sunday

Clive came home today and finds that our bed is much more comfortable that the one in the hospital. The wound is well healed but he has a lot of work to do on the movement.He is only allowed to sit for a very short time so I will be restricting the use of the computer.Do not bother to send jokes at the moment.He is very happy to chat on the phone but visits are more difficult as he is spending most of his time lying on the bed.

thursday

Clive is still in hospital as he has had a setback not with the back surgery but with a very reduced levels of sodium and potassium which is what we think caused all the symptons of nausea, headaches, and general drowsiness.He has been on a drip for the last 24 hours and the levels have gone up but not to acceptible levels so he will have to stay put until they do.So he will not be out entil probably Sunday.In himself he is much brighter and beginning to grumble always a good sign.He is happy to talk to people either on his mobile or the hospitol number is 01689 877855 room 109 ,and it is Chelsfield Park that he is in in Orpington.I will ipdate again when we know the date when he will be sprung Sonia

saturday

Although Clive is up and about he has unfortunately suffered another leak of cerebral spinal fluid which has caused him to be very sick and to have severe migraine type headaches.We hope that this will sort itself out very quickly so that he can come home.At the present he is not up to having visitors and when I go in I sit quietly in a corner and read my book.I will Update again in a couple of days.

It's a bit early!!

Well, on Wednesday I have to be at Chelsfield Park at 6.45 am! Having showered with a special soap both that morning and on the previous night. Sounds as though I am first on the list. I have a great list of what I must have with me. But I shall have the mobile, so I shall be able to make and receive calls and txts. Not a lot more to say at present.

We have a date!

Well, things happen fast when they do happen at all. X-ray on Monday, telephone consultation this morning at 10 am. Appointment at Chelsfield Park for the op next Wednesday, 20 October, with pre-assessment tomorrow at 4 pm. Same as before - de-compression and discectomy. But without the complication of an aneurysm op 2 weeks before and without a newly damaged femoral nerve, so that hopefully I shall be less disabled afterwards.

Now I have to cancel all the social events immediately afterwards - the problem is to decide for how long I have to hang about at home. At least I know that I cannot go swimming for a month or so. Pity - I have quite enjoyed getting into the water again on a frequent basis, although it was much better in the Caribbean!

The Next Step

A phone call from the specialist was disappointing. I have a further slip of the disc, and a big one at that. He is very unhappy, as he had hoped that it would all go away, but it has not. So there is to be another operation to remove the bit of disc that has popped out and is prodding the nerve, and he may also have to do a fusion, which means doing something to fuse 2 vertebrae together. I must find out a bit more about fusion operations. The next step is an ex-ray of my back this afternoon to see a bit more about whether a fusion is needed.

In the meantime I am still cultivating the allotment, which the specialist probably would not approve of, and swimming about four times a week. And the village social season has started, and have to draft a quiz for the village hall in February. Keeps me out of mischief.