Goal !!

It would appear that Janes' new drug is having an effect on her blood count. Her HB levels have been right down and she has had to have a transfusion last week (two bags). However, we went for a blood test on Thursday and they were still down. Dr P is convinced it is the new drug but just to be sure we are having three more bags next week.
Having said that she reached one of her goals today... she made it up the stairs with just the use of her crutches and had a shower.. that is the first time she has been upstairs since her femur trauma many weeks ago. Oh yes .. and she found time to comment on the state of the bathroom !!

Tiredness is still a big problem and her legs ache dreadfully but the stairs have been conquered.. she'll be wanting to sleep in the same bed next, just when I've got used to a lovely king size all on my own..!!

Martin

Deja vu... or whatever the french is..

Jane has gone back into the hospice for a couple of days..

Her HB was right down on her blood count probably causing the persistant tiredness. A blood transfusion was offered and she could have it in the hospice. I took her in this morning and left her with some familiar faces from her last visit. She asked me to post a short message to let everyone know whats happening.

'Snow Joke'........

It hurts - oh Lord it hurts. Everday I expect it to get better, for my legs to be a little bit easier. For walking to be a little more comfortable. But it isn't. They both still hurt and it takes a huge amount of effort every day to get out of bed and get my legs moving. It's SO tempting to stay there, all nice and warm and comfortable. I really didn't expect it to be this painful for so long - although having both legs done together can't have helped.


The infection in my right leg has cleared up and the wound is slowly healing. But just as one positive thing happens another negative one comes along. This weekend I've had a pain under my right breast, where there is a tumor on a rib, which has got increasingly worse. Last night it was unbearable. Nothing relieved it. No amount of pain killers and no change of position helped. Mary came round first thing and after examining me and consulting with Dr P. they decided Ive probably got a fracture in that rib. So my morphine has been increased once again with some ibruprophen thrown in for good measure. If it is a fracture there isn't much that can be done about it - it will heal in it's own good time.



Ofcourse I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was a sign of progression and got quite upset until Mary pointed out it wasn't. Especially as all the other tumors show no sign of growth at all. I guess I just have weak bones which break easily where there is a tumor present. On Thursday I'm going for another infusion of Zometa which should strengthen them and help prevent them breaking again.



Generally I'm feeling pretty rough. No appetite, nauseaous all the time, tired and depressed. Mary thinks I could be aneamic again and the blood tests I'll have on Thursday will answer that. But I'm not sure how to deal with the depression. Iv'e never had it before. I've always been able to look on the positive side of things but at the moment I can't because I can't find any !

Today (Thursday) Martin and I managed to get to the QE for my blood tests - despite the weather which has been dreadful here. Yet more snow is disrupting the traffic here and its so COLD outside. I don't notice it generally because I don't go out - but when I do it is freezing!! We have had snow on the ground since before Xmas and several nights the temperature has fallen below -10c. Edwards school has only closed for a couple of days which is pretty good considering a lot of schools have been shut for days on end.

..update

This is proving to be a long and very tiring road. Jane's leg has still not healed so we cannot start the physio she so desperately needs to get her strength back. She becomes exhausted with just a short walk with her frame and then gets upset because she is so tired.
I must admit that continually looking on the bright side has become a little strained lately because progress is so slow. The UK gripped in the big freeze and the moment doesn't help either. At present, like most places, it is snowing heavily and the prospect of having to walk to work tomorrow is a real one. There just seems no end to it, up early, get Jane out of bed with a coffee, cook her something to eat, help her wash then back to bed, then get myself ready and off to work. Poor Ed, her seems almost forgotten in the mornings as he left to fend for himself. Then in the when I get home, make sure Jane is ok, start the evening meal, do a washing load and then sit down and have to watch 'most haunted' because Jane has got the remote for the 'sky sports' tv. AND THE GOLF COURSE IS SHUT..!!!

Martin

The long road ahead.....

Yes, it's me at last. Finally I feel well enough to sit here for a few moments and type an entry. It wont be very long - just long enough to say thank you to everyone who has sent me Christmas wishes/cards/presents. And to say thank you to Martin for keeping you all up to date with what's been happening here. Not a lot has changed - the wound in my left leg is still open and weeping a bit although the antibiotics seem to have worked and the infection is at last clearing up.



Such high dose anti biotics, taken over a long period of time, have several unpleasant effects too. They can make you feel very 'down', supress your appetite, give you thrush and make you feel very sick. But at least they are working at last.

Christmas was a very quiet affair here with Martin doing all the cooking. And a wonderful job he did as well. I must remember when Im better to let him do more cooking !! The weather has been very cold with quite a lot of snow about which made driving very dangerous on several days so it was nice for us all to hibernate and do nothing but keep warm and watch telly. Not that I felt like going out anyway - this feeling of complete and utter exhaustion wont leave me for more than 5 mins at a time. Every bone and muscle in my body aches and my legs permanently hurt still. Im desperately hoping for an improvement in this very soon. Im trying to do a little more each day - walk a little further round the house - stay out of bed a little longer each day etc..

Thursday I go to see Dr P. again - I shall report back on what he has to say.....

..update

Jane came out of hospital at the weekend. Her vein had collapsed making it impossible to the deliver the antibiotics via IV. When the Dr said she should take them orally, she was out the door and on her way home.
Since then we have had a procession of district nurses in to change dressing etc... Jane herself is quite down at the moment due to the slow recovery. We have had some tearful moments recently and it had been hard to try to get her back on track. The situation remains the same, she still has an open wound on her leg that is being treated daily to stop infection, along with high dose antibiotics. This is proving very upsetting for her because she cannot see any improvements. She still struggles to walk short distances even with her frame and is constantly tired. We did go shopping for the first time yesterday, to buy the Xmas turkey. She did really well with the aid of a wheel chair but that's the most she has done in about six weeks.

It is now snowing heavily after a week of freezing temperatures. It can only get better from this point......

Happy Christmas, Martin

...further

Jane has gone back into hospital for IV antibiotics. I took her in at 3pm this afternoon following a conversation with her surgeon's nurse. It is likely she will be in until about Tuesday. Without being unkind I think it is the best place for her at the moment because it was becoming extremely stressful having her so poorly at home. This way they have the staff and equipment to deal with the infection properly once and for all. I think tonight I will sleep a little deeper knowing she is in good hands.... Martin