Eilidh's Journal

Good result for Kate at GOSH yesterday.

The echo shows her heart is working well post-op.

The ECG showed normal heart rhythm, but the results of the 24-hour ECG showed the rhythm slows down at night. She has a new medicine for that and will have another 24-hour ECG at our next outpatient appointment.

No more liquid on her chest and not expected to be a problem in future so weaning off the diuretic.

Changed warfarin for aspirin, far fewer side effects, and no more pin prick blood tests.

Sticking with the once-a-day heart medicine she was discharged on.

Next outpatient appointment in 6 weeks.

We have a week at home after Kate's echo on Wednesday.

The liquid in her chest has reduced slightly so we are to continue with a diet of diuretics and exercise and go back for another echo next Wednesday.

Kate was discharged on Tuesday, we went home on Wednesday, Thursday at home, outpatient appointment at GOSH on Friday.

 

The echo showed fluid in her chest is stopping the right lung from fully inflating. More diuretics and go back on Sunday for another echo.

 

if the liquid is reduced we can go home and maintain the dosage until outpatient appointment in one month; if not they will admit her for IV diuretics.

 

Apparently this is not unusual after the op Kate had, but still worrying.

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Kate had a rough day today. The chest drains came out. The cocktail of morphine and sedative that made it possible also upset her tummy. At least we hope that's what it was.
Then I had to wake her for a chest xray. And again for medicine. She was a very unhappy girl.   She was very vocal and yet still very polite about expressing her displeasure.

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Kate is now off HDU and on the general ward.

 

We hoped she would come for a walk to the ward fish tank and she was given a dose of morphine to make the movement comfortable. An hour later she was fast asleep and remained that way most of the afternoon. We'll try again tomorrow.

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Kate had her operation on Thursday and it seems to have been a success.

 

She was in intensive care from about 13:30 on Thursday until about 11:30 on Friday, then she was moved to the high dependency unit.

 

She is allowed to drink what she likes, which is mainly Ribena and milk; and is being offered food at meal times, she had a few bites of toast yesterday but refused or slept through other meals. She slept through most of yesterday and the night nurse didn't contact us so I assume she slept through most of the night too.

 

The nurses tell us she is polite, co-operative, and very willing to communicate when they her ask questions. The perfect patient.

 

Not much change expected during the weekend and we expect to be in at least during next week, while they deal with chest drains, morphine and introduce warfarin.

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We have been asked to go back to GOSH next Tuesday for blood tests with a view to operating on Wednesday.

All Mark's work commitments have been independently cancelled or postponed so the way is clear for him to be there. We are playing it cautiously this time though, and Mark is only coming up to the hospital when they are actually operating on her. He has already used 2 out of 5 Special Leave days on previous visits.

Kate has completed a course of vile-tasting antibiotic and has not had a high temperature since last Friday evening/Saturday morning; no unaccountable pains; no cold. So it might actually happen this time.

Wednesday 25th January. Pre-admission check-up on Tuesday 24th. Will it be third time lucky?