Thursday 4th September

Writing this blog post from my laptop as opposed to the mini ipad we have been using, it means i was able to change the picture, and also check out the blog 'Overview'. It seems that on the 1st September we had 841 hits on the blog ( no doubt many repeats, but still an amazing amount of followers). It does give me strength and comfort to know so many folks out there care, and more than one person has said if i could get well on just good wishes, I'd be home and dry before now. Its also made me a tad nervous, not sure my school girl english is up to much, but then its not really about that is it?

I'll start with yesterday and leaving hospital; it was good to not only be at home again but relatively pain free after a whole week basically in acute pain, childbirth was easier, and shorter!

To be part of the family and listen to the kitchen table chat around supper time was lovely. I still can't sit very comfortably and even now i am lying down to write this. I managed to enjoy some chicken broth lovely LT had made and had a Fortisip (they have been my mainstay food supplement over the last 5 days). I 'pottered' for no more than ten minutes and then had to go to bed as I felt exhausted. I had an excellent nights sleep and barely moved, feeling very much better for it- sleep is so restorative.

When i left the hospital as well as being given a shed load of drugs I was also given a fentanyl patch that gives me a slow release quite strong painkiller, i'm not sure of the doseage or how long it lasts but it appears to do the trick. However  i don't really like the nightmare dreams it seems to evoke or the feeling of spaced out exhaustion. Im sure the other drug concoctions dont help either, but they do offer pain relief, and thats the main thing. Im also suffering from a urine infection so on antibiotics too, its just as well Bex has made up a drugs chart and makes sure i take them when i should as there is no way i could keep on top of it.

The drain that they fitted at the hospital on Monday night is clamped, they took off the three liters of fluid there and then, and syphoned off another 200ml on Wednesday before I left. They do not want it to be a continuous drain as the idea is to keep as much pressure in my abdomen as possible.  Unfortunately ( please don't read on if you are squeamish) the drain exit is not well sealed, i believe it has a 'pigtail wire' and other than gauze and a light dressing, it leaks..... this is messy and uncomfortable.

I needed a shower this morning so with the help of Steve ( you should have seen his face) i wrapped an unused clean dog poo bag over the drain in an attempt to seal it and stop it getting wet.... I thought that was an  ingenious idea  (Steve didn't)..... it didn't work.......obviously. Thats ok though as help was on hand, Jacks girlfriend and nurse SE was kind enough to re do the dressing before she went off to work- lucky me. I was by then totally exhausted and slept again. Drugs and a late breakfast revived me, then i slept again....Bex took me to hospital finally at 1:30pm, bad timing as it was change over time,  but we saw KG, and we decided i was managing  without needing to take any more out and with the certain amount of (lymphatic fluid) leaking anyway best to try and rig up a better seal and leave it until tomorrow.

By the time i got back home it was a late soup lunch, and bed again, didn't get up until this evening, and had a little lobster salad (thanks Jack...high in protein). Taken me a little while to write this, so once again now shattered. I can't believe how weak i really am, most simple tasks like making a drink, cleaning your teeth, wandering out to look at the jungle that is my vegetable patch is tiring, still I MUST be on the road to recovery by now..

Thank CB for dropping by with card and liquorice, thanks also to SC for sorting out my flowers walking dog and running off with the ironing...

Lastly, a very amusing card arrived today- thought I'd share it IB!