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Post by ARENA on Jun 1, 2021 6:55:57 GMT
Aubrey was in hospital with a blood clot on his lung. Nothing has been heard from him lately.
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Post by althea on Jun 1, 2021 8:27:43 GMT
Aubs did go home afterwards, but he kept bleeding, so unfortunately, we don't know how he is now. If you do look in,Aubs, and I hope you do, we are all rooting for you. Get well soon.
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Post by ARENA on Jun 1, 2021 8:34:20 GMT
Aubs did go home afterwards, but he kept bleeding, so unfortunately, we don't know how he is now. If you do look in,Aubs, and I hope you do, we are all rooting for you. Get well soon. Thank you A. I have contacted his e mail address.
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Post by althea on Jun 1, 2021 8:41:13 GMT
Thank you Arena I hope it's not bad news.
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Post by honeybear on Jun 1, 2021 10:04:44 GMT
Best wishes Aub.
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Post by ARENA on Jun 1, 2021 14:15:16 GMT
GOOD NEWS!
Fr5om Aubs:
I'm in hospital but getting better
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Post by althea on Jun 1, 2021 15:59:41 GMT
YYYYaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Good news indeed.
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Post by althea on Jul 11, 2021 10:49:11 GMT
Aubs, I hope you are making good progress. I know it will be a long recovery, but you can do it, kiddo.
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Post by aubrey on Jul 12, 2021 7:37:36 GMT
Progress report, heavily compressed: They've been reducing the pressure of the ventilator by one every day (one what? I don't know) to make my diaphragm work harder (the virus that causes shingles and chicken pox attacked the nerve that works the diaphragm, which Left me unable to breath unaided). I stuck this fairly well every day until today when I couldn't stand 14, or 16, or 18. It's ok now, probably on 20 or more, but I hope this doesn't mean I'll have to work my way back again, digit by digit.
And the day started so well: I was taken to the gym where I walked the length of a set of parallel bars with a kind of splint on my floppy foot. So that was good. I was left out in a chair and got on with my usual stuff. I have been given some protein drinks to help with getting my weight up (I lost 24kg in the first month or so in hospital, but had put 14kg back by the week after that; now I'm about 68kg). I want to get it back up a bit more so I can have the feed tube taken from my nose and eat for my self. The trouble with that is, until the speech therapist says I I can eat harder or crunchier food I am stuck with a soft diet which is all variations on mashed potato with cheese, or cheese and broccoli, with the odd baked potato (with cheese or beans) thrown in. There are deserts though, and soup - and oh. When I mentioned that I don't have reddy break because it's a bit claggy, and that I usually have cream with it, the dietician said I can easily have cream. So I had it this morning. It was good. They don't know that I usually eat a lot of bread, and that this is what keeps me at the healthy weight of 80kg. Simon Raven, after finishing the script for The Pallisers, remarked in a letter that he'd put on so much weight that he hadn't Seen his cock in six months, and didn't want to either. Him and me both - until I lost those 12 kegs; now it's useful for using those pee bottles they give you in hospital, which has been often and urgent since they took the catheter out.
Anyway, I was ok until I glugged down the protein drink, and then it felt like I was trying to breath through a pin hole. Then I got a sudden urge to use the commode. The nurse, a nice and efficient chap called Marshall (I asked if he was named after Malcolm Marshall, possibly from the whitewash series of 1984, was it? He'd be the right age, I think. Anyway, he didn't know.) was quick, but not quite quick enough. There was a bit of a mess.
On Tuesday there was something similar ; I'd been for a walk, my longest yet, maybe 30 metres) (albeit with a Zimmer frame and several rests) and when I got back decided to go to bed rather than sit out in the chair but as soon as I had swung my legs onto the bed I kind of flopped back and then lost my breathing rhythm, panicked, and promptly shat myself. I used to panic every time I felt myself going backwards - one time I even fainted - but I usually manage to control myself these days. I've never panicked over the tube from my trachy coming out - which it does, often - (the trachy is the tube in my throat, that I can't spell the full version of) leaving me to breathe for myself; the staff here are much more bothered about than I am. So, I am gradually working up to a state where. I can be discharged back home - one doctor said August, but I think it will be longer than that, especially with the Two Steps Back I had with with my breathing today.
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Post by marispiper on Jul 12, 2021 8:30:35 GMT
Fantastic update Aubrey - for which we thank you. It must've taken considerable effort too! I try to envisage all this clutter...so you have a tracheotomy tube...is the ventilator attached to that or is that in your mouth? Feeding tube in nose..I get that, but also food going in your mouth. Hmm...🤔 So when you are put through your paces in physio, do you have to have all this gear still attached as well?
Glad to hear some organs are functioning well though - even if they do so without warning 😁 I'd take that as a good sign 👍
I suspect the "two steps back" is only perception because of the new demands you're making on your body, which has still a massive way to go to catch up...not least of all the weight - that's very weedy Aubs! More cream, more cheese, more protein shakes (toilet break follows!) please.
Onwards and upwards. Good on ya - and thanks again for all info. Love from us all ❤️
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Post by aubrey on Jul 12, 2021 10:28:02 GMT
Fantastic update Aubrey - for which we thank you. It must've taken considerable effort too! I try to envisage all this clutter...so you have a tracheotomy tube...is the ventilator attached to that or is that in your mouth? Feeding tube in nose..I get that, but also food going in your mouth. Hmm...🤔 So when you are put through your paces in physio, do you have to have all this gear still attached as well? Glad to hear some organs are functioning well though - even if they do so without warning 😁 I'd take that as a good sign 👍 I suspect the "two steps back" is only perception because of the new demands you're making on your body, which has still a massive way to go to catch up...not least of all the weight - that's very weedy Aubs! More cream, more cheese, more protein shakes (toilet break follows!) please. Onwards and upwards. Good on ya - and thanks again for all info. Love from us all ❤️ I did the update originally for the fall forum, and Two Steps Back is an early Fall song. It did feel like that but it was also a relief; this making it more of an effort to breathe idea was harder than I thought and I was glad to get back to the heady level of 22. Today it is 16, which is not easy but doable. The tracheotomy tube is where the ventilator goes, but I breathe through my mouth and nose as well. The feeding tube goes up the nose and then down past the back of my throat; I don't taste it. All the gear follows me about on a little trolley; I have two or sometimes three physio girls accompanying me (yes, they are women, but they seem so young; one of them is familiar with Bowie because her dad likes him). I may be getting rid of the feeding tube today.
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Post by marispiper on Jul 12, 2021 11:06:09 GMT
Haha..her dad likes Bowie ...then she IS young! All these little steps are in the direction of normality though, aren't they? No feed tube eh? You'll have to use the natural method 😆 Hope is, you'll actually enjoy eating at least some of the stuff... I thought you might have a wagon with all that paraphernalia on - I bet that's quite a sight. You'll need a saddle as you might have to transport that gear for a while yet.. Post when you can eh? It's SO good to hear you progressing 👍
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Post by aubrey on Jul 12, 2021 12:47:00 GMT
One place I volunteered at was all young women as well. One day I went in wearing a Frank Zappa tee shirt. Everyone thought it was Freddie Mercury, except one girl from Hungary, Frank being very popular in East European countries; and yes: her dad liked him.
I'm going to play through Zappa's works while I'm in here.
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Post by marispiper on Jul 12, 2021 13:21:31 GMT
One place I volunteered at was all young women as well. One day I went in wearing a Frank Zappa tee shirt. Everyone thought it was Freddie Mercury, except one girl from Hungary, Frank being very popular in East European countries; and yes: her dad liked him. I'm going to play through Zappa's works while I'm in here. I can think of worse ways to while away a few hours 😁
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Post by aubrey on Jul 12, 2021 15:16:38 GMT
Feeding tube gone 😎
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