31 May 2009

Ludicrous times

When you least expect it, the unimaginable will occur. The past week or two have been crazy. I got off on a good start when I got home from the hospital. However, the radiation planned shortly after my release was too good to be true. I also had several doctor's meetings which required travelling to and fro. Sitting upright during the trips was a rediculous requirement, but I had to get there so I did it anyway. After 4 days of dashing around Holland my nerve pain came back, disabling me to the extent that I ended up cancelling one of my radiotherapy sessions and had the doctor come over. I was sent back to the VU hospital and was readmitted for one night. I indicated that it was clearly a neuropathic problem (nerve pain). They ended up taking an x-ray and a CTscan on which you can not see the nerves. Beats-me why they did that. They kept assuring me that they were positive that the operation had gone well. I told them that myself when I came in to the first aid department. Without figuring out what WAS wrong they sent me home the next day by Ambulance. Fat lot of good that was!

As I still had 8 sessions of radiation therapy planned, Aldith called the general practitioner who arranged my transportation by ambulance. On my first day the bed collapsed on me leaving me with pain in the hip. I've had 2 doctors examine me but neither of them came up with the idea to have an x-ray made. The radiotherapists do not seem to agree with this situation. I will have to wait for my own doctor to come back. In the meantime I have been told not to walk on my left leg until wednesday next week. I am stuck back in my bed now. I have decided to get through my therapy sessions first, and to postpone my mobilisation to next week. Fabulous weather has kicked in which is making it hard to stay indoors. All in all, I have not been too happy this week.

22 May 2009

Back to the hospital...




Back to the hospital today and I am waiting for (?) to come and pick me up because I seem to have a trapped nerve. So they're gonna figure out what's up. More on this later.
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15 May 2009

Up and about











Yesterday morning Marcus picked me up for a mini trip into Hilversum town. I needed to get out of my house and do something normal. I also wanted to practice sitting up because I am off to the hospital today. It was nice and sunny and I did pretty good. I had a wonderful salmon salad! I have cut my hair short so it is manageable. The next two months I will be in the therapy pool at least 2x a week. It feels nice and clean. I'm off to two hospitals for meetings today. I hope I make it.

13 May 2009

How time flies


Today I have been home for a week. I seem to have missed the beginnings of spring. Adrienne captured this blossom on cam for me in my garden. It has been quite difficult, especially getting here. I was transported in an ambulance from the hospital because I could not possibly sit upright for an hour in Amsterdam's traffic. The ambulance was supposed to arrive late in the afternoon because the hospital bed at home still needed to be delivered. Thanks to my Nazi camp doctor, nothing had been arranged and Adrienne had to move my general Practitioner to get things in order. Funny how protocol always works to their benefit and never to mine. Once I arrived at home I was stationed on my not so comfortable sofa for 2 odd hours. The bed finally arrived and it was unstable and the mattress was not suitable for my back. It costed me an additional 57 Euro's to get the mattress changed. By Saturday the bed was swapped too. You can imagine that after 5 distressful hours out of bed I was knackered. I ended up walking up the stairs despite my handicap and sleeping in my own bed. I have kept that up in the night time since then and repose on the hospital bed in the day time. Adrienne an my mother were here to help me and Kiara out. Adrienne did a wonderful job taking care of Kiara while I was away. She also got a lot of jobs done around the house with the help of Henk Suik which was a wonderful way to welcome me back home. I was back in the safety zone with one on one care. Pfew! Immediately the next day I started to mobilize. By day 3 I was able to walk around the block across the road. If I keep progressing like this the Trappenberg is going to wonder what they need to do for me by the time I get there.

Today I heard that my radiation therapy starts next week. I have no idea how I am going to manage this. First, I have a meeting with Dr. Van Triest and Dr. Lips on Friday. I have decided to take it from there. I am looking at 10 set of 2,5 Becquerel on my tail bone. It's all or nothing.

I am tired of treatment after treatment. I don't really have a choice though. The good thing is that I actually feel like I am beating the odds. Dr. Lips just told me that the cancer has been stable for over a year now.

06 May 2009

Going home today. Going...



Going home today. Going home today in an ambulance. I've always wanted to drive in an ambulance. Im damn lucky. I'm still not walking, I hope to be around in the coming weeks.Glad to get out of here.
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03 May 2009

My mobilization has finally started...



My mobilization hasfinally started I woke up this morning took a shower got back into bed and then later on I made another little circle around the joint and it's absolutely 2 circles around the joints. So I'm moving in a right direction finally. I don't think I'll be going home on Monday but maybe.
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01 May 2009

It's been really quiet...




It's been really quiet on this (?). Actually it hasn't but you haven't been able to hear me but I've been squealing with pain for the last 3 days because we've been (?) with my anesthetics. Anyway right now I've been put back.
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I've been put back...




I've been put back on the original medication and I'm now trying to figure out if the stabbing pain in my shoulder is when I try to move. So I won't be out of the hospital before the weekend and they're trying to stabilize everything and I hope to go home sometime next week.
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