HOME TO RESTORE AND REGAIN STRENGTH

How much I had missed my home and my very ordinary life I could not begin to explain - I had missed the telephone, the cat, coffee when I wanted it not when it was brought to me. My own bed - oh the bliss of sleeping there again.

My family had brought a bed from the spare room into the family room so that I could rest as needed and still be part of the things going on.  These were early days and it would not be until very much later that I really appreciate them doing this.   

My feet were still swollen and I had medications to reduce fluids and a salt free diet to follow and had to restrict fluid intake.  I also had appointments and more appointments -  The Respiratory Unit, The Gastroenterology Unit, Dietitian and my own new General Practitioner.   

I chose to change General Practitioner at the insistence of my family and friends.

I chose a lovely lady Doctor who is quite local and who took on board the enormity of what was happening to me.

I started a fairly intense appointments and tests regime and so time moved on.  I went through a series of chest Xrays all giving the result of fluid in my pleural cavity.

I chose this time to visit a Naturophath/Iridologist who discovered many things among which was that my liver function was very poor.  So home I came with hope in my heart and lots of ghastly tasting things to take and tablets etc.


The quality of my breathing did not improve and I suspected and it was confirmed that once again my pleural cavity was filling with fluid.


I struggled to do many things - changing the linen on my bed took almost an hour with many rests and even walking out front to the letter box necessitated a rest out there before I could venture back inside.


I could manage my laundry but needed help to hang it on the line and shopping was a nightmare.  I couldn't push the cart and yet needed it to hold on to.  I gave up shopping and would then email a shopping list to John and he would bring the shopping for me.


I became very isolated and at times wondered where this would all end.
I missed lots of family functions because I was not well enough to attend.


Getting in and out of bed was difficult and walking around was hard - I kept a basket in which I put everything I thought I would need during the night and took it with me when I went to bed.  This, so that I didn't have to get up and get things.


This basket was a great help and the things I would place in there were:

1.  My mobile phone 

2.  Tissues

3.  A book to read

4.  Medication

5.  Glasses

6.  A drink

7.  Notebook and pen

any other things I thought I would need.

I was still attending my appointments and could not drive - so was very dependent on the generosity of others.

Frustration and exhaustion set in and in mid June I decided I needed to go back to hospital - we called an ambulance and I was taken to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and admitted - and spend another three weeks in there having a pleural drain inserted and the fluid drained.

There were times when I wondered where this journey was taking me and spent many sleepless and troubled nights.

Love and hugs,