DENTAL WORK DONE AND HOME AGAIN

Well - we did it finally - and during this stay in hospital I did have the teeth removed - all done very cautiously and with lots of treatment to improve my blood clotting - starting at 5.00 in the morning of that day with more blood products and blood tests.

But we achieved - at least the Dental Surgeon did - I just lay there and endured.

I was monitored so very closely for post procedure bleeding and all was well with a minor bleed being the only problem.

It was during this stay in hospital, while I was sore and swollen that I had a visit from Nicole from the Transplant Coordinators and one of the transplant surgeons - much more discussion and advice and information - a signature of commitment on a piece of paper and joy of joys I was finally listed.

The commitment required from me involved signing a document that I would undertake to do the following things:

1.    Take medications as prescribed.

2. Attend Clinic appointments as scheduled.

3. Refrain from drinking alcohol and using drugs for ever.

These three things were not an issue for me as I knew how very much my life depended on me adhering to them.

I think this was a very emotional time for me because at last it became a reality and I learned to live with the fact that it was going to happen. 

The only uncertainty of course was the "when" and of course I was anxious to get home to really prepare things.

I had become used to having a case packed for hospital - in fact I had two prepared - one with just toiletries and I carried this with me in the car and whenever I went out in case I got the call and would then go directly to the hospital.

Also packed was a case with all the things I may need during a long hospital stay.  I am the sort of person who likes to be prepared for every situation that may arise and looking back I find that I actually had the toiletries bag and two other bags packed.   I had a bag packed for a stay covering my stay for "short" term stay for drainage of my pleural cavity and then a bigger case with anything I could imagine I would need during an extended stay.

This larger bag contained all sorts of things and I can laugh now when I think of some of them - but my mind set was to be prepared for anything.

It contained underwear, nightdresses, gown, pillow cases (I don't go anywhere without my own pillow) a pencil case with pens and notepad, sewing kit (to sew on buttons if needed) an address book, my phone charger, herbal tea bags, my own coffee cup and of course toiletries.

When I was discharges from Flinders after this stay I was able to juggle my bags around and be ready and to wait for the "call".  I had several people on standby to take me in to hospital regardless of the time of day/night.  

Each night as I went to sleep I would wonder if this would be the night - this must be the experience of every transplant patient.

I did get a phone call at two one morning and you can only imagine my thoughts as I answered only to find it was a wrong number.   I didn't get back to sleep very easily that night !

To say that I packed and unpacked and adjusted things very often would be an understatement.  I also had a small bag to leave with John with my keys, purse, diary etc. 

I got into the habit of doing laundry each night and keeping the fridge up to date with not a lot of things in it - so that should I leave quickly there was not much for the family to have to do.  I needed that feeling of being in control but so many other things were out of control.

I came home in mid spring with the challenge to stay as well as I could possibly be ready for surgery.

More details of my journey soon - I can't do this in large episodes as it really is quite painful but it is so important that I document it all.

Love and hugs,