Slow Start - Busy Afternoon

Slow start - busy afternoon

Sylvia here - came down from the vineyard for an early start at the Hospital.

Arrived at 8am to a very happy Anthony. He had a good night with consistent pain relief. I left him last night speaking with Janine in Germany & I think she got him sorted & in the right head space for the night.

This morning he was looking forward to his 9am appointment with radiology so they could track some dye down his Oesophagus to check for leaks. 

I had to leave him there for about an hour so I decided to check out the new t-bar for a coffee at the new Cancer Centre. Great little spot & I sure will be going back for lunch sometime. I met Deb from the Flinders Foundation  there & she updated me on all their new & ongoing projects. Thanks for the chat Deb.

Back to radiology & not long before Anthony came out. Some good news- there were no leaks. There was an issue with restricted drainage but that has since been cleared up as expected & normal. 

While we waited for the results the "Physio Team" of 3 got Anthony ready for his first walk down the passage. This was a mammoth exercise with all the drains/tubes/lines that had to follow him. Anthony then had to do his daily breathing exercises.

Waited for the Proff to visit but he didn't make it in my shift. I left around 1.30pm for my afternoon at the office. Suz came in for the afternoon shift. It sounds like it all happened during her shift.

1st came Prof Watson to explain the results of the Gastro Gaffen Swallow. Confirmed no leaks & all was well. Went on to tell the good news of the pathology results which indicated no spread of the cancer & that the tumor was successfully removed. All going well, hopefully some of the tubes/ drains will start to come out tomorrow.

Next came the "home team" consisting 4 medico's  & a couple of assistants who went through the radiology results. Then the pain relief team. Jeff the Liaison Officer also came to visit. Then the anesthetist followed.

The nurses also removed the epidural . Another walk down the passage in the early evening to get things moving & then ready for bed. 

All in all, the next couple of days will be challenging with no epidural block & having to manage  the pain manually, but all is looking positive & on track. 

Looking forward to getting through the night with some sleep & another  day in HDU with lots of progress tomorrow,

Goodnight all,

Sylvia