had surgery on both hands earlier this year to release tendons, without any affect on the OT. In fact, my husband's surgery has generated more problems for me than my own.
Regards from a very frosty and cool Blenheim.
Lynette
MaryAnn from Illinois