Staples begone

It's good, and clean, and fresh, tralala ....

No, I have no idea why that old jingle from my childhood popped up as I started this blog post. An old washing powder ad that still sticks in my head decades later. Maybe because the staples are out of the wound today? I was so ready to have them gone! The wound looks good, has been inspected by all and sundry (some pictures to follow) and I've got a collection of borrowed hats and scarves to cover up if the need should be.

Mind you, when I walked into the doctor's office today for the appointment. I stood in line and then looked over my shoulder to see if friend and driver Sue had sat down yet. My eye caught the face of a young woman, with her eyes absolutely glued to my head. (I did have a hat, but it was in my hand and not on my head ... didn't think anyone would notice.) Her face was like a cartoon image. With bugging eyes, mouth slightly open and sort of skew, head tilted, unblinking gaze. What was she thinking when she saw the staples? Why did she even notice as I blew by her? Did the light catch the metal? Did she just see Friday the 13th? Is she afraid of Zombies??

It was all I could do to twist back forward and not to dissolve in laughter or go over to her to pat her on the head only to have her run screaming the other way!

So here's a quick collage, showing the special staple remover, the staples (28) out and the wound immediately after. Biggest view is the staple extractor, all clean and sterile so Marilyn doesn't have to be too freaked out!

Ten days after surgery

Next stop: Off we went, hunting for animal print socks I "needed" today to complete the look. The previous days were pink, with the pirate's hat from Jan. Bought some funky large earrings to go with it. 

Yesterday was green, and green socks (I love socks) to add. But today just wouldn't work, so we had to go hunting around a bit. Found some funky pink animal print socks. And a pink-ish animal print neck warmer of sorts I concocted on top of the head. 

Five of us were going out for lunch. Anne wanted to see the wound. So she stood up to unravel the hat thingy. Don't believe her face, it wasn't that bad, I promise!

 

Carolyn and Sue watching

Marilyn doesn't like having her picture taken, but we had a good old visit around the table. Great to catch up with friends, good food and laughter. Sue found me gourmet jelly beans --- yes the same ones I spilled all over the bleachers at the softball game! Eveyone had a taste. Today, I mean. Not the ones on the bleachers. The lovely scarf with cats on it is so soft and lovely, and one can never have too many Timmies cards .... Oh yes, and check out these gloves Anne gave me. With more "animal fur" added. She says so I can text in winter. LOL 

Right, the socks. Forgot to show you those.

UPDATE: ARNO's SURGERY + Fall Fair

As reported in the previous post about the surgery on Sept. 16, all went well. Arno was kept overnight to check his levels. Thursday morning our younger son picked me up and took me to hospital, where I sat with my feet on his bed as he stayed in bed ..... and on the phone ... and on the laptop .... working. Yes.  I have proof!

Trying to give the pink a rest, I concocted a green scarf around my head (no flair, unlike my friend Carolyn who always looks lovely in scarves), added a green-print top, green socks and the silver earrings. So that was Thursday -- picture -- and then with hubby in his hospital bed, clearly on the phone, and me wearing the same green scarf. See? He was working, 24 hours after surgery. And yes, I look a bit flat and wilted, I know. Previous day was a bit long!

Around noon, Carolyn picked me up from the hospital and we went off to the Fairgrounds. It was opening day, judging day, and we are involved with the Photography section. I've been convenor for several years (thanks, Pam!) and this year didn't think I'd get to the busiest day with all the surgeries happening. People bring entries the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, then we have potluck with the judges and the big judging of all entries happen during the Thursday afternoon. The fair opens Thursday at 5 pm and runs until Sunday afternoon.

Thank goodness for an excellent team! Our judge was quick and decisive, the walls were covered in pictures and ribbons quickly and we had done our duty for another year. The entries are down, though --- no idea how to get more people to enter their pictures. Next year's theme will be "Apple Blossoms and Honey Bees" - maybe that will create more buzz!!

Around 3 pm, Arno was discharged after the surgeon stopped by to see what he looked like. Friend Bill picked him up, drove to the pharmacy for prescription and then dropped him at home. I was just deposited at home as well, and both of us zonked out for maybe half an hour or so.

We felt a heap better after that, believe me!  But it was not the end of an utterly awesome day. The doorbell went -- and Sheila breezed in with arms full of tin foil pans and delicious aromas following her. She brought a full meal of pork tenderloin, cabbage rolls, green beans, fresh croissants, a pecan pie (thanks to Donna!).  How wonderful. This is a first time ever for us -- but when we needed to eat last night, we dished up, toasted our blessings -- and had a meal together in peaceful quiet.

THANK YOU. Everyone. Thank you for looking after us. Thank you for caring and sharing your love.

Another surgery

Here we are again - Feels like almost old hat by now!

Friend Joe picked us up around 6:30 am to bring to hospital for Arno's second surgery.  The full thyroid and para-thyroid will be removed today, exactly 2 months after the left side was removed.

Gentle pink clouds on the horizon as the sun rose to greet us.

Thank you for all the messages, phone calls, care and concern coming our way!

8:00 am our time
Things went very quickly this time!
Processed, IV in, blood work done, paperwork checked. Arno is now sitting in a chair, waiting for the anaesthetist, operating nurse and surgeon to come by. If all goes well and according to schedule, he should be wheeled in around 9 am. Surgery to take about 90 minutes. I'll be waiting in the area and update when there is news.

Update: 9 am our time (plus 6 hours in South Africa) 
I'm impressed! Right on time at 9am all three mentioned above came by to talk, check and take Arno to the theatre. Surgery should last about 90 minutes. I'm having a coffee and hash brown while waiting. The surgeon will come find me in the waiting room after surgery to update.

Update: 11:00 am   
No real update yet, since I'm still waiting for the surgeon to come out. Two hours now, but I know
people are checking in. Arno's blood pressure was again quite high before the start of surgery and he had a bad headache. Last time they also had trouble with the blood pressure. I'm sure that's all the delay is right now.

Update: 11:40 am
Just spoke to the surgeon. He said everything went well. He didn't see anything that looked like obvious cancer in the thyroid that was being removed today. They tried to save the para-thyroid so the calcium levels can be better controlled. Arno will stay the night and might go home late tomorrow if all goes well, or possibly Friday.

We have to go in to see the surgeon next week to get the stitch removed and the wound checked. At that time.,we'll also get a referral to see an Endocrinologist to determine next steps.

(www.hormone.org/contact-a-health-professional/endorcrinologyEndocrinology is the study of medicine that relates to the endocrine system, which is the system that controls hormones. An endocrinologist will deal with diseases that are caused by problems with hormones.)

11:50 am - Arno is now in recovery and might stay another hour before being moved to a room on the sixth floor. Depending on his recovery time and being awake, the next update might take an hour or two.

Update: 1:33 pm (7:33 pm in RSA) 
Arno is in his room, is talking and walking a bit. He is still only on clear fluids at this point. He is alone in an isolation room just because there are no other rooms available.

Fresh out of surgery

For those concerned about me: all good, thanks! Friend Sue is here and I'm under strict orders that she is in charge. I have no say .... 😀

Oh, the surgeon was quite taken aback when I asked for a spare nurse to take out my staples. Sort of a family deal. He then grinned and shook his head. Poor guy!

UPDATE FOR THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD

Theo stopped by the house to pick up Arno's laptop, since that can be switched onto the network and he can watch movies if he's awake during the night.
Updated pictures were sent so people can see the improvement a few hours, some rest and pain meds made. The human body is amazing!

Taken around 6:30 pm our time 

Small, tidy wound and thin draining tube

Doesn't he look a little brighter already?


Here's a bit showing the room, with the window looking out over the city to the right. He only has an IV going, and some oxygen to help, but the heart monitor will only be put on during the night. As soon as they are happy with his fluid intake, the IV will be removed too.


Below is a picture of the liquid meal the man had tonight. He felt he needed to share to get some sympathy ... Broth, milk, juice, tea and sorbet.

Hopefully in a few hours the nurse would allow him to enjoy some of the snack foods packed in his overnight bag.

All in all, a good day, although a tiring one!
Thanks again for all the help and support on many levels

~~~  This ends tonight's transmission ..... Field Guide end, September 16, 2015. ~~~ 

 *******

Gratitude

Dear Life,
Today I'm grateful for sunshine, friendship, casseroles, caring people with warm hearts and prayers reaching out across the globe.
Marlene

On Saturday morning we went off to the Fairgrounds to help set up for the Fall Fair which is starting this coming week. I was ordered to sit and be quiet. Hmf! But it was nice to see all my friends. Working the Fall Fair is like meeting family.

Hubby was doing the heavy lifting and sorting, I wiped down plastic and drank coffee. Oh and showed those who wanted to see, the staples in my head. Always something to do, right?

Sunday we ventured out to Church - me wearing the pink pirate's hat from Jan (see post) and large earrings to complete the look. Really don't want people to get sick when they see my head at this stage, although it is a very neat and tidy wound. The support and outpouring of love made us feel humbled and overwhelmed.

We are embarrassed but Rev. Lloyd sat us down in hospital last week and told us to allow people to help, to reach out, and to embrace us. Thank you, everyone, for every greeting, every smile, every casserole or loaf promised, for driving and looking after us during this time. We sincerely appreciate every gesture and email.

PICTURE FUN - The twins
Joe is my champion, my brother, my twin, my friend. Picture below was taken at church the Sunday before my surgery on Tuesday -- we didn't know how bald I'd be after surgery and we needed to have a record! Front view with wide smiles, as you can see. Below that is the one from yesterday ...

Back views of our heads a week later. Who looks best? Yes, I know no warning on the staples this time, but it is clean and no blood and only the partial wound! Staples will be taken out on Friday, ten days after surgery. There is very little pain and I've only taken ordinary Tylenols two or three times a day since surgery. 

(Full wound taken on surgery day is on this post if you are curious. LINK) 

Today I'm by myself for the first time in days! Friends will pick me up for a coffee date and we'll have fun and laughter in the sunshine for an hour or two before the old bones would have to be rested on bed again. Seems the body will take a while to shake off the effects of the anaesthetic and the surgery, but there is a heap of improvement already, for sure. 

Arno is ready for his surgery on Wednesday. I think he just wants to get it over now so that we can carry on with our lives. 

My brother André was finally discharged today after his surgery last Wednesday! I have pictures of his wound, but haven't asked permission to use them. There is still some bleeding and yesterday two blood clots came out but at least he was set free and would be able to sleep in a quiet bed now. He still has to take it easy for a week as the internal wounds heal. 

Arno's brother Chris in Australia, who had cataract surgery on Sept. 3, says he can see colours so much clearer now. Although the eye is still a bit scratchy, it feels a lot better to be able than to see through a haze as the other eye still does. That one will be done in a few days. 

UPDATED AFTER MEETING WITH FRIENDS

What joy to be with friends, to be out in the sunshine, to share coffee, cookies and stories and to know a week ago the surgery was still on the schedule. What amazing lives we live! I am always referred back to the poem often contributed as being written by Walt Whitman, but it was really Angela Morgan. 

[Shared on this blog in 2011: Such An Age As This ]

Sue picked me up and friend Anne B. met us at Fortinos to share conversation and catch up. We had to pose for a picture, right? Marilyn did the honours this time.

With Anne

Anne with her smile and blonde hair, and me with the pink pirate's hat and silver earrings. 

Marilyn brought a gift of her homemade scones, which are a particular favourite of mine --- only have to have brain surgery to convince her to make me some, hehehe! So we had to go hunt for clotted cream, which has been sold out for months lately. 

Ran into Sheila and we had to smile for a picture of course!

Such joy to have so many friends, to run into familiar faces, to be happy to see each other and to feel the warmth and care holding us up. 

With Sheila

GUESS WHAT???

Today, for the first time since about May, there was Clotted Cream in Fortino's!! 

I just had lunch of fresh scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream, added some rooibos tea --- now to rest and enjoy life!!

Thank you, Marilyn, for this gift; thank you all my friends for your love. There's more, many more to thank, and you know who you are and what you are busy arranging. 

Clotted cream

....."Due to its high saturated fat content, the regular consumption of clotted cream is usually thought to be bad for health, though some dairy fat in the diet is considered beneficial. ..."    

and I want to believe!!  LOL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotted_cream

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

What a hat!

To be home in my own bed, with my own pillow, the cats and quiet - what a bonus! And no, Anne, nobody pooped the bed last night --- but the one cat apparently pooped on the porch this morning and made Arno very upset since there was clean cat litter and scooped boxes as always for him! LOL

For the cat, that is. Not for Hubby. You asked!

Getting home yesterday afternoon, I was sent straight to bed. Started reading some emails and fell fast asleep. Guess I was more tired than I thought I was and sitting up in the car for the drive home was probably exhausting too. 

Had a good sleep for most of the night, caught up with brother Andre at around 4 am our time this morning and saw his wound as well. He has a longer cut but I have more staples, so there! He has 17 and I have 25 .... He is still on soft food and must take a lot of fluid to help flush out the bladder. He'll probably still be in hospital until Sunday. 

Friend Sue picked me up this morning and we went for breakfast at our favourite little shop nearby. Yes, I was wearing a scarf to stop people from throwing up if they looked at my head! The place was full but we managed to find a table. Before we went out, I chatted with various friends and mentioned to one friend where we'd be, not thinking anything of it. 

Next moment, 3/4 through our breakfast, Sue said, "Here comes a woman with hats ..." 

I thought, no, it can't be, but it was! Jan, my crazy, artistic friend who is a whizz with sewing anything you can dream of, had popped in covered in pink feathers and carrying two hats!

The tables were all full but she plonked a hat on my head and we had a good laugh with everyone around us! They were all staring and I whipped off the scarf so she could pop down a hat on my bald pate. She said she was going to make me something to wear after surgery, but didn't expect me to be out so soon and clearly took the idea too seriously!

So what do you think? Sue took pictures with the cell phone.
Pics on the right was when Jan first came in, standing in the middle of the restaurant with the windows behind us. The big one was when the people next to us left and Sue ordered us to pose properly for the camera. As you can tell, we were both very bored with ourselves. LOL

Jan, you are a gem! She had also bought a pink sort of pirate's style soft fabric hat, you can see over her hand, which was then put on under the hat for the last picture. I guess I'll have to get some bright pink stuff to borrow and wear during the upcoming Fall Fair to go with the funky hat!

I am so blessed to have all these people in my life --- THANK YOU!

Night at the hospital

Posting from home!

Apologies about no blog update yesterday. Didn't think anyone wanted to know anything after the fact of the completed surgery but caught flack from Janie (fortunately not a shoe flung to the head this time from her!) Trying to do a blog post from the iPad is - well - interesting to say the least.

So here goes. Updating you through the two nights and today spent at hospital. The end of this post will carry a warning so anyone squeamish can avoid scrolling past the "safe" stuff.

Yesterday (Sept. 9) was interesting after very little sleep during the night following surgery. My alarms and monitors kept going off since stuff attached to all four limbs and blood draining tube coming out back of the head out of the incision.

I tried sleeping, then playing games on the iPad, doze a bit, chat a bit - technology helped to pass the night, for sure!

Around 1:00 am during Tuesday night, which is 7 am Wednesday morning in South Africa, I phoned my dad to wish my brother success with his own surgery.  Complicated bladder procedure.  He was just getting changed so couldn't talk to him but good to set my dad's mind at ease about me so he could concentrate on the next child in surgery!

The ICU room was fabulous.  My night nurse, Catherine, a jewel. Within minutes of coming on duty, she had sorted out my blood collecting container from the wound by pinning it to the front of my surgical gown - it kept slipping off my shoulder and tugging the draining tube inside the wound.  Sort of like a mini-suction tube like you have at the dentist. Pinned to the gown, it magically didn't move and pull!

She didn't want to smile for a picture, though. But gave me a hug when she went off duty the next morning. Truly a sweetheart.

Catherine helped me brush my teeth in bed, since I couldn't get up yet.  Towels and dishes, water and wash cloths were brought.  Such a little thing, but makes such a difference I how you feel.  In the previous blog post you could see my liquid meal. Catherine went hunting for apple sauce to add to the bounty.  She came back with six little packets she had "stolen" from somewhere.  Just a little more substantial than lemon jello and cranberry juice! I snacked on those during the night.

7:41 am, Sept 9, 2015 (less than 24 hours after start of surgery): 
Surgeon came by to visit, took one look and stood smiling like a proud papa at the foot of the bed.  Guess that's a good sign! He also removed the head draining tube which was a huge relief.

Biska wanted to know if the wound was covered or not, so I took a picture.  Then Fi reckoned it was covered to protect my brain from zombies! My nurse, Jerry (who used to be a lumberjack in a previous life), told me to go look at YouTube to find how to avoid a Zombie Apocalypse. Such good and supportive friends, dragging new people into the void, right? Lol 

8:50 am, Sept 9, 2015 (24 hours after start of surgery): 

I have COFFEE! and it tastes good, not like the muck served up at Brampton Civic Hospital.  If Trillium can serve "real" coffee to patients, why can't Brampton? Same county and all that. 

Catheter removed and monitors off. Finger thingy to measure blood oxygen off. Yay! That thing bugged me squeezing my finger all night long.

Catheter was removed and Nurse Jerry said I should want to go to the washroom to drain my bladder in about four hours. Nope! My body, as usual, had its own ideas. Less than half an hour later he helped me stand and I went potty all by meself. Twice in one hour. Still swollen enough not to be able to get rings back on. 

Bat comments: I'm astounded! God is awesome!

She reckoned I deserved a sucker. Friend Bev came by with a Fortinos Cranberry-oatmeal cookie as prize. And another Timmies coffee. Hubby had already brought one earlier that morning when he stopped by. 

Green prayer shawl made by friend Sue H. kept me company in bed.

The DVT pump cuffs from ankle to thigh on each leg

around 7 pm, Sept 9, 2015 (31 hours after end of surgery): 

Walked with Arno through the hospital to the Timmies at the Main Entrance to visit with Jaco and Chelsea since my new room had barely enough space for two beds, never mind visitors. By then the wound dressing had come off and I had 25 staples and a very funky new hairdo on display. (Picture will be at the end of this post, so if you don't want to see, don't scroll pass a clear warning I'll insert!) 

Biska: Was your bum hanging out your green gown at least?

Hmf!

Answer: No! As soon as I was upright during the morning after surgery, I went to wash myself from forehead to tail and dressed in my own pink pjs. Nurse came by to help me wash --- and stood in the door with hands on hips, smiling and frowning at my attire. But she couldn't have been too mad. Called me "sunshine" and came by to visit in the new room. 

Between 1 am and 3:30 am, morning of Sept. 10:

My new roommate was noisy and complaining from the start when I got to the new room at 7 pm. Every time my nurse came in to do the paperwork to get me checked into the new ward, roomie would set up a wailing and demand for attention. Nurse would look at me apologetically and go over to her side. That's when hubby and I left the room to leave them to it, visiting with the kids elsewhere. Roomie was waiting for surgery but we couldn't understand why she was kept in a room instead of down in pre-op. 

Finally by 11 pm I had my last meds, put in my foam earplugs and donned eye mask to try and sleep. It worked - for about two hours when nurse shook me awake to give another pill. After that, sleeping was a joke, what with roomie kicking up a fuss as soon as her family walked in the room, setting off her IV alarm with her antics and then not pressing the bell to get the nurse to quiet the thing again. Piercing through the ear plugs. They kept telling her it was a sensitive thing and not to carry on so, but she would have none of that. 

I kicked up Netflix and put in the earbuds to watch Lilo and Stitch and not try to antagonize Morpheus! Then roomie  pooped the bed. Poor nurse had to clean up while I could pull my head under the sheet. By 3 am they bumped and moved my bed to get hers out to go to operating theatre. 

Sleep came after that, until once again I woke to bed being pulled and moved around to get her back in the room after surgery. She was on a morphine pump and I could hear the thing going constantly, again with the IV alarm going off every few minutes. 

By 5 am I slept again, only to be shaken awake again at 6 am for a pill and taking of vitals. A really good nap to about 6:45 am was enough to make me feel a little more human again. 

** Rant over ***

7 am, Sept. 10 (47 hours after start of surgery):

Took my trusty and beloved small Norwex cloth into the teeny tiny bathroom and started wiping some of the hard, dried blood out of the front part of my hair. Amazed at how much came out and how much better I felt after that! 

Breakfast arrived shortly after, and now knowing that the coffee was good, asked if there was maybe an extra cup around meant for a patient who was discharged. Roomie, probably trying to make up for the night, offered hers since she wasn't going to drink it. So I returned the favour by sharing lotion with her for her feet and a bendy straw I had brought from home. 

About 9 am, Sept 10:

Surgeon stopped in, smiled broadly and said he's "telling other doctors about me" - not sure what, since I was really trying to behave and not be difficult! He said he is leaving it up to Arno and I to decide what to do, going home today or staying until Friday morning. And I finally got him to smile for a picture with me after begging since before surgery! Thanked him for relieving the pressure in my head that felt like a tight helmet for the last few years. My head certainly felt lighter, after son Theo asked me to pay attention to that. 

Around 11 am, Sept 10:

Friend Rouxline came by after merrily driving down to the Lakeshore instead of turning on Queensway. LOL She had a goody bag in hand, but took one smell in my room and we departed to Timmies again to visit and have a steeped tea. Friends Carolyn and Bill called to say they are dropping by and joined us, her with a container of her 99-year old dad's homemade date squares which I love, and a container of more goodies. I thought I was going to go on my blubber during this surgery ... no such luck! 

After Carolyn and Bill walked me back to my room, knowing Arno was on the way, I enjoyed lunch - which was again too much to finish. I had the cauliflower soup, fruit and salad and left the pasta for Arno.

Told the nurses I'd vacant the bed and go sleep at home for the night. They started the discharge process, I waited for another friend to drop by --- thanks, Alexa! Took only about three years and a brain operation to see you again .... and then we were on the way home.

Peace and quiet, a nap on my own bed, cats saying hello, rooibos tea and Theo's homemade buttermilk rusks -- life is good!

From brain surgery to home in about 55 hours - not bad, I'd say. And not at all what was expected. Thought I'd be out of commission for days. Prayer at work.

MRI to be taken in about 6 weeks and back to the surgeon for checkup after that.

THANK YOU for all the messages, care, thoughts, prayers, emails, calls and interest from all over! I'm truly humbled and buoyed up by many people.

Now we concentrate on preparing Arno for his surgery on Sept. 16.

Oh and brother Andre came through his surgery, originally in a lot of pain, but now under control. He was still on bed rest and liquid diet when I talked to him earlier today. But sounded in good spirits and on the way back to health now that it was all over.

Thanks for all the thoughts surrounding him too!

WARNING
Picture of wound with staples showing will follow below.  
Stop scrolling now if you don't want to see. I'll post small and those who want to see details, can click to enlarge. 

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Still scrolling? Okay, here's a "safe" picture of the pink pjs and green prayer shawl. But below that is the staples. 

Front view

Back view with 25 staples and funky hairdo

The black marks and yellow-green bruises are where the prongs were stuck into the skin to hold the head absolutely still during the drilling and sawing process, as well as the surgery itself. 

Staples come out next week, about ten days after surgery. I got a special staple remover! My usual doctor will remove them. 

Good night, sweet friends!

UPDATED: Brain Surgery Day

 Marlene: Writing this post on Monday evening, and setting to go live at 6 am our time on Tuesday, September 8. At that time, we should be at the hospital. So no, Valerie, I'm not posting from the operating table!  :-) Technology is!

We had a joyful Monday as we got to spend time with both sets of kids. What a privilege! We had a photo shoot in Gage park, using the magnificent plants and flowers to play with backgrounds. Below is a quick collage of just a few shots.

Tripod, remote shutter release, various stops and poses and patient subjects.

Afterwards, we stopped at T by Daniel  and had the man himself serve us with his usual exuberance!
Thank you to so many people for love and care, messages and calls, concern and prayers. We can never thank you enough.
Off to bed now --- and Jenni will take over, posting a few times during the day as she gets updates from Arno. Remember to hit Refresh / reload if you come back later for updates!

Jenn (11.30am): Marlene and Arno made it to the hospital at 6am and were processed through very quickly by hospital staff. Arno sent this pic at a bit before 8am saying that they had an estimated 3 to 4 hour operation ahead and when I last followed up around 11.15am, it was still a work in progress.

12:30pm: Marlene is out of surgery. The doctors say that they were successful in removing most of the growth and preliminary analysis shows it to be benign. She will be kept in recover for a couple of hours and then moved to the after-surgery critical care area so that the staff can monitor her.

1:30pm: Arno sent a couple of pics of Marlene coming to with her head bandaging slightly visible in the second photo (the surgeons shaved a piece off near the top of her head ... very punk rock!). He says she is a bit groggy but is talking and seems to be doing okay.

5:00pm: Marlene is on her way to the critical care area. As you can see, she's already on the phone and checking in on people.

6:20pm: Marlene sent me a collage of what she sees from her bed right now with all of the cables and tubes hooked up to her. Says her head is a bit sore but mostly okay, and that her hair feels the weirdest right now! All stiff from the operation. She will be staying in this room until tomorrow afternoon and then should be moved to a shared room at that point. (TW: picture below includes a shot of the bandages, which are a bit bloody)

7:00pm: No coffee, but Marlene gets a liquid dinner (not that kind of liquid dinner...)

Brain Surgery Day

Writing this post on Monday evening, and setting to go live at 6 am our time on Tuesday, September 8. At that time, we should be at the hospital. So no, Valerie, I'm not posting from the operating table!  :-) Technology is!

We had a joyful Monday as we got to spend time with both sets of kids. What a privilege! We had a photo shoot in Gage park, using the magnificent plants and flowers to play with backgrounds. Below is a quick collage of just a few shots.

Tripod, remote shutter release, various stops and poses and patient subjects.

Afterwards, we stopped at T by Daniel  and had the man himself serve us with his usual exuberance!

Thank you to so many people for love and care, messages and calls, concern and prayers. We can never thank you enough.

Off to bed now --- and Jenni will take over, posting a few times during the day as she gets updates from Arno. Remember to hit Refresh / reload if you come back later for updates!

Broken or not?

Hello, friends,
The previous post was password protected because we needed to get the news to friends and family first. We are facing a rather interesting September.

Two surgeries are over already! Our little kitten, Chewy, had to be neutered on Sept. 2. All went well and he is none the worse for wear.

Arno's brother in Australia had to have cataract surgery on Sept. 3. The eye is still a little scratchy, but we have full hope that all will be clear very soon. The second eye will be done later this month.
My brother in South Africa will have complicated surgery on September 9.

My surgery on Sept. 8, as posted before --- also the day our schools start again after the long summer holidays! We have to make sure we get to the hospital early enough.
[Jenni will post updates during the day to this blog. To see if there is anything new if you come back to the same post, hit F5 on your keyboard, or just refresh / reload your browser.]

Added to this busy schedule is that Arno needs more surgery, two months after his first surgery. He will be in another hospital 8 days after mine, on Sept. 16. Wonderful friends are driving to take him to the hospital, maybe visit or bring items, since I would be out of commission and can of course not drive yet.


HISTORY OF THE LUMP

• Sept 2, 2014: I notice the lump on the left side of Arno's neck. 
• Saw our doctor who ordered an ultrasound. 
• Ultrasound found a lump of 7 cm on the thyroid, as well as two nodules on the right side. 
• Try to schedule a biopsy --- finally managed to get one at the end of November 2014. 
• By the way, we were told several times that a thyroid nodule or lump (quite common) is biopsied when it gets to 2 cm or about 1 inch. 
• We were told the biopsy was clear, no cancer. So - we had to wait for surgery. 
• Several months went by and after about five months of no surgery date, we called the doctor's office again. One of the (rather unfriendly) women said it "would take another year". 
• That was unacceptable, so we made another appointment to see the doctor. 
• His comment: "Why do I see you in my office and not on my operating table?" When we told him what the women said, he went with us to order them that surgery must happen by August at the latest. 
• On June 14, I had my collapse and spent four days in hospital. During that time, he got the call that his surgery would be in July. 
• On July 15, the left side of his thyroid was removed. We had to wait for pathology results. 
• A month went by --- no results. I was told to keep calling the office, since they might not call us. Five weeks - no results back yet. That was after we were told originally that results would be back as early as ten days after surgery. 
• Almost six weeks after the surgery, the results were finally back and we arranged to see the surgeon again. I quote: The removed lump was 7.5 cm in size. Of that, 6 cm is cancer.
• When the surgeon delivered this verdict, I told him that his biopsy in November came back clear - no cancer. Did he put the needle in the tiny part where there was no cancer? 
• Then surgery was suddenly scheduled to happen immediately, within three weeks. When I said I have brain surgery on Sept. 8, the surgeon let fly a rather strong exclamation. 
• Is our health system broken? You tell me.  
• Arno will have a full thyroidectomy --- a year after the lump was first noticed. 

Thank you to everyone who cares, who prays, who sent messages or cards, offered help, driving, cooking, fun and joy! We love you, we appreciate you and we are being held up by you. 

Personal Favours

This post is a bit different, and more difficult to start than I thought it would be. It is quite personal. Wow! A personal post on a blog? Imagine that! I must the the first to have ever done that!! (Tongue firmly in cheek.)

A dear friend of mine, and known also to many Africammers who might read this blog, has a very special grandson. Young Nate didn't grow properly, and although his shining brown eyes follow the action of his older brother and friends while they play, he is too fragile to run and join in. He frequently gets sick. Tests found that he suffers from a rare genetic disease, called Fanconi Anemia. FA is an inherited disease that can lead to bone marrow failure and cancer. It is so rare that only about a dozen families in Canada are affected.

He would need a bone marrow transplant, but nobody in his family is a match. The transplant will not cure FA, but will give Nate a chance at a more normal life. The family is reaching out to ask people to register to be swabbed for a possible match. You could be the OneMatch that saves someones life. Perhaps you are not a match for Nate, but maybe you might be for someone else who is also looking for a donor.

Living too far away? You don't have to physically go to the clinic to be swabbed; you could also register online to have a kit sent to your home.

Please see the poster with Nate's picture (click to enlarge) for the clinic hours and address.

 If you have young children, nephews and nieces or grandchildren, perhaps purchasing a new story book might be up your alley and you are still helping! Part of the author's income will be donated to the FA Research fund in Canada.
Teddy Bear Stories by Tom Germann


No Kindle? No worries!
Remember you don't need a Kindle to read - the free Kindle app on Amazon can be used to read Kindle format books on your phone, tablet or computer. I love mine, especially because I now always have a book in my pocket.

To learn even more about young Nate and this rare disease, a Powerpoint Slideshow was prepared by the family.  I converted it to FLV and uploaded to YouTube to make it easier to view. No sound, but read the text, it only takes a minute. 

THANK YOU for reading, sharing and perhaps getting swabbed!

BLOOD DONATION

Since I'm asking favours -- told you this was a very personal post! 

Maybe you have seen this blog before, maybe not. On an earlier post I mentioned that I haven't been able to get permission for my adult sons, both blood donors for almost a decade, to donate blood to be used during my upcoming brain surgery. (Read Surgery update - scroll down a bit to the second paragraph under the heading "Meningioma")

Today I found that there is a special program where friends and strangers can donate blood in honour or remembrance of someone.

So this is my request: Since I would need about 2 litres of blood (4 pints) during my surgery next month, would a few people reading here be willing to go out to donate back to the pool, please? When you do, you can mention your intentions to the person tending to you, and you will be given a special card to mail if you wish to do that. Of course anonymous donations work too!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for replenishing the pool, in honour of a friend or loved one. (If you can't donate blood due to previous illness or disease, there is a program to donate blood for research. LINK )

Donate blood in honour of someone: Program link

Thank you for reading and sharing this post. Links are below; just click the one(s) you wish to use.