This is written on Monday 8th August
It is now a week since my silly little action.
One of the decisions I made when walking the Camino in 2014 was to accept what happens to me and try and react positively as that makes me happier. I think I have successful in dealing with this set back positively and keeping happy.
The Gisborne hospital staff made me feel like a celebrity. Everything was done promptly and I got frequent requests of did I need anything.
Wynsley from the Gisborne Herald phoned early for an interview which forced me to decide what was going to happen with the walk.
Transport by air ambulance requires a drip line set up - fortunately mine from the initial manipulation was still working and an ECG - so more stickers on my chest to replace the ones taken off in the shower. Another ECG was done in Wellington and Hana the trainee nurse doing it had vast trouble getting the stickers to stay on my hairy chest.
After lunch I was taken to the airport in an ambulance for the flight to Wellington. The aircraft was a Beechcraft Super King Air which holds 2 stretchers, a flight crew of 2 and has a small number of seats on the side away from the stretchers. The crew on my flight were Luke, Cheryl and 1 other whose name I forget. Loading is an interesting manouvre of getting transferred onto the rather narrow stretcher and then a manually operated hoist lifts you level with the planes door. The stretch is longer than the width of the plane but some clever mechanism on the track inside the aircraft swivels you round with your feet still out the door. I was wisely advised to ensure my arms were well tucked in.
Bill on his way from Auckland to Kenepuru was already on the aircraft and had been loaded in the rain. Very glad the rain in Gisborne stopped before the plane arrived.
The monitor was playing up so just as well I didn't need monitoring throughout the flight but a full set of observations were made before taking off and after landing borrowing the finger sensor from Bill.
Very strange to fly lying down facing the back of the plane. I know you pay a heap for that on a commercial aircraft but I think you have a bit more space. The monitor sat on a shelf over my feet. Luke had a lot of trouble getting the luggage net set up correctly so I didn't get Bill's suitcase on my feet. It was very bumpy in the middle of the flight - which I think must have followed over the top of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. I was definitely queasy for about 15 minutes of the flight.
Wellington was 10 degrees colder than Gisborne and even though unloading was done in the hangar I was still cold until loaded into the ambulance for the trip to Wellington Hospital. It had been 3 hours for Bill since he left Auckland Hospital and he was pretty desperate for a wee. A bottle was produced promptly for him when we arrived at Wellington Hospital before he continued to Kenepuru.
The house surgeon came around fairly soon after I arrived and said they could operate Friday which surprised me. He wanted me to join a trial of two different methods of joining together broken ankle which I have agreed to. It is a blind study so I have no idea which method was done. One is a screw through the fiula and tibia with a number of small screws in the fibula holding a plate in place. The other is a "TightRope is comprised of a #5 FiberWire loop tensioned and secured between metallic buttons to provide physiologic stabilization of the ankle mortise." The tightrope has the advantage that in theory nothing needs to be removed later but the button screws holding the plate for the screw method need to be removed at 3 months. At 3 months I find out which method I have.
Seriously downer was the nurse who didn't want me to go to the toilet during the night and made me use a bottle.
Much of the day was spent trying to sort out how to get the dogs back to Wellington (oh and the rental car). Idol and Toby are staying with Erin Maule and she assures me that the dogs are having a ball - especially Toby who just loves playing with Erin's dogs. Shirley was going to travel to Napier and meet Erin and drive back to Wellington but then her mother was admitted to hospital and it was no longer possible. James Ford-Hathaway, a former pupil of mine at CADTS, who I continue to have contact with due to our mutual interest in buses will now do the trip to Napier and back. Thanks very much James.
On Friday evening a got a call from Rita Angus to say Mother had a fall and had a lump and abrasion on her head but was otherwise OK but being monitored. Later that night I received a call that she was on the way to Wellington Hospital. When she arrived an orderly came and got me. Mother was having a CAT scan when I got to the Emergency Department. She was very unresponsive and lapsing in and out of consciousness. I thought that this was the beginning of the end and Mother was about to get her wish to go to sleep and never wake up.
At 1:20pm I was told it wasn't happening and some sandwiches, crackers and cheese were produced. This was the most despondent I got all week - I was very tired and while I knew my low level of pain made me low priority it was hard to accept. I called Shirley up and she came back for a visit.
I then went down to see Mother, making my own way in the wheelchair, and discovered she was eating and drinking. While this may sound like good news I was disappointed as I knew Mother has had enough of life and just wants to die peacefully. Alas her body, or God, or something has other ideas and she stays alive to be bored rigid.
Fortunately the rugby result was not a disappointment. It was 5 minutes into the game before I found Sky Sport on the ridiculously expensive TV. Just in time to see Dan Cole score the disallowed game. As I had said after last weeks match I thought that was the real final. The Hurricanes did not play as well as they did against the Chiefs (hiw much of that was rain and cold, how much trying less hard as the Lions weren't such tough competition and how much the Hurricanes hoodoo) but still managed a very convincing win.
I visited Mother twice during the morning and could see that she was going to recover. She was discharged in the afternoon.
Late morning I was taken down to theatre. The staff were very reassuring about the risks but I couldn't help being very anxious. The last thing I remember is sliding across onto the operating table, telling them in my own words what I thought they were doing and then having a drip line installed in my elbow and drugs injected. I was told this would be changed to the back of my hand once I was asleep but they didn't want to dig for veins with me conscious. Actually it finished up in my forearm.
After returning to the ward Rachelle and Nerissa came to visit. Ra went and got me a coffee and a scone. Shortly after they left my stomach went into reverse in grand fashion. Later in the night I was coughing badly and I think I must have inhaled some vomit. Feeling ok this morning so clearly no permanent damage done. Blood oxygen levels are low for a "very fit man" as I was described so I am on oxygen. Levels are climbing.
With the nausea and general weakness I was alas forced to resort to the bottle again as much as I hate it.
The man in the bed next too me so much reminds me of my father. he never says please or thank yo to his wife and rarely to the nurses. He has some dementia and can't remember where his bell is and doesn't give the nurses enough time to get to him. He is unable to sit himself up but when the doctor came round today said he could get up and go to the toilet and complained about the nurse. It is true that he went for 2 walks yesterday but he is far from walking independently but wants to go home.
I have been told that it will be 6 weeks before I can weight bear and 3 months before I can do dog agility.
It is now a week since my silly little action.
One of the decisions I made when walking the Camino in 2014 was to accept what happens to me and try and react positively as that makes me happier. I think I have successful in dealing with this set back positively and keeping happy.
Wesdnesday
The doctors came on the ward round and immediately agreed to my going to Wellington. I got vistis during the day from Derek and Amerillis who also bought me some pyjamas as I hadn't packed any and a few other things from the Car. Priscilla and Sheila turned up and agreed to take my suitcase to Wellington and on Friday brought some of the contents to me. I know I had visits from Bronwen Jasper and Anna Holdsworth and Glenda Stokes but I can't remember which days. Bea who was such an angel on the day turned up with a tin of sweets that are still keeping me going. Great for sucking when my throat was dry post-surgery.The Gisborne hospital staff made me feel like a celebrity. Everything was done promptly and I got frequent requests of did I need anything.
Wynsley from the Gisborne Herald phoned early for an interview which forced me to decide what was going to happen with the walk.
Thursday
The article was front page of Gisborne Herald. You can read that at http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2411290-135/fundraising-walker-not-put-off-by. An inaccuracy is I haven't walked in South America although Machu Picchu is on the bucket list and the aspiration somehow became a reality.Transport by air ambulance requires a drip line set up - fortunately mine from the initial manipulation was still working and an ECG - so more stickers on my chest to replace the ones taken off in the shower. Another ECG was done in Wellington and Hana the trainee nurse doing it had vast trouble getting the stickers to stay on my hairy chest.
After lunch I was taken to the airport in an ambulance for the flight to Wellington. The aircraft was a Beechcraft Super King Air which holds 2 stretchers, a flight crew of 2 and has a small number of seats on the side away from the stretchers. The crew on my flight were Luke, Cheryl and 1 other whose name I forget. Loading is an interesting manouvre of getting transferred onto the rather narrow stretcher and then a manually operated hoist lifts you level with the planes door. The stretch is longer than the width of the plane but some clever mechanism on the track inside the aircraft swivels you round with your feet still out the door. I was wisely advised to ensure my arms were well tucked in.
Bill on his way from Auckland to Kenepuru was already on the aircraft and had been loaded in the rain. Very glad the rain in Gisborne stopped before the plane arrived.
The monitor was playing up so just as well I didn't need monitoring throughout the flight but a full set of observations were made before taking off and after landing borrowing the finger sensor from Bill.
Very strange to fly lying down facing the back of the plane. I know you pay a heap for that on a commercial aircraft but I think you have a bit more space. The monitor sat on a shelf over my feet. Luke had a lot of trouble getting the luggage net set up correctly so I didn't get Bill's suitcase on my feet. It was very bumpy in the middle of the flight - which I think must have followed over the top of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. I was definitely queasy for about 15 minutes of the flight.
Wellington was 10 degrees colder than Gisborne and even though unloading was done in the hangar I was still cold until loaded into the ambulance for the trip to Wellington Hospital. It had been 3 hours for Bill since he left Auckland Hospital and he was pretty desperate for a wee. A bottle was produced promptly for him when we arrived at Wellington Hospital before he continued to Kenepuru.
The house surgeon came around fairly soon after I arrived and said they could operate Friday which surprised me. He wanted me to join a trial of two different methods of joining together broken ankle which I have agreed to. It is a blind study so I have no idea which method was done. One is a screw through the fiula and tibia with a number of small screws in the fibula holding a plate in place. The other is a "TightRope is comprised of a #5 FiberWire loop tensioned and secured between metallic buttons to provide physiologic stabilization of the ankle mortise." The tightrope has the advantage that in theory nothing needs to be removed later but the button screws holding the plate for the screw method need to be removed at 3 months. At 3 months I find out which method I have.
Seriously downer was the nurse who didn't want me to go to the toilet during the night and made me use a bottle.
Friday
Nothing to eat or drink after 2am as I was on the surgery list. However on the ward round I was informed it wouldn't be today so I got cold porridge and cold toast for breakfast. I dislike porridge at the best of times and cold is just disgusting. Somehow my request for wheatbix keeps getting changed to porridge.Much of the day was spent trying to sort out how to get the dogs back to Wellington (oh and the rental car). Idol and Toby are staying with Erin Maule and she assures me that the dogs are having a ball - especially Toby who just loves playing with Erin's dogs. Shirley was going to travel to Napier and meet Erin and drive back to Wellington but then her mother was admitted to hospital and it was no longer possible. James Ford-Hathaway, a former pupil of mine at CADTS, who I continue to have contact with due to our mutual interest in buses will now do the trip to Napier and back. Thanks very much James.
On Friday evening a got a call from Rita Angus to say Mother had a fall and had a lump and abrasion on her head but was otherwise OK but being monitored. Later that night I received a call that she was on the way to Wellington Hospital. When she arrived an orderly came and got me. Mother was having a CAT scan when I got to the Emergency Department. She was very unresponsive and lapsing in and out of consciousness. I thought that this was the beginning of the end and Mother was about to get her wish to go to sleep and never wake up.
Saturday
I was down to see Mother at 7am and she was very comfortably asleep. Shortly after alison arrived the nurses decided they had to change and wash her. She swore and cursed and threatened to kill everyone. I was extremely tired and went back to the ward after Alison arrived to sleep and wait for surgery. Shirley came to visit some time while I was asleep.At 1:20pm I was told it wasn't happening and some sandwiches, crackers and cheese were produced. This was the most despondent I got all week - I was very tired and while I knew my low level of pain made me low priority it was hard to accept. I called Shirley up and she came back for a visit.
I then went down to see Mother, making my own way in the wheelchair, and discovered she was eating and drinking. While this may sound like good news I was disappointed as I knew Mother has had enough of life and just wants to die peacefully. Alas her body, or God, or something has other ideas and she stays alive to be bored rigid.
Fortunately the rugby result was not a disappointment. It was 5 minutes into the game before I found Sky Sport on the ridiculously expensive TV. Just in time to see Dan Cole score the disallowed game. As I had said after last weeks match I thought that was the real final. The Hurricanes did not play as well as they did against the Chiefs (hiw much of that was rain and cold, how much trying less hard as the Lions weren't such tough competition and how much the Hurricanes hoodoo) but still managed a very convincing win.
Sunday
Very reassured on the ward round when a surgeon intriduced himself as the one who would do my surgery and the registrar said I was number 2 or 3 on the list.I visited Mother twice during the morning and could see that she was going to recover. She was discharged in the afternoon.
Late morning I was taken down to theatre. The staff were very reassuring about the risks but I couldn't help being very anxious. The last thing I remember is sliding across onto the operating table, telling them in my own words what I thought they were doing and then having a drip line installed in my elbow and drugs injected. I was told this would be changed to the back of my hand once I was asleep but they didn't want to dig for veins with me conscious. Actually it finished up in my forearm.
After returning to the ward Rachelle and Nerissa came to visit. Ra went and got me a coffee and a scone. Shortly after they left my stomach went into reverse in grand fashion. Later in the night I was coughing badly and I think I must have inhaled some vomit. Feeling ok this morning so clearly no permanent damage done. Blood oxygen levels are low for a "very fit man" as I was described so I am on oxygen. Levels are climbing.
With the nausea and general weakness I was alas forced to resort to the bottle again as much as I hate it.
The man in the bed next too me so much reminds me of my father. he never says please or thank yo to his wife and rarely to the nurses. He has some dementia and can't remember where his bell is and doesn't give the nurses enough time to get to him. He is unable to sit himself up but when the doctor came round today said he could get up and go to the toilet and complained about the nurse. It is true that he went for 2 walks yesterday but he is far from walking independently but wants to go home.
I have been told that it will be 6 weeks before I can weight bear and 3 months before I can do dog agility.
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