Jump to content

Husband Going Into Hospital Next Week.


willows

Recommended Posts

My lovely husband is to go into hospital next week, at this time we dont know when, for how long or quite what he's having done ! ! ! :blink:

Let me explain; yesterday he went to see this foot doctor again at the hospital, a few weeks ago this consultant discovered that hubby's nerves to his feet were not connected correctly and that for years he has been trying to walk with really bad shooting pains, pins & needles , burning and throbbing sensations all the time day and night ...........not pleasant at all.

Well about 6 weeks ago he was due for an operation on one of his feet , but hospital transport forgot to collect him :) was he angry , oh ,yes he was !!!

So yesterday the consultant decided that instead of doing them one at a time , he'd do both at once .

My hubby cannot have a general anesthetic as his heart has stopped so many times when having one , they only do epidurals on him now , which he doesn't mind at all.

So doctor said to him ...........' on Wednesday you will have the operation at 8.30 am so we will need to get you in the night before and as it takes some time for the nerve block to go you will also have to stay in on the Wednesday night as well.........but I'm not to sure at this time .

Well thats really helpful as I'm not to be left without a carer day or night ( I always have someone here or if I go out ) and as hubby is my number one carer and Mike ( my son ) my number two carer I am stuck trying to sort things out when I dont know what , when or whats being done.

When hubby comes home he will not be able to walk at all and we have steep stairs ( remember he also only has one hand ) .....................worried at this point is an understatement, I'm worried about his pain, his inability to be able to walk, the stairs ....................everything .

Poor hubby he doesn't want to leave me ,but needs the operation desperately , so its time for a bit of a 'false face again' big confident smile , wave him bye , bye followed by a even more confident ' dont be daft of course Mike and I can cope, nothing to it '.........fingers crossed behind our backs.

So guys if you know any 'good fairies' 'guardian angels' or 'fairy godmothers' .............sent one or two here for a short stay can you please, I've a nice spare bedroom , decent food and the views are wonderful.

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 72
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Well have just got the low down on what, when and what for now.

Hubby's going to be picked up from here and taken into hospital on Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm , he's having his operation on Wednesday morning at 8.30 am and should ( as long as he's OK ) be home on Thursday afternoon via an ambulance. I've sorted out my care so thats all done now as well.

Hope the ambulance men are strong as it will be fun watching them trying to get hubby up our very steep stone steps to the front garden , in between the metal gate posts...... along the windy garden path over hung with many trees ...........past the big fish pond ......... then around and up the wooden decking steps ( not very wide) .............. across the big decking and into a narrow front door ...........hope they both trained as contortionists.

He's definitely having both of his feet operated on to re-join those nerves that have come adrift.

He is not allowed to stand on his feet for 3 weeks :blink: the mind boggles as to how he's going to get about ..crawl I should think as he cant push himself in a wheelchair unless he wants to go around and around in circles all the time :) and I cant push him either.

Then he has to rest his feet for a total of about 3-4 months before they will test them again to see if its worked.

So we are all in for an interesting week next week .........make note; dont let cleaner polish dinning room, bathroom or conservatory floors .....hubby's not a good ice skater :lol:

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PARTY :lol: thats what we'll do when hubby's away.......you know the sort of thing .............cups of tea with scones with jam & cream a good weepy DVD and half a dozen old dears round ! ! ! ( what fun :blink: )

Son's just asked if he can be adopted by a nice normal family and a quiet sensible mother ............... :)

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hubby left at 1 pm today with his bag :(

What I didn't tell him was along with his pj's and toothbrush and all that sort of normal stuff I'd packed a couple of bottles of pepsi ( he hates most other juices) some ribena cartons, a box of jaffa cakes and a chocolate teddy bear lolly and a bag of white chocolate buttons .............well a man has to have so home comforts !!!!

And a nice get well card with a small pocket book all about 'spiders ' .........yuck, yuck, yuck inside of it

I will not be able to see him now until Thursday afternoon ( fingers crossed ) when the ambulance brings him home.

So son is here messing about of his xbox and I'm watching kids cartons ( just for a change :D ) and we are bored already .

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

willows,

best wishes for your husband!

i would love to taste your scones as i really really LOVE them. hope you and your family can deal with all the noise around (just read your other topic) it won't be fun for your husband when he returns from hospital! i am sorry for all of you!!!

corina B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Willows,

Hello! Wow, you guys are going through a lot right now! I hope all goes well. Thanks for keeping us posted. It sounds like your husband should be set as far as food! B) I'm sure he'll appreciate your thoughtfulness as well.

I was thinking...maybe you could request a motorized wheel chair to use while he recovers. It just doesn't seem right for him to try to crawl!!

Take care,

Lisa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your reply Lisa , but the problem is with a motorized or even a normal wheelchair is just not an option where we live as we tried that a few years ago when I went though a very bad spell.

Our cottage is up 10 very steep stone steps .......then up a narrow garden path ......then 3 wooden deck steps over a wide decking ...... to a narrow front door and hallway then a very Sharp turn left into the lounge.

When in 2003 I couldnt walk more than 5 yards without falling , fainting or being sick , and given the fact I had broken my left ankle in one such fall I was given a hand pushed wheelchair by the hospital. I couldnt wheel myself as both my wrists are in splints ( 90% of the time ) and hubby just had be in fits of laughter trying to push me with his hand and a stump ....................as well as we couldnt get it out of the house.

These cottages have no back garden or back exit ( only a 4 feet stone wall at the back ) there are no garages in the vicinity or neighbours with a garage .............so no where to store it even if it was at the bottom of the steps ( open country lane )

I couldnt bring a hand pushed one up the steps , neither could I push it ( trying to keep myself up and walking is bad enough) and hubby cant wheel himself as he's go round and round and round in circles..........only one hand. !

The doctors, nurses and my hubby's consultant have tried to think of something for us ...........but come up with .....................( appaulse here guys) ...........absolutely ....................nothing ! !

Hubby will have to stay in the house or if he can crawl onto the decking on a dry day for the next 3-4 weeks.....oh , dear I think by then hubby will be grey haired ( whats left of it ) blood shot eyes..........foaming at the mouth and stark staring crazy ....if he's not already that from living with me B)

His operation is set for today at 8.30 am ..thats both of his feet being cut from the ankle bone ( outside ) to almost his little toe, in order to ;

1. stop the terrible pain he's been in for about 20 + years when he walks.

2. help with the electric shocks he also gets at night that wake him up ( he describes these as someone putting a live wire to the soles of his feet )

3. give him the ability to 'feel his feet again' so not to go anymore damage to them without knowing .

Keep your fingers crossed guys that this works as it will be the best pre-christmas present hubby could ever have .

Willows..................PS if your wondering what I'm doing up at 6 am ??? well I've been up since 4 am pottering about , drinking coffee and generally worrying myself silly , as you do when some one's having an operation ............I think its called love , wish I could suffer it for him and he was safe tucked up in bed here. silly softy that I am :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's out of theatre and is doing fine now, tired and a bit groggy but fine.

I cant go to see him as its a 45 mile round trip and although I can drive the car by the time I get there and back I'm to tired to do anything but sleep , also with all these bugs flying about the hospital hubby has said unless its an emergency 'dont you dare come in , I'll call you ' The problem is with this illness my immune system is so low at the minute , I can and will catch anything going .....worst luck.

Willows................awaiting more news from consultant about hubby's feet !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, willows. Glad to hear the surgery went smoothly. I hope it fixes your husband's problems. His symptoms sound really unpleasant.

Are the tea and scones helping? Frankly, that sounds a good treatment for almost everything.

And tell your son that when he finds that "nice, normal" family he wants to be adopted by, he'll probably have to get in line.

Best wishes to you all.

Spike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the kind thoughts guys.

Called hospital again and he's tried to eat some supper .........I say tried because according to hubby its like ***** ** ******* ***** *** ***** **** ** **** not repeatable !!!! :rolleyes:

So I've just bought him a 3+1/2 kilo gammon ham which I will par- boil and then roast with honey , cloves and brown sugar tomorrow morning , hubby's do home at lunchtime so that will cheer him up.

He still hadn't told the staff about the stone steps, concrete path , decking etc to get into the house !!!! :o

Men dont you just love it when they do the ' big strong man act' ............( cough -cough ) then get all grumpy when they get a sniffle of a cold :)

I ask you crawl on his hands and knees.............that would make a good 'you've been framed ' :lol:

So I'm now hoping to have a quiet night ...........dont make me laugh :blink: since 6 pm the phone has gone every 20 mins none stop with;

' AMI ?? AMI ??? are you alright ? , need anything , Have you eaten? anything you need doing ,???? Mark asked us to keep an eye on you '

Thank you dearest one , but did you have to ask the whole village !..............oppps here it goes again .

Right I'm off to cut the phone wires , na......second thoughts better not, next thing I'd have is the police at the door with me in me nightie all flustered :angry:

Bye for now , if your in the village tomorrow lunchtime come and have some honey roast gammon all pink and juicy ........ sauteed potatoes , honey glazed carrots and french beans we've enough to feed the 40 ,000 !

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm :rolleyes: hot scones , strawberry jam and ...........no clotted cream or I'll end up in A & E :angry:

Just called the hospital as hubby was due to come home this morning and I've been very busy .

As I know hubby will not have eaten much yesterday ( op day ) or much the day before as the food is SO BAD '

So my able assistant ( son ) and a stool under my bum so I dont hit the floor we have cooked hubby's favorite meal for his home coming, the gammon and its now cooling , cut and cooked some nice broccoli which I will cover in a thick cheese sauce then add a topping of fresh bread crumbs and strong cheddar cheese all over , before putting into a hot oven , and some tint weeny new baby potatoes which I've minted and will cover in butter .............mmmmmm a nice honey /lemon sauce for the gammon I think ??? :o

The hospital will be calling me after his doctor has seen him 'AGAIN' ..............mmmmmmmmmm , I dont like this again word , he was seen at 8 am and was told after his dressing were changed he could come home , now they are saying that hubby's 'fine' BUT...............that BUT word is a worry , it appears one of hubby's feet are 'not quite right' and he's to be seen again very soon..............please, please, please dont tell me its that hospital bug got in it .................I dont think hubby could stand weeks and weeks on antibiotics his digestion is not brilliant at the best of times.

So , guys when I know whats going on I'll post you again, keep your fingers crossed for him.

I just thought , if he has got something 'nasty' I bet you the first thing he will do is ..............discharge himself , my hubby's like that , he will say ' well I'm not going to sit around here in this bed with all these bugs about waiting for something else to fall off' :blink: I'm off home to my wife and sons care , at least they know what 'hygiene is' ................ :lol:

Right I'm off to have a cup of coffee , made by my able assistant.......he's going to make someone a wonderful husband !!!!

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh willows, i really really hope there is no hospital bug involved. my grandma had that and that wasn't very nice (to say it polite!!!).

and about your wonderful assistant: i have two of them and i always tell them that the girls will fight eachother to get them as their husbands as my sons are so very caring and able to do EVERYTHING!!! would you say hi to your assistant from me and my sons and compliment him for taking so very good care of you and his father!!!!

corina :rolleyes:

oh and PLEASE do not mention the scones and strawberry sauce and especially the clotted cream (I LOVE THE CLOTTED CREAM!!!!) anymore. it makes me wanting to throw my hubby in the van and travel to england!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Corina ..........if you ever get the chance to come to England you must come to Devon and have one of my cream teas ............thats an invite! ! !

Well guys, just heard from Hubby , no they dont think its that 'creepy flesh eating bug thingy' apparently :rolleyes::angry::blink: hubby had such a bad night last night with the pain he had 3 shots of liquid morphine ( given by mouth) and then this morning desperate to go to the loo he dragged himself across to it and on the way burst something in his right foot :) it will not stop bleeding now and they have had to change the dressing twice as its been soaked .............the consultant is on his way ( someone who's name begins with M is in trouble now dear ! ! )

Oh , yes, ......... and apparently hubby was fighting with solders all night , shouting and swearing at them , telling them 'not to touch his feet' and trying to catch dragonflies that were buzzing around his head , the night staff were all in hysterics and he managed to keep the whole ward awake with his antics , according to the nurses those who cannot normally sleep because of the pain ( its a 4 bedded ward) were laughing so much they had tears running down there faces and fell asleep after 5 hours of the giggles exhausted . Hubby's night time antics are the talk of the whole ward today .............ha ! you should have it every night and still be able to laugh :o

Well bang goes the nice welcome home dinner as he's not coming home today :lol:

So that will teach him to do his ' I'm alright , I can manage and I dont need assistance' ...........I bet he's quietly kicking himself now for being such a fool ............men !

More on the 'hubby's feet and how to behave in hospital tomorrow'

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No we dont spike ...........I will when hubby makes an appearance at home again put some photo's of our cottage garden onto one of his photo sites and give you all a lead into it ......hubby's worked very hard on the garden here and its got a pond, waterfall , wooden decking trees and loads of nice shrubs and flowers ( well flowers in the summertime )

Thatched roofs are a bit of a pain in the rear, they have to be replaced and cost a fortune to do this , they have to be insured and cost a fortune to do that , they have creepy crawlers living in them and can loose the whole roof in a good old storm , so we wouldn't want one.

Still no word from the hospital so I will call at 6 pm and ask .

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well its now 7pm ( UK time) and at 5.30 pm the hospital called me to say that hubby dearest will be home by 6 pm.............Well its now 7 pm and unless hubby came in via the letter box or slipped down the chimney and is now stuck at the back of the gas fire ..............he's not here!!!

No , I've not been asleep and had the ambulance men hammering on the front door ....then when no reply taken hubby back again.

And we haven't suddenly up and moved the house to another street ( although thats rather a good idea , save on the food and washing bills :rolleyes: )

So unless the hospital has suddenly taken to locking there patents in after 6 pm ..............where are you dear ?????

MMMmmmmmm somewhat neck strained 'willows 'from watching the front window all the time , windows look nice and clean though :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At last ...the time is now 8 20 pm and hubby is home :D

But what a story the ambulance men told !

Hubby was picked up by them at 6 .15 pm along with 2 elderly ladies who had to be taken to a geriatric hospital some 15 minutes away from his hospital. Now hubby is a bad car passenger , he travels well in the front seat but not in the back ............unfortunately the ambulance men had to put hubby on a stretcher and facing the back of the vehicle. :rolleyes:

A few yards from the start of the journey hubby started a 'panic attack' he went mad ( this is from the ambulance men ) they had to stop the vehicle ........start it again after a few minutes and continue , well this went on for some time ...panic attack :lol: ...... stop ...... :) start few yards :angry: ........ panic attack :o .

The ladies eventually got to there hospital but by then hubby was verging on vomit ..............but wait for it , the second ambulance man was rather panicky at the thought of vomit !!! so we had hubby trying not to vomit , panicking and ambulance man trying not to panic over hubby trying not to vomit.

So for the next hour and 30 mins hubby was hyperventilating , panicking , still trying not to .....heeeeave........... and ambulance man also trying to stay calm................cor , wish I could have joined in all the fun!

Our home is 25 mins from the hospital , hubby took 1 hour and 45 mins to get home .............so you can see how bad its been .

He came in looking like he'd been out all night on the town , followed by being pulled threw a hedge backwards while being trampled on by a herd of buffalo going to a January sale .......... :blink:

Hello dear ,welcome home!

He has the use of a second arm crutch ( he already has one normally) he's wearing the most wonderful navy Velcro boots over his rather large bandaged feet , one which has just started to bleed again, he's also armed with a load of syringes for the nurse to administer each day, lucky man..........NOT :)

He's home thank goodness , starving but still feeling ' blur' so no nice gammon tonight dear.

Hopefully he'll have a good night tonight and feel more his old self tomorrow.

Well night, night all nice dreams for gammon and scones again............Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I'm up and about , stiff, sore and feeling rather sick today !

But thats nothing compared to hubby, we couldnt get him upstairs last night so he slept ( if you can call it that ) cuddled up on our large lounge settee, I think it was because he had the sky box and could after 3 days of no TV go mad and watch all sorts of stuff like ; fishing , woodwork and earth type programmes :)

Anyhow I left him at 9 pm ( my bedtime) with a large drink, phone , waste bin ( in case he's sick ) and lots of those wonderful soft furry thick blankets ...........all squishy to cuddle up in :)

Came down at 8.am ....................went into kitchen..............what the .........!!!! ?????? coffee all over the unit top, down the front , over the floor????? :huh:

Apparently clever one had got up at 6 am got to his crutches and gone out to the back loo, feeling as he put it ' I thought , hey this is OK upright, feet hurt rather , but other than that I'm OK' so he took himself into the kitchen for some coffee, luckily he made it with lots of milk .............as he put the milk away he felt dizzy so reaching to hang onto the unit top for support he missed tipped the coffee all over himself as he and the coffee minus huge mug ( luckily ) fell 'slap wallup 'onto the floor ............he was so lucky not to start the bleeding again .

So this morning son's had a word with him ( rather fun that Mike has told his dad off ) he's not to move from the settee for anything other than the loo without US two beside him, and Mike is going to be chief instructor when he showers later.

Mikes taking me to get some fresh milk and bread at about 9-30 to 10 am and hubby if he moves will get his remote taken away , and then be subjected to a day of tom & Jerry cartoons , women's chat shows and wedding shows ............that'll fix him to stay put :)

Willows..............trying to stay calm, sane and upright herself in all this .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been in bed from yesterday afternoon until 8 pm today as , yes you guessed it , I did to much again............ :) I knew it was coming on as my digestion went first then the flue like feeling all over then the knee went followed closely by the hip and on top of this that awful skin feeling I get when just the fabric of my clothes on my skin feels like I'm being rubbed down with sandpaper . I HATE THAT .

Well with the aid of son , hubby clingfilmed both of his feet and had a shower yesterday afternoon, I have one of those special chairs in the bath that rotate so hubby used that to sit in then showered all over , he told me this morning that he felt wonderful as he hadn't had a proper shower/wash for 3 days or more .............phew! ! :)

He's been trying to potter about again, a couple of minutes on his feet and he's exhausted again, even going the short distance to the loo leaves him looking pale and in pain.

His right foot is still bleeding through the dressing , so today when the nurse comes to give him his jab ( anticoagulant) she is going to have a look at it and change the dressings. The right foot is hurting a lot more than the left at this time. When the consultant came around after the operation he said that the nerves on this foot were so bad ( encrusted with something) that he wondered how hubby walked at all! It took 2 +1/2 hours to do the right foot and 2+1/4 hours to do the left one ....blimey thats 4 +3/5 hours on the table in total !

Today I'm going ( with my trusty kitchen assistant) to cook an egg, gammon and cheese pie..........which is shortcrust pastry lined into a dish then chopped lean gammon , grated cheddar and tip over this about 4-6 beaten eggs ( depending on dish size ) carefully cover this lot with more shortcrust pastry ( dont push it down , lay it on the top before sealing the edges) bake ; 180 or gas 4 for about 45 mins until firm and golden brown, serve with green beans , broccoli and new or mashed potatoes...............another of hubby's favourite meals .............well a girls got to feed him up again hasn't she .Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today hubby has asked the nurse if he can do his own injections , so that this poor lady doesn't have to keep coming miles into the wilderness to 'jab him' its only an anticoagulant so not problems I used to do my own when I had to have them after major ops in the past. :unsure:

Hubby seems a bit better today , still another good 2 weeks until his feet/ankles can be touched and he's still in some pain , but now a lot more bearable.

He's just discovered how much noise I've been putting up with in the past few days when next doors 'elephant brigade ' came in to clog dance ( see my other post ) .

Mikes going back to college tomorrow so I'm on my own with a hubby who cant walk properly :( never mind it could be worse .............we could both be like that :lol:

I'm still 'over doing it ' today I had the proverbial ' hit by a double decker bus ' syndrome again, boy do I feel naff ! but I'm still standing , still smiling and thats the main thing ( probably the drugs thats making me smile :blink: )

Well its 6 pm and I must get some tea together , with my trusty kitchen assistant .............mmmmm tomorrow shall be an interesting day I feel , hope I froze some big pizza's a standbys because if my double decker buses keep coming me thinks I'll be flat on my back by 8 pm tonight for 24 hours ........keep fingers crossed I dont or we will starve to death through lack of food in the next 24 hours. :lol:

That will shift some fat of me ......... :lol: .......... :lol: ........... :lol: ......... :lol:

Willows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

willows,

just checking on how you're doing! hope nobody is without food!

thank you so much for the invitation!!!! my husband and i are planning to go to england next year as we haven't been visiting my dad (who lives near the beautiful cornish west coast) since a few years now (we meet eachother twice a year when he comes to the netherlands!). all my family (hubby the boys and i) LOVE england. the beautiful landscapes and the famous traditions. when we arrive in cornwall we always feel home.

we just have to wait and see if i can make it, because our last vacation was very hard on me. if i can make it, i would be very honoured to meet and have your cream tea!!!

corina :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...