What a Difference a Week Makes!!!!!!!

The statement "Kayla has had a rough week" is equivalent to stating "the D Day Landings were a bit of a punch up!" Kayla has had a HORRID NASTY NASTY week!

She has had problems with her wound (It leaks! and looks like a shark bite that has been machine gunned!) ................... problems with pain (24/7 Agony!!!!!!!) ................................ problems with her canula's (They only last 12 hours) .................................problems with post operative fluid retention (low blood protein) and problems with bloating (sulking intestines).

Kayla had had enough. Tears, tantrums, self doubt, hospital doubt, was the pain worth the gain?

Those of you who know Kayla know that she is a fighter not a quiter. This past Tuesday she was ready to quit! The fight was gone, she had nothing left to give. The final straw was over 15 attempts to get her canulated, her veins are so bad that they collapse as soon as the needle enters them. Kaylas Mum "MJ" (Mother Janet) is a tough "old bird" but even she was showing cracks I had a terrible night of worry and vivid canulation dreams.

It is now Sunday and I will not dwell on the negatives of this week. Kayla seems to have the power to draw that last shred of courage out of herself and always at the darkest moment. She re-focused and pushed through her pain and other problems.

Mobility was the key. However 8 days after major pelvic and abdominal surgery who wants to go for a walk? But the fact stayed the same, mobility would reduce the bloat/fluid retention and promote recovery.

Problem, mobility can not be achieved in a hospital bed attached to a morphine drip!

Kayla sporting her re-discovered "Girl Power" gave up the morphine PCA and took to pounding the ward corridors. She looked pitiful bent almost double hands holding her leaky wound worrid that her entrails could suddenly become extrails! The last thing you want is your intestines all over a hospital floor..............the GERMS! eeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Persistant is her middle name! (well it's not actually it's Sandra) but it should be! The more she walked the straighter she became, the better she felt and amazingly the fluid started to go, she no longer has hands that look like dough balls! The new 2.7 meter gut has also awoken and has demanded food!

Food!

Kayla has been unable to eat since December 05 due to her intestines being melted by radiotherapy and kinked by the reccurence of cancer.

Today she is eating and has ordered the following...........................

Breakfast: Rice Crispies, tea, bacon, tomatoes and sausage!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lunch: Roasted vegetable and cream cheese sandwich with a lemon cheesecake!!!!!!

Supper: Roast chicken, stuffing, veg, roast potatoes, gravy (yes she does like gravy) and apple pie and custard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know how much she will eat but just wanting to eat and not feeling sick in a start! Come on Kayla my darling you are amazing! She has gone from physical wreck to human dustbin in less than a week. The staff and surgical team are amazed.

I am the most amazed, during this period of Kayla's journey I have never been so scared in my life. Not just for her health or life, although at times things were very dire, she was always in good hands. My main fear was that Kayla had reached her limit of pain, all things medical and her journey. I honestly thought that she was losing her will to fight and with her spirit gone that she was gonna give up on her battle and just become a prisoner to the evil cancer beast.

No not Kayla she just retreated, regrouped and counter attacked that's my girl!

She is now 200% better, complaining of being bored and counting the seconds to her release!

I now need a good sleep and a few pints of "Speckled Hen" as I am a burnt out husk of my former self (no I'm not I have always looked like this! a cross between Oliver Reed and the Kurgan!)

Take Care Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwllllllll

Stu

Friday Already?

Blimey, what a week.

I posted here earlier saying everything was super dooper! What a mistaker to maker!!

Kayla as per normal has to prove me wrong! Tuesday evening she had a bit of a downward turn caused by fluid on her lungs. She could not breath fully and in the subsequant "flapp" her heart rate went to 200+. She got herself into quite a state and thought she was a gonner! Bless her.

Wednesday was horrific she was just laid in bed staring at the ceiling with a huge mask back on and her heart rate around 120 - 130. Medication for her heart started to work and the diuretics had her peeing for england and so shifting all of the post op fluid that was gathering in her lungs and everywhere else come to think of it. She was so pumped up thet she was hard to the touch and could not close her fingers.......and fluid was seeping out of all of her old injection sites!!!!!!! I removed all sharp objects from my pockets for fear of popping her accidentally!

Thursday was like Wednesday had never happened! Kayla was back with us engaging in conversation and chirpy. Our sons A level results and daughters college acceptance really raised her spirits. She is hoping to be out of the ITU by weekend but the best news is......................
........................................
......they ITU staff have found a TV for her so she won't miss the Big Brother final tonight!!!!!!!

and there ends the News, better get going now as I have numerous chores to take care of before I head off to hospital.

Take Care


StuXXX

Operation - Feed Again

Kayla went for surgery yesterday at about 08:40 hrs. Her Mum and I were there to wave her off at St Marks. Bless her she looked tiny and terrified under that sheet as she was wheeled into the "Slice em and Dice "em" theatre. She kept our spirits up by doing an impression from "Chicken Run" as she left us she said with a wallis and grommet like face "I don't like Gravy!"

6 hours later we were called to the ITU. Intensive care was not planned but a bed was ready in case of any unforeseen complications.

Kayla Queen of the unforeseen, High Empress of drama, the Veritable Viscountess of being a Victim! was gonna have a complication!!!!!

Yes dear reader Kayla the complicated had complications in the form of a major bleed, a subsequent transfusion and then some worrying instability in her vital signs. So after the operation it was off to Intensive Care.

Once again it was down to me to be the first to lay eyes upon her post operative wonderfulness....Gulp! For those of you that have never had to do this let me explain..............

"God knows what goes on in theatre but your "loved one" does not look anything like how you remember them as they left you............. they are kind of puffed up, a horrid pale colour, covered in tubes, wires, dried blood, sick and unnaturally asleep!"

Kayla was very very asleep and also on a ventilator! Although she did not look as bad as she did from the 16 hour surgery she still gave me the heebie-jeebies and looked a little like Homer Simpson (something to do with the eyes being taped shut during surgery! EEeeewwwww!).

Mother Janet opted not to view at this time and this I feel was the better option. I visited briefly as she did not know that I was there. I told her that we all loved her and we were all thinking of her and that the Op had gone well. I left and we came home. Hope I didn't run anyone down on the way home as sitting here I cannot remember any of the journey! Gulp!

Kayla had a stable night with the machines monitoring her and breathing for her. They tried to let her breath for herself but she had a few problems so they carried on with the ventilator.

I arrived there at 10:30 this morning and she was awake. It is funny trying to communicate with someone on a ventilator. It's a miming fiasco! Kayla is a bad mimer and I am a pants guesser! She was well enough to use a notebook and pen even if only one of her eyes was working! The first thing she wrote was "I'm alive!" A bit more miming and me explaining about the operation. Her next written words were "what day is it?" "What time is it?" and "where am I?" The ventilator was getting on her nerves so a few messages were given to the nurse. My explanation must have been too fast because she then wrote "Tell me everything again but slower you arse!" That's my feisty Kayla!!!!! not 24 hours out of surgery and giving me a hard time! Fantastic!

The ventilator was soon removed and Kayla can breath on her own and talk again. So she no longer needs a notebook to communicate.............she can once again nag in the old fashioned way!!! Hurrah!

She will be in intensive care for maybe another 24-48 hours and then all being well back to the ward. Then a few weeks there and if complication free..................home!

The surgical team came and saw me and said that the operation was mostly a success. The bleed and instability came towards the end. Kayla's lower intestines were in a very poor state with scaring, adhesions and acute radiotherapy damage. Most of the pelvic intestines had to be removed and she now has a 2.7 meter gut. If this intestine is undamaged, efficient and can absorb........ then there is a very good chance that she will be able to sustain herself by just eating and the daily TPN feeding will cease. This will be fantastic as I bet she is well hungry by now....she has not eaten a full meal since December 05!!!!!!

Normality is still a long way off though. Baby-steps for now.........We will just have to take one day at a time......Kayla's long hard road to recovery has just been made into a Dual Carridgeway!

Take Care

StuXXX

It's getting Harder by the DAY! (As the Bishop said to the Mother Superior!)

Blimey, My Blog! I have been not paying it enough attention!

I Have not been on here since early July! Wowzer!

Not my fault though,

Kayla is now home!

the kids are also home

and I have gone back to work!

There are just not enough hours in the day. I am up at 6:45am and get to bed about midnight. Not because I am an early riser, night owl or have lots of jobs to do........................... no it's because I am kicked out of bed in order for Kayla's visitors (Cara, MJ or Shabz) to sit in bed with her and watch morning/daytime/evening/late night TV!!!!!!

I do have millions of jobs to do though but with the help of that human cleaning machine "Wonder-Cara" we normally manage to get everything done and only get about a billion criticisms and complaints from "El Presidente"

Kayla (VIVA El Presidente!!!!!!!!!!) Is still fighting against Cancer and the new and just as evil intestinal failure so her life revolves around TPN feed bags, pain killers, Nurses, Shipwrecked, nausea, Big Bro, Pain, Love Island, hospital trips and acute fatigue and some bilge about some bird from theSound of Music!!!

She is back in St Marks next Sunday for what will hopefully be the end of the Intestinal Failure episode of her life. This earlier this week we had a consultation with the surgeon let's say it was scary to say the least. There are so many possibilities of what the final outcome will be and even more hazards to get around. It seems that there is a high percentage chance of some form of nasty complication and only a moderate chance of success!

This will be a very difficult and trying time for my beloved little "Pit Viper". No wonder she is on edge right now and in the words of the "Crocodile Hunter" a little cranky!!!!!!!!! Bless her she needs a break (and I don't mean her neck!).

COME ON ST MARKS ......................get her eating again!!!!!!!!!

Gotta go a house doesn't clean itself even though boy-children believe this!

Will write again soon

Stu