Monday

Back into routine this morning and we were both up early and Jon was in the office working before 9.00 and I got stuck into my usual Monday washing and housework.

Jon thought a coffee was in order around 10.30 so we went to the local garden centre. A group of district nurses were there having coffee and Gill, the nurse who comes to see Jon after his ops, came over for a chat. She said she had heard things had been bad and hoped things would go well from now on. Kiss of death!!! She also said she had some small drain bags which she would pop in to the house. The bags he has for the drain are used for babies with stomas so not ideal.

We got back home and carried on with our jobs. Jon came down from the office just before lunch and asked me to  look at his drain as he said the stiches were out and it was coming out. Here we go again! Yes, it was a long way out again. I tried to call the consultant's secretary but her answerphone was on. Jon decided to have a sandwich as he thought we might be in for a long wait. I wasn't hungry so just had an apple which I later regretted!!

We arrived at the hospital at 1.40 and went through the story and filled in yet another form with all the same information - maybe we should photocopy it to save us time! They asked if he was in pain and he said no so we were told to wait in the waiting room which had about five other people in there.

We waited and waited and after an hour and a half the triage nurse came and said she was sorry we were having to wait so long but we were number six in the queue. Not sure how they work it out. I understand that if it is an emergency they have to go in first but I question a lady with backache is an emergency! Jon could feel the drain coming out more and I told the nurse that we would be taken in and be seen by a nurse who would then say we had to wait for the surgical registrar to come and do the stiches and then have to wait again so why could they not take us in and get the registrar called. She said she knew that would happen but that she could not get us in sooner as that is the way things were so we waited again.

A young mum came in with a lovely baby boy of about three months old. I heard her say he had a temp of 38 degrees but he looked fine and was happy and smiling in fact, I have rarely seen such a placid baby, he was beautiful and just sat on her lap and smiled at everyone and then slept for a while. She must have been there over two hours and I could not understand why she just didn't give him some baby paracetamol or whatever they give them here. Why would you put yourself through that?

After two and three quarters of an hour a doctor called us in. He said we were still fourth in the queue - not sure how we had been dropped down the list like that - but he had noticed on Jon's notes that we had been in before and he thought he would need to get the surgical registrar down so thought he would get us in. Why could they not have done that earlier?

He examined Jon and said he would need to go and call Mark to find out what he wanted him to do. He eventually came back and said Mark had said to push it back in as much as he could and stich it up again!!

He got a trolley with all the bits on but said he had to wait for a bag and I said I had one in my little kit I carry around with Jon things! He then looked around the room and said he needed a cloth to put under Jon in case he made a mess with the iodine and stuff. I noticed a few on a trolley and said is this what you need? I know this procedure so well.

He started to remove the bag but the drain, which was by now about three inches out of the hole, started to come out even more. He asked me to put on some rubber gloves and pull the bag off while he held onto the drain. Florence to the rescue!!

He started to push the drain back in and it was very painful for Jon. He did get some back in but he said he didn't want to push any further so got on with the stitching. A couple of local anaesthetic injections and he got stuck in. I had to unwrap another packet of suture for him just as well I know now how to do all these things. Eventually it was all done. Hopefully, it will last till we see Mark again on Thursday and we go through it all again. Poor Jon is so fed up with all these injections and stiches and I don't blame him. Ideally, we would like it out in about three weeks which will give him time to heal before we fly home. But then I think maybe it would be better staying in till we get home and the UK doctors can sort it out. Who knows.

We finally left the hospital at 5.15. As we got nearer to the house I could see it had been raining, the hospital is only about 3km away but by the time I got in and checked my washing it was soaked. All my sheets and duvet covers so I had to get them in and dry them in the dryer.

Just as well we were having an easy freezer dinner tonight. I was very hungry by this time and more than ready for my dinner.

After dinner I did some ironing and got the bed made and now I am ready to fall into my nice clean sheets. Not sure Jon will sleep so well as he had a big bit of drain hanging out and finds it hard to sleep on his side but snores when on his back!! One day!!!!


WEATHER
Hot and sunny apart from one heavy shower over our house! 23 degrees.