Monday 11 July 2016
Up again at the crack of dawn to be at the hospital for 7am. Picked Shan up on the way. Though we didn’t have a very good start!!! We got up the road and Dave said “hmmm where’s my mobile phone”!!! I phoned it but couldn’t hear it inside the car… so we did a u-turn and headed back to our home… luckily we hadn’t gotten far!!! I’m still calling the phone and eventually we find it down the side of the chair where Dave sat putting on his shoes!! Right off again we go!! Its a really foggy eerie morning too!!! So especially vigilant to watch out for kangaroos jumping out in front of the car on our way too!!! Traffic was good all the way, so no delays there.
Arrived at the hospital and checked in… shame it wasn’t the Hilton in some exotic place we were checking into!!
The nurse took us away and took down all Dave’s particulars and asked lots of questions!!! Then we were sent away again to wait. But the wait wasn’t for long before they asked Dave back to get ready into the lovely theatre gown patients have to wear. Once he was ready and settled into bed we were allowed back with him. I must say he really rocked the blue gown this time around :-).
The nurse took us away and took down all Dave’s particulars and asked lots of questions!!! Then we were sent away again to wait. But the wait wasn’t for long before they asked Dave back to get ready into the lovely theatre gown patients have to wear. Once he was ready and settled into bed we were allowed back with him. I must say he really rocked the blue gown this time around :-).
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| My gorgeous, loveable hubby |
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| Happy smiles, & staying positive! |
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| Dave checking out the sky on the way to the operating theatre |
Shan and I had a wee cuddle and a little cry in the corridor, I didn’t care who saw me cry, emotion is good and its good to let it out!!!
Dave ended up having to wait for an hour before going into the operating theatre but got to chat to various members of the operating team during that time which helped put his mind at ease as they told him they were only going take out the back molars (top and bottom) so he would at least have one set of molars to chew with. One thing he hadn't fully understood was that they were also planning to remove some of the hard boney spurs in the bottom of his mouth, but they told him that they didn't need to do that now.
Once I was composed Shan and I went off in find of some brekky… not that I could eat much again!!! Stomach churning!!! I did manage a coffee though!!! I have to have my one cup of coffee a day.. it's my bit of luxury!!!
We ate at the cafe in the main foyer of the hospital, which was buzzing!!! I chose scrambled eggs and a hash brown with a ham croissant. Thought it looked appealing at first but then could only eat a couple of mouth fulls!!! At least the coffee was good!!! It was nice listening to the guy playing the piano in the distance.
Once we were ready we took off in the car to find our hotel, The Executive Inn at New Lambton, it was only 10 mins down the road too which was very handy. We checked in and eventually found our room amongst all the rabbit warren corridors!!! The room was great, two very large queen twin beds and a nice bathroom. That’s all you need to rest your head. We unpacked and then went to explore as its also adjacent to the Leagues Club. Wow the place was colossal, lots of restaurants, gaming areas, theatre area, the works!!
We decided to sit by the outdoor swimming pool for a little while in the sun for a rest and to meditate!! It was just what Shan and I both needed. Listening to the trickle of the water in the waterfall was so relaxing. After a little while we decided we should probably try and eat again as it was around 1.00pmish. We decided upon the noodle bar… ordering again felt great but I just couldn’t stomach eating what I ordered, rice noodle with chicken in a tom yum sauce. Normally I’d wolf it down!!!
By 1.00pm I hadn’t heard from the hospital, so I called the number they provided me to find out if Dave was out of theatre. It took them a while to find out!!! But no he was still in theatre!!! They initially said it would be a 2-3hr operation so I started to think my gosh its already been three hours what on earth was going on!!! I called again at 2.00pm still got told he was in theatre!!! Then they phoned me around 2.45pm to let me know he had just been bought up to the ward. Gosh what a relief that phone call was. By this time Shan and I were just resting in our room so we quickly gathered our stuff and got in the car to go see Davey.
We got to ward H3 - special surgery / trauma ward and found Dave in bed 22. When we got there he was standing up and wanting to go to the bathroom. He looked pretty groggy as you would imagine after a lengthy surgery. He couldn’t talk as his mouth was so sore, swollen and he had a gauze swab in his mouth mopping up the blood, with a long dangly bit hanging out… looked like he’d swallowed a mouse!!!
We texted to each other on our phones how he was feeling and what the surgeon had said to him. I was so excited for him and so relieved, as the surgeons had only removed the very back four molars, two at the top and two at the bottom. They said it took quite a while as Dave’s jaw bone was extremely strong and that they had to really drill into the bone to extract the teeth. So bloody glad he was under a full anaesthetic for this!!!
We texted to each other on our phones how he was feeling and what the surgeon had said to him. I was so excited for him and so relieved, as the surgeons had only removed the very back four molars, two at the top and two at the bottom. They said it took quite a while as Dave’s jaw bone was extremely strong and that they had to really drill into the bone to extract the teeth. So bloody glad he was under a full anaesthetic for this!!!
The PEG was inserted too and there were no complications in that regards which was another relief.
Now time to heal.
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| Peggy! |
Now time to heal.
Shan and I went for a little walk to let Dave rest a bit. I didn’t want him to feel he had to be awake if we were sitting there. He had the TV on and could listen to that. Gosh it was noisy in his ward though even though only three of the four beds were occupied!!! I tried to get him a private ward, being a private patient and all that, but unfortunately the private rooms were full with people with infectious diseases!!
When in pre-op we tried to get the nurse to reserve us a private room as we explained that Dave had an infectious personality!!! She laughed and said she had not heard that one before!!! When they have private patients they do try and put them in a private room as the private funding goes back into the nurses training. But not this time around unfortunately.
Anyhow Shan and I went for a cuppa tea and to find a little mascot for Dave. I bought him a gorgeous dog full of character. Dave named him Wisdom, as he still has his wisdom teeth. I think he’s rather cute and cuddly!! Shan got him a lovely succulent arrangement to put on our kitchen bench when we get home.
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| Wisdom keeping watch over Dave |
When we returned Dave was sitting up in bed and was in good spirits, I think he was high as a kite on drugs to be truthful!! Though the gauze full of blood hanging out of his mouth was a bit alarming!!! The nurses advised us that this was kinda normal that there can be a little post op bleed. They think the surgeon may have caught his previous tonsil area where he was operated on. Anyhow this all came good later on.
We left Dave to sleep around 7.30pm in the very capable hands of the nurses and Wisdom. They were all fantastic and so supportive and informative about what we needed to know. Its always hard saying goodbye to your loved one though.
Shan and I went back to the hotel in search of something to eat. As I was feeling so much more relieved my appetite was returning!! We went to the Emerald Gardens for some Asian appetisers. We really enjoyed the roasted crispy skin duck served with shallot pancakes and dipping sauce and a small bowl of soup, a light chicken broth with Asian greens & chicken wontons. We did order a sang chou bow too but that was not up to our standards!!!
Dave texted me during the evening and said he managed to eat a custard and mango mousse which he enjoyed and said both were yummy!! Though he still can’t feel his bottom lip and tongue as they are still numb. The nurses assured us that over time this will clear. I think when he was in theatre just before they finished they put another dose of anaesthetic in that area to stop the pain. Dave wasn't able to swallow any pain killers so the PEG came in handy for the nurses to give him liquid endone to manage his pain.
Dave made me laugh texting me, as the nurse said to him your not saving it for RON (lateR ON as the nurse calls the spills :-) ) I texted back and said that he didn’t need to save any for RON as RON was too plump already!!!
Tuesday 12 July 2016
I tossed and turned all night but think I did get some sleep!! As soon as I woke up at 6.30am I phoned the ward to see how Dave was going. They said he was good but had quite a bit of pain where his PEG was, but should be able to come home today, which was great. I also messaged Dave too, he said not too bad a night but everyone in the ward snored!!! One rude lady had the loudest phone ring and had conversations on speaker at about 5:30am!!!
I’d say if and when you go to any hospital take a good set of ear plugs or headphones with ya!!!! He can’t wait to get home for some piece and quiet. He also said he had a lot of bleeding in his mouth too which thankfully has stopped now!!
Shan and I quickly got up, showered and got ready to go back in to see my gorgeous hubby. We also checked out of the hotel, knowing for well we would be taking Dave home. Though I did tentatively reserve another night just in case!!! Thankfully we didn’t need it.
When we arrived Dave was sitting up and doing really well. The Surgical team had already done their rounds, along with the PEG nurse to show him how to use the PEG, flushing it and turning it on a daily basis though we can’t turn it until Friday they said, but we can flush it twice a day to keep it clear. I did request the PEG nurse return again so she could show me too, which she kindly did.
The nurses were all fussing around him getting him ready for discharge, completing paper work and so on. Once I got Dave's medication script Shan and I went down to the pharmacy to get it. Unfortunately we had to wait about 30 minutes for them to do this. In the meantime I got a thank you card and a couple of boxes of chocolates for the nurses to say thank you for looking after my gorgeous hubby. They said they were not needed but gratefully accepted them!!
We had a good drive home, dropped Shan off at hers and then got home and settled Dave in to the lazy boy chair in our media room. Where he slept on and off for the rest of the day in front of the TV. For some reason or other we've never managed to get through the TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ so we started watching that again from the beginning!! Though a friend of ours, Chrissie, said to be careful not to get Dave aroused as there are lots of naughty scenes throughout!!! Giggles!!
He was starting to feel a bit peckish so he enjoyed a small bowl of cold baked beans and I made him some creamy scrambled eggs. Then later on he had a homemade avocado and chocolate mousse.
Early evening Dave managed to have a shower and freshen up which must have felt great. I know when I’ve been sick in the past there is nothing better than a warm shower running over you. We cleaned the PEG and changed the gauze over too and flushed it for the very first time. We were a bit fingers and thumbs!!! I’m sure with practice we will ‘get it down Pat’ as they say!!
Unfortunately Dave wasn’t able to get comfortable in bed last night, so no snuggles :-(
He got comfy in the lazy boy again with pillows and a nice blanket and mood lighting so he could find his way in the middle of the night when he needed to get up.
I took half a sleeping pill to help me sleep!! Though it didn’t really help as I kept thinking how Dave was in the other room. I did get up at 4.30am to check how he was and he was awake. The night had been extremely windy outside so that wouldn’t have helped us both either!!
Wednesday 13 July 2016
This morning we were both a bit groggy from lack of sleep!!! When I awoke Dave was fast asleep so I crept away and left him to rest. Got myself some brekky and a cup of green tea to get me going!! At around 8.47am I got a message from the patient wishing me good morning :-) so Nurse Suzie went to investigate!!! The patient was feeling so so, particularly feeling very uncomfortable around the PEG area of his tummy he said. The jaw wasn’t too bad. So made him a delicious banana smoothy for brekky which he enjoyed.
He has upped his meds from Endone and Panadol to now include Ibprofen. Thanks Annie for your long distance Nurse assistance!! He's been ensconced in our media room all day and in fact slept in there again last night as is still really uncomfortable laying in bed even propped up. At least in the lazy boy he can move the positioning to make himself comfortable.
During the day he slept on and off in front of the TV, while watching replays of past British Golf Opens won by Ian Baker-Finch and Greg Norman, while I tried to get this blog up to date.
Oh I also did my first on-line food shop here in Oz too with Coles… fingers crossed I did it correctly and it will turn up tomorrow!!!
The feeling in Dave's lower lip is returning so his food intake was good today… more scrambled eggs; creamy mashed potato and homemade stewed rhubarb and apple. Hopefully this will get him going, if you know what I mean (endone is not good in that respect)!!!!
Dave’s mate Brian popped in for a friendly catch up in the evening and to get some advice on mobile phones while travelling overseas… as per usual Dave put him on the right path :-) Later the final State of Origin match was being played so Dave enjoyed a bit of banter via texting with his mates!!! Yes NSW won!!!
We've had several goes now at flushing the PEG (Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube)... with a syringe, a bit fingers and thumbs at first but we will get there!!! We have to flush it twice a day to stop it from blocking!! And from Friday we have to turn it once a day to keep it loose. A few of our friends have asked what this is so I will explain for anyone else who is curious and don't feel they can ask…
Its a feeding tube into his tummy everyone calls it the PEG. They have inserted it now as down the track when he is going through radiation treatment on his neck and throat area he's probably not going to be able to swallow any types of food so this is the best way to get nutrition into Dave. Though there have been cases that people have been able to eat normally, but its not the norm! Dave probably won't need to use it for a further 3-4 weeks until during radiation treatment, however they have inserted it now as down the track its majorly uncomfortable for the patient having it inserted going through radiation. Here's a pic of what it's all about!! Sorry if your a bit squeamish!!!
Some people tape them to their bodies to keep it from dangling. A friend of ours used to use a baby nappy pin to clip it to the inside of his shirt. Dave prefers to use the tape. In this pic there is quite a bit of tape but we now are only using one small piece and avoiding the areas with hair.
Thursday 14 July 2106
Not much to talk about today!!! A day watching the TV, and sleeping!!
Though our darling friend Yvie left a little parcel on the front door step, a gorgeous bunch of flowers and a book 'You Can Conquer Cancer... A new way of living' by Ian Gawler. We have so much to learn!! Thanks Yvie you are such a gorgeous beautiful friend xxx
Friday 15 July 2016
The PEG is feeling really uncomfortable next to Dave’s skin. Feels really tight he says. So I phoned the PEG Nurse to make an appointment to get it adjusted. Thankfully she was able to fit us in straight away so we quickly got ready and drove the 40 minutes to the John Hunter Hospital.
Ainslie was so helpful. She even struggled loosening the flange off, so I wouldn’t have had a chance in hell!! She also re-ran over how to turn the feeding tube and dress it each day. We both now feel really comfortable in what we have to do.
Saturday 16 July 2016
It was a hive of activity in our home today!!! We had four guys installing new windows for us, all very exciting!!! We have two outdoor areas that we don’t utilise cause they both get so dirty all the time with dust, bird droppings and mud wasp nests!!! I have to constantly hose them both down so we decided to get them glassed in…. the best decision we've made!! One area is a front balcony upstairs… this makes a lovely sun room now, and downstairs off our bedroom makes a great pilates/yoga or painting studio for me. Now we just need to buy some rugs and furniture to dress them up!! I love shopping!!!
A couple of our friends who live close by popped in too. Ros popped over with containers of delicious homemade pea and ham soup. Dave and I shared one tonight for dinner, so yummy!! Thanks Ros xxx Then later on Sherry popped in with some muffins and a chat about our community precinct. I also had a huge pot of homemade chilli con carne on the go too for the window guys to enjoy but they had to rush off unfortunately. Anyhow it didn’t go to waste as I put most of it in the freezer for later on when Dave’s going through treatment and I don’t feel like cooking!!
Sunday 17 July 2016
Today was a nice quiet day. We both slept in a little which was nice not having to get up and rush off anywhere. We had a leisurely breakfast… I made a mushroom omelette with fresh herbs. I managed to get Dave to come for a little walk with me too later on... just up the road and back to start him off.
It was a great feeling for the both of us to get out in the fresh air and stretch our legs. We're really not the type of people to keep sitting around and doing nothing!!
It was a great feeling for the both of us to get out in the fresh air and stretch our legs. We're really not the type of people to keep sitting around and doing nothing!!
Later on close friends of ours, Shan and Brian popped in for a brief chat before they went out for dinner.
Monday 18 July 2016
Dave’s doing ok, one day at a time!!! He’s still sleeping in the lazy boy in the media room 😞. Still finding it uncomfortable laying down with the PEG in his tummy. Hope this settles down soon for him so he can lay down and get a proper nights rest in bed. Though he does say that he is sleeping ok in the chair! He's got lots of pillows and a nice single duvet to keep him cozy.
I had the best night's sleep ever last night, 11 hours or thereabouts!!! Without a sleeping pill too!!! I went to bed at 8.30pm so darn tired and awoke quite refreshed. First time in such a long time!! Not slept that length of time since I was a teenager!!!!
Dave has so much wind at the moment, burping all the time!! Must be so annoying for him. He already takes Losec for reflux!! I face timed my girlfriend Annie in NZ for a chat this morning, as she also suffers with reflux and takes Losec. She said that the Losec wasn’t helping her much and that her Dr put her on to a tablet called ‘Ranitidine' (better known as Zantac) along with the Losec and she said that this is now under control and is helping immensely. So were going to make an appointment with our Dr tomorrow to see if we can perhaps get Ranitidine too for Dave.
We did our usual routine, shower, breakfast, but this morning we got ourselves sorted and managed to get Dave to walk up to the golf clubhouse for a coffee with me in the sun, which was wonderful… exercise, sun, slight breeze, sitting outside sipping on coffee and reading the daily papers together, just perfect! And walked back home again!
Today we also went to visit our chiropractor, Marty, for an adjustment. We hadn’t been for a couple of months due to what’s been happening!! We both found it very helpful. Great to get the nervous system realigned. Dave was a bit cautious about the realignment so our chiro wants to see Dave again tomorrow for a free follow up. He also said he will do home visits too if we need him too down the track, that’s if Dave is feeling too sick to travel to him, which is great news!
After the chiro follow up tomorrow we are appointment free for the remainder of the week :-) Though its all going to ramp up next week!!
Mon : get one of the cars serviced.
Tues : am) referral to see Dr Mallesar a medical oncologist at Newcastle Private hospital
Tues : pm) Oncology CT Scan & radiology mask made and MRI scan at Calvary Mater hospital
Tues : pm) Oncology CT Scan & radiology mask made and MRI scan at Calvary Mater hospital
Wed : am) follow up with the Maxillofacial specialists at Royal Newcastle Centre at John Hunter hospital / followed by a nice lunch out somewhere
Wed : pm) attend the Head & Neck Clinic Cancer Support Group at the Calvary Mater.
Wed : pm) attend the Head & Neck Clinic Cancer Support Group at the Calvary Mater.
Thurs / Fri - free days 🙂 so far!!
Oh on Sat 30th I’ve booked to attend a Doterra Oils seminar to find out all about them which will be good. I hear Frankincense is supposed to help cancer patients in some way!! Dave’s agreed to come along too which will be great along with a couple of friends, Cathy & Kim. Cathy's daughter, Renee is using Doterra too and is loving the effect they are having on her and her family.
We had a stunner of a day today, 23 degrees. Perfect!!
Tonight both of us have spent sorting papers out and sitting doing stuff on the computer. Oh I also sorted some of my photos out and pinned them to the wall in our study along with my girlfriends children's paintings/drawings. It's lovely to have great memories around us to glance at.
Dave tried to lay in our bed to sleep, but it wasn’t to be as he was still really uncomfortable with the PEG and found it really difficult to turn around and get up and out of bed!! :-( Trying to get him up out of bed was a bit of a struggle for me too!!! I thought I had positioned & grounded myself correctly in lifting him up but obviously not as I managed to strain my back!!! Bugger!!! Ouch!!! Not good for me as I have to be really careful with my back as I had a spinal fusion (L4-5) approximately five years ago!!! Best thing I ever had done as I haven’t had any bother with my back since. Anyhow we managed it between us, somehow!!! So back to the lazyboy for Dave for the time being!! Once I settled him I got myself some anti-inflammatory drugs and Panadol… what a pair!!
Tuesday 19 July 2016
Late start this morning, after an unsettling night for me with my back!! Plus I kept having nightmares and thinking I heard people trying to break into our home!!! This has always been my worst fear!!! Should have taken a sleeping pill!!!
Anyhow I somehow managed to psych myself out of bed and went to see how Dave was around 8amish. He was still asleep so left him as he looked so peaceful. I hopped back in to bed for a little while and surfed on my phone!! Until I thought nah got to get up and get going!!! So showered, did some stretches and got ready for the day ahead. Checked on Dave again around 9.00am and he was stirring in the chair. Omelette was the order for breakfast!!! Chef at the ready!! Chopped up some kale, mushroom and zucchini and cooked them off slightly in a pan with a little knob of butter then added them to the omelette with a bit of grated cheese!!! I asked Dave what he would give me out of 10!!! he replied 10 out of 10 :-) Made my day!!! My omelette making skills are much improved!
We made a rule this morning, well I suggested it!!!! I’m full of good suggestions!!! Haha!! That from tomorrow we try and get up at the same time together, shower and get ready together!! Yeah I know what you're thinking!!! We have this wonderful large shower with two shower heads its great!! Have brekky then go for our morning walk!! Lets see if it happens!!! By doing this I’m not doubling up on cleaning the shower twice each day!!! I’m all for streamlining situations!!! Plus Dave gets a nice back wash in the process!! Me too, if I'm lucky!! I also have to help him dry off and get him dressed at the moment as he can’t bend down cause of the pain from the PEG and its location in his tummy.
We went back to the chiro today for a follow up for Dave. I also got a second adjustment too cause of straining my back helping Dave out of bed. It was great to go!!
Had a brief trip back home before we needed to head out again so I heated up a small snack of veal ravioli and tomato sauce to keep us going!! Dave is also finding that he can only manage several small meals throughout the day instead of big meals as he gets too bloated.
This time was to visit our local GP to get Dave some new drugs for his reflux (Zantac) and more pain relief (Targin), along with getting his mouth checked re the stitches from his tonsils and teeth surgery - all looked good. The Dr said that they were dissolving stitches and that they could take quite a while to dissolve!! Great!
Back home and now settling in for the night… I was going to have a relaxing bath but we settled ourselves into the media room and caught up with a few episodes of season 4 of Winners and Losers.
I really wanted to have a good nights sleep tonight, so I took half a sleeping pill to help, along with my anti-inflammatories and a couple of panadol as my back was still quite sore!
Wednesday 20 July 2016
Well my suggestion of the day before was put into practice this morning!!!! Yay, may it continue!!! After a great nights sleep for me I woke up feeling more refreshed and rested. Dave was awake too down the hall. So let the daily morning routine begin!!
The weather was miserable outside, very wet but warmish. So no outside walk today!
We drove up to the clubhouse and met our friends, Steve and Deanna for a coffee and chat. It was really lovely as we hadn’t seem them both for quite some time!! Also what was nice was being able to sit in front of the fire place. Deanna had very kindly brought us some home cooked frozen meals too…. beef stroganoff and a bean ragout to put in the freezer. Deanna’s cooking is sensational so can’t wait to have these one night soon. You should check out Deanna’s food blog too!
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| Steve & Deanna |
Dropped our freezer meals back home then went off in search of a V pillow for Dave. Some people call them tri pillows. Before shopping we stopped off at a cafe for a bite to eat.. ‘Darwin’s on Vincent’ in Cessnock! Dave had cravings for a pie or a quiche… thankfully they had the latter. I enjoyed some fish pieces with some chips & salad. Before getting to the cafe though we spotted Shan’s car in the car park, so gave her a call to find out what she was up to. It was really timely that she was in need of sustenance too so joined us, along with her daughter, Bianca as well. Was great to catch up. The food was excellent too!
Now for the shopping!! We found a V pillow in Big W but it wouldn’t have given much support so I did some quick research on my iPhone and found that Spotlight, which was 28km's away, had memory foam ones, so gave them a call and as it happened they only had one left so had them put it to one side for us to go and collect. It was a bonus popping into Rutherford as I got to go to my favourite store, Howard’s Storage World!!! Ended up walking out with a new mop and bucket system ‘white magic spin mop’ and a new clothes hamper for the laundry. Can’t wait to try our new mop out tomorrow!!! Since posting it on Facebook a couple of friends said they have one and highly recommend it.
It was nice to get home tonight out of the miserable weather and just relax.
One thing we did realise today was that it was difficult for Dave to get in and out of our VW Golf, as its low to the ground so I’m going to have to start driving our Santa Fe so its more comfortable for Dave to get in and out of. I don’t mind driving the Sante Fe but its a bit of a beast of a car!! In particular parking it!! Were very fortunate in having the choice between cars!! I know some people don’t.
Till tomorrow… I’m off for a relaxing bath with epsom salts and droplets of lavender oil.
Thursday 21 July 2016
I awoke around 8.30am feeling quite refreshed… 9.00am I wandered down the hallway to the media room and Dave was just stirring. He was a bit groggy. I suggested pear pancakes which he agreed upon. I had been googling different recipes for Dave to be able to eat and found this recipe on the Cancer Society website. So gave it a go!! Quite tasty we both thought. Though lacking in the sweetness!! I served it with a bowl of very small chopped up strawberries and kiwi fruit, dollop of greek yoghurt and either honey or maple syrup… the real stuff! All up very healthy!
Took us quite a while to then shower and get ready for our morning walk!! Eventually left the house around 1.00pm!! Strolled up to the clubhouse and sat outside with the daily papers and our usual cappuccino’s. Dave was hungry by this stage too, so we ordered a barramundi, chips & salad to share. Very tasty! It started to get a bit chilly out so decided to move inside in front of the roaring fire place, so much more enjoyable and cozy. I could have curled up and gone to sleep!!
Slow meander home. Dave rested and sorted some stuff on the computer. I was thinking of having a nana nap but then got stuck in to doing chores around the place… The following were on my mind; weeding the garden, vacuuming the house and mopping the floor with our new super duper mop… well didn’t get any of that done!!! Instead I cleaned my washing machine, dryer and laundry room. Then got stuck in to going through all of Dave’s clothes, and sorting out what he would be most comfortable in at the moment and for the next few weeks, with the help of Dave of course!! We set aside all his golfing tops, gardening gear etc etc. I even managed to get him to throw some tops away!!! Very satisfying feeling getting it all done I can tell ya!! Been trying to get Dave to do this for absolutely ages!!! Plus I sorted some of my stuff out too and now we can see the floor of our walk-in-robe!!!
I was so engrossed in getting all this done I had to rush and have a shower as we were going out for dinner to our friends, Tom and Maree’s with Brian and Shan. So nice to actually have the night off from having to cook and decide on what to have for dinner. We had an awesome evening, so many laughs!! Dinner was delicious too, Tom excelled himself!! He catered for Dave’s needs too so lots of soft types of foods. We started off with really delicious homemade chicken and corn soup with a hint of ginger. Then later on we enjoyed baked salmon, mash & veggies then followed by a Grandma’s homemade recipe of panna cotta & fresh fruit with tempered chocolate. Totally delicious. Thanks so much Tom and Maree xxx
Then home to update our blog.
Friday 22 July 2016
It was a late night to bed last night… must have been nearly 1.00am!!! We found we couldn’t got to bed straight away as needed to digest our dinner plus we were both wide awake!! Anyhow I thought I’d turn off my mobile phone so we wouldn’t get disturbed, however the home phone woke us, well me up at 9.00am!! Well I suppose it was time to get up!! I really needed to though as I wanted to get the house vacuumed and mop the floors with our new super duper mop!! Anyhow the call was very welcomed as it was Angus, an ex-colleague/friend... Angus has previously experienced throat cancer and was calling and offering advice and wanted to check our home address details as he wanted to send us a package.
With this I was up and at em!! Dave was awake too so we got ready first. This morning Dave even managed to dress himself which was great!! Then I made us an omelette with broccoli, spring onion and mushroom with a sprinkling of grated cheese… totally delicious.
Once that was digested I got stuck in to cleaning our home and Dave went and rested in the media room out of my way!!
We have friends popping around at 2.00pm today for a coffee and cake so needed to get it all done before they arrived!!
All done, except for the upstairs!!
We had a wonderful afternoon catching up with our friends, Gail and David, whom we hadn’t seen since November, I think it was! They bought around a Pandan Cake, which was so light, fluffy and green... it just melted in our mouths!!… very morish!!! Perfect cake for Dave to eat at the moment too.
Gail's daughter also handmade these gorgeous Christmas in July biscuits for their golf club dinner, so Gail kindly saved us a couple to enjoy. We were very spoilt as they also gave us a couple of candles to enjoy too. Thanks so much Gail and David xxx
Then Les and Sherry popped in with bags full of homegrown oranges, mandarins and lemons… wow the smell of them were sensational, so fresh and they tasted amazing too!!! Will be doing lots of juicing with this basket of gold. Thanks Sherry and Les for picking them and dropping them around xxx
Gail's daughter also handmade these gorgeous Christmas in July biscuits for their golf club dinner, so Gail kindly saved us a couple to enjoy. We were very spoilt as they also gave us a couple of candles to enjoy too. Thanks so much Gail and David xxx
Then Les and Sherry popped in with bags full of homegrown oranges, mandarins and lemons… wow the smell of them were sensational, so fresh and they tasted amazing too!!! Will be doing lots of juicing with this basket of gold. Thanks Sherry and Les for picking them and dropping them around xxx
By the time everyone left it was getting on a bit so I got in to cooking dinner for us both… on the menu tonight is sweet and sour chicken with lots of broccoli, carrots, red pepper and pineapple, accompanied with Risoni Pasta which was just right for Dave as it was nice and soft to eat.
Relax and Movie night…
Saturday 23 July 2016
Dave managed to sleep in our bed last night!!! This is the first time since his PEG operation on 11th July 2016, nearly two weeks ago!!! Was so nice to have him next to me again!! All in all he had a relatively comfortable night but found laying on his back in bed hurt his back as he’s been in a semi reclined position for two weeks! He did manage to lay on his side a bit he said.
This morning I left Dave to sleep in. I on the other hand got up at 7.00am and joined my walking group at 8.00am for the first time in a few weeks which was really nice. I love being out in the fresh air and walking. This morning was very windy, though sunny and warmish but very windy!! Was really lovely to catch up with everyone too. We walked for an hour at a reasonable pace… though I was a bit slower than usual!!! Out of practice!! Always a nice reward afterwards to sit and enjoy a coffee to and a good old natter. It was particularly great to catch up with Trish on the walk as her son has been going through something similar to what Dave is going to be experiencing so Trish was able to give me some guidance on what to expect.
Dave also got out a little later today and caught up with his buddy Brian on the last 9 holes of the golf course. Dave didn’t play he just went around in the buggy and walked backwards and forwards to remove the flag pin. Nice for him to be with the boys again and not have me around!!
While he was out I got stuck in to more chores, stripped the bed, cleaned the bathrooms, ironed and glued the soles back on a couple of pairs of shoes!!! No rest for the wicked!!!
Sunday 24 July 2016
Very very lazy morning which was lovely. We did get out for Dave’s daily walk up to the clubhouse for our coffee which was nice. We made sure we were rugged up as it was pretty cold outside and very windy!!! I actually wore my leather gloves for the first time this Winter!! Nice to sit by the fire with our coffee and Sunday papers though!! The golf club had a Super Challenge on today so by 1.00pmish we were inundated with all our golfing friends which was nice but by jove it got noisy in the members lounge!!! So we decided to head home for a bite to eat. Heated up a couple of bowls of pea and ham soup, kindly made for us by the lovely Roz! It was delicious with a toasted crumpet, just what we needed on a very cold day. Thanks again Roz xxx
Dinner is out tonight which will be lovely at our dearest friends Shan and Brian’s. They had invited a few of their close friends and ours as they wanted to empty their fridge and freezer out as they are heading away for a belated honeymoon for a few months!! Going to miss them both terribly while they are away. Thankfully we have Skype, FaceTime and Facebook to keep in touch with. Shan also wanted to celebrate my birthday with me too before she left :-) So I had a lovely early Birthday Cake and celebration with close friends. Thank you so much Shan, my gorgeous Sister, and Brian xxx
We got home around 10.00pm (ish) feeling quite tired. So headed straight off to bed.
Monday 25 July 2016
Another lazy morning and breakfast in bed for Dave and I… gosh he’s a lucky boy!!
I realised today that I should have booked myself in to raise money for dry July as I am abstaining with Dave while we are going through what were dealing with!! Dry July is a fundraiser for cancer. If your not aware of this… its where you don’t drink alcohol for the whole of July and you get friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor you. I will have to put it in my calendar for next year!!
Up, dressed and showered and off on our daily walk and coffee at the clubhouse. Not so cold today but still a bit of a chill in the wind. We couldn’t stay long today as have to take our Hyundai for its first service at the garage. Thankfully they were able to lend us a loan car for free so we were able to go off exploring and found a great place for lunch at a local Organic Cafe/Shop…. Momo Wholefood Cafe. Very tasty and we will definitely be returning. I had a salmon board which consisted of fresh salmon, sliced avocado, pickled beetroot, ricotta cheese and nutty homemade bread. Dave enjoyed a vegetable frittata and a slice of orange and almond cake with a cup of golden chai latte with Turmeric. He said it was very nice.
Turmeric is a powerful medicine that has long been used in the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide variety of conditions plus other benefits.
Car was ready to pick up just after 3.00pm so off we go again. Our car was all good and passed its service check. We decided to go home via Singleton as I wanted to check out a shop before it closed!! The shop is called ‘Worn Out Wares’, its an eclectic vintage shop, with a cafe and florist attached to it. I love checking out florist shops, just love flowers! This was an awesome floristry display of flowers. I loved how she had them all displayed in very large ornate garden urns. Though for some reason I didn’t walk out with anything!! I will have to return when I’m in a better frame of mind!
It was nice to get home as by this stage we were both feeling quite tired. I was also relieved that I didn’t have to cook tonight too as I had plucked out the freezer a pre-cooked meal that our great friends Michael and Lyn had cooked for us the other week. All I had to do was to heat the beef stew up on the stove top for 30 mins. I did steam some extra veggies with it… broccoli and cabbage. Dinner was totally delicious… Thanks Michael, you're the best xxx
Tomorrow is going to be a full on day visiting the Chemotherapy Doctor, and getting CT & MRI scans done.
Tomorrow is going to be a full on day visiting the Chemotherapy Doctor, and getting CT & MRI scans done.
