Alex,re the trach hole, it heals pretty well, I had a nurse come around every couple of days for about 6 weeks to adjust the dressing. A helluva relief when the trach comes out that is for sure. I now have about a half inch scar just below the Adams Apple, gets itchy occasionally and now I have to take thyroxin for the rest of my life. And my thyroid was 100 percent good prior to radiation which damn near destroyed it, or at least compromised it to a significant degree.
wishing you well...also posting from ICU..."Legend"! You're rooms look good the scars will heal its just ...difficult to see the end of it all but it will come...meanwhile just ride that wave.
Thanks Peter
Thanks Brendan
Xrays today cause they are not happy with my ability to swallow although I am managing meals very well...managed to get icecream and mango mouuse ..so a little double up..it is fantastic.also cheese and biscuits with teas.
Scan yesterday...no talk of leaving.
Drawing heaps.
Alex
I think it is the Catholic Church..ironically I was Baptised here in Lismore at "the other one"...So I get off to sleep and they wake you up to take blood pressure...but also changed the dressings so that is ok...actually they woke me at the right time as I was dreaming I was looking at pond water through my microscopes and had spilt it over the lap top and was experiencing severe disappointment as one does when you get water on your lap top...anyways down to the tea machine seeing I am awake.
Alex
I think it is the Catholic Church..ironically I was Baptised here in Lismore at "the other one"...So I get off to sleep and they wake you up to take blood pressure...but also changed the dressings so that is ok...actually they woke me at the right time as I was dreaming I was looking at pond water through my microscopes and had spilt it over the lap top and was experiencing severe disappointment as one does when you get water on your lap top...anyways down to the tea machine seeing I am awake.
Alex
Alex, disappointment over water on a laptop is nothing to watching your partners cat trash your personal laptop.. can I say that again, my quite expensive personal laptop, dedicated to astrophotography, destined for solving some arcane form of quantum mechanics formulae to create perfect guiding.
Not that my laptops are as much of an issue as compared to your current struggles , just for perspective ;-).
Take care Alex, watching your blogs from ICU with anticipation. Be well. Eat more ice cream, get more pizza.
David that experience must have been rather upsetting but you must remember a cat is always in the right ...I came out of ICU last Friday...see post showing the big wonderful room I was fortunate to be allocated...re cats and lap tops...years ago at the Cheltenham house...my rule...always close the "lid" of the lap top when finished using it...now one nigh two firsts...I left the the lap top open...for no reason...I let the neighbours cat in the house only to find she went off and hid...I went to bed but in the morning found that the cat had thrown up on the keyboard centered perfectly covering 3 to 4 keys over four rows of keys...very neat...the lap top could not be saved....Happily I felt no hate or desire for revenge contenting myself with the knowledge that my close the lid rule was a sensible thing to do as sometimes the most unexpected things can happen.
Just had an accident here..woke up befuddled and coughed before I could press the " button" that permits such things and blew the button off the dressing...so new dressing and a cuppa.
And the Sky has cleared as if to say "I am here waiting for you Alex please join me soon"...
Alex
Alex,
You have a positive attitude no matter what the circumstances or outcome
Keep your spirits high , you have many many folk that respect you and have shared so much along their individual journey’s
Best always
Martin
Ahhh Alex mate, that's crook bloody news.
I wish I could offer words of comfort, but they'd be empty platitudes to you right now.
Just know we're all here to listen if you want to vent.
xox
Thank you Pete, thank you Nik, thank you Martin, thank you Scott and thank you Jeanette.
I cant tell you how much I appreciate seeing the kindness expressed when someone posts their encouraging words..it eases the loneliness my situation generates.
I am totally ok with my lot...we all die its just that I have had a little reminder..
Finishing my observatory and my park by the dam now plays such an important part in things as getting all that done notwithstanding my physical limitations leaves me with a wonderful feeling of achievement and so erases any feeling of " if only I did this or that"...I can honestly say there is nothing left on my bucket list ...so it is all good...and if possible I think I am enjoying each day and the smallest experience more than ever before.
I can not think of another human as lucky as me.
I leave hospital tomorrow so we can say 3 weeks devoted to the matter, three weeks of clear skies which I was not concerned about.
Changing my dressing will be a pain if they cant organise a nurse to call by...two trips a week to doctor for blood tests, they are making appointment with specialists for the next stage of treatment. My X has taken my bed from the observatory and set it up in her dining room and be there for me...so all good..I will spend more time with my X, my daughter, her cat ( who I love) and her pet chicken...who is living in a cage in the house...such a cute little thing I feel happy when I see it.
Each day is perfect.
Thanks again you have no idea how much each of your posts cheer me up.
Alex
Hang in there mate, I am sure we are not done with you yet, and when your a bit better you will once again annoy the crap out of us with your great post.
Alex, very sorry to hear that.
FWIW, another person I'm fond of was told something similar by her doctors. She was given 6 weeks. That was in June 2019. She's still here, managing it. She's since travelled the country & done awesome things and like yourself continues to inspire. Medication to slow it down is exactly what she is on.
All the best and if there's anything you want to do, go do it.