Upgraded

For the first time in my life , when it really mattered, I scored an up-grade. The deluxe suite at the hilton, has nothing on ICU ( first class) St Andrews.
I was placed in a room alone to enjoy the opium dream. The noise of other patients was irrelevant.
I feel much more alert this morning after realising that I could say no to the offer of more endone (oxycodone narcotic) .Michael unfortunately got the very sleepy narcotic doped wife last night . He tells me today that it was OK.
The nurses are uniformly wonderful and encapsulate the reality of the caring profession.
I really dont know what people complain about with hospital food. I find it fine.
Maybe my taste buds have been affected as well as other neurones
I trip upstairs today to a room with a view, not Venice, just 5D,
Love to you all Carmel

Believe it or not, this blog was typed by Carmel herself today at an admirable speed (I typed yesterday's blog in case you didn't pick it). She really is looking so much better today and is already finding smiling more automatic, rather than aconnscious action - like coming out from behind the stone wall. She can tap her fingers faster as well - a favourite neurological test for Parkinson's. So things are looking up! Love Michael

News from Intensive Care

Contrary to popular opinion there are some parts of ICU that are quiet apart from the perpetual pumping of the calf contracting contraption moving any dawdling blood cells along. I am getting some rest here with Michael by my side helping me blog my way through. i've now had my second CT scan for the day (they are becoming a habit) and the results were fine. I hope to break out of here tomorow. I want to start pacing the ward again and try out my new starter motor. I'm very grateful for all your well wishes and positive thoughts. they seem to be working!

Carmel looking starkly positive

revving up for the big day

What a difference a day makes.
First up was a trip downstairs to the MRI scanner. Despite my insistence that I could still walk, staff insisted on ferrying me in a wheelchair. Perhaps it is quicker, but I dont like feeling like an invalid! Time enougwh for that later.
I came down minus glasses so found the consent forms challenging. Mostly they need to exclude presence of metal in your body as the magnetic force is so strong it can attract metal to it and any tissue in the way just gets destroyed.
The secret I believe to surviving the claustrophobia induced by MRI scanner is to keep your eyes closed.
This has always worked for me in the past and did today untill I realised that I had forgotten to mention my dental implant. Images of implant crashing through jaw and flying to magnet had me pressing the panic button. Staff quickly reassured me by saying that they couldn't take it out anyway. What does that mean? Its tough luck and your now stuck.! If we could have taken it out we would have?
Anyway we (me and implant) survived.

On return to my room, I had a visit from the lovely anaesthestist. Dr FS.
Comforting as well as informative. Explained that I will be sedated for initial imaging (CT) tomorrow whiel under my head will be stabilised (what an innocous word). Basically my skull will be screwed into a frame to keep it absolutely rigid. I for one am delighted that I will be "under" for that part. Then I am taken to theatre, woken up for the localisation procedure, and then put back under for the chest implant bit.

I also had a visit from Kellie (programming nurse) from Prof Silburns rooms. She did some baseline functional assessment and went into more detail of the joys of living with a neurostimulator or "pacemaker" to airport security guys. Particularly risks of going through airport screening while overseas and having the device turned off accidently and only being able to reset to "factory" default. Moral of the stry -if travelling always take some of your old meds.
Kim (physio) took some before video shot of my walking etc
James from Medtronic explained the device and warned that induction cooking may not be compatible with functioning neurostimulator. That will be an interesting discussion with Michaek!!!
Finally the neurosurgeon Dr TC visited at 6.30 pm and went into great statistical detail of the risks. Im not going to repeat all that as I am focussing on a positive outcome
In between all this activity visits from my darling Michael, Mum and Dad, Robyn and a visit from her husband Neale the cardiac patient downstairs. Who by the way looks remarkably well and I should imagine is starting to itch to go home
Now I need to await the ritual shearing and mega dose of sleey tablet that will hopefully give me a better night
Love to you all
Carmel
PS Michael will take over tomorrow

day 1 at st andrews boring in the extreme.

I'd love to report some blood and guts story, but basically I have occupied a bed all day and not had any assessment. Makes me wonder why I had to come intoday. However MRI tomorrow and I fast from midnight. Perhaps they knew my appetite for food and didn't trust me to stay away from the fridge all night. I am now in rm 25 in the orthopaedic ward (5D) and I can only presume that the neurosurgery patients bunk down with the bone patients because our skulls get drilled. Love to you all Carmel

michaels test

Wishing you all the best

testing time for Michael

Is the technology going to be master or slave?