Month: June 2023

For two days I took Annabell to the Emergency area of the hospital until we   were finally told that the pain she is experiencing is related to her cancer and there is mothing the Emergency can do, so we were told to go home. On Thursday she was going to the toilet and she fell in the hallway. I called out the ambulance.  We decided the best way to tackle the problem was the two paramedics would put a rolled-up sheet round her back and under her arms and they would lift her up. I would be behind with a chair and  get it underneath her and she could sit down on that. In the process of lifting her Annabell had a mini-seizure. This concerned the paramedics and it was felt that she had to go to the hospital. The doctor decided that Annabell should be admitted for observation and did not like her constant  turning up at Emergency — there had to be a reason. Anyway, on Thursday afternoon she was admitted to the hospital and the boys and I visited her and stayed until the end of visiting. On Friday morning I went back up to the hospital to walk in to  the aftermath of a flurry of activity.

During the early hours of the morning Annabell felt very  sick  and pressed the emergency . As the nurses arrived  Annabell vomited — Blood. Nurses hit the panic button and the emergency doctor was called out. A particular scan was authorized which showed that Annabell along with the cancer had a very large peptic ulcer and it was bleeding. Doctor called the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) because we do not have the special equipment to deal with this in Whyalla but the RAH does. She was to be flown down to Adelaide,  so the Royal Flying Doctor Service was alerted. For much of the day she remained in Whyalla mainly because the RAH wanted blood transfusions to be done.  At about 7:00 pm. Annabell  was taken to the airport, boarded the aircraft and was flown to Adelaide. I organized things as best I could – arranged for Benji to be looked after and this morning (Saturday)  I drove the 300 miles to Adelaide. I was able to stay with her for about half an hour  or so before they took her away to pe prepped for surgery.  I will be back up there tomorrow about 9 am

I tell you it has been a dreadful week and I am just about stuffed. Poor Annabell,  I so feel for her and  I also  feel so much of a bystander not able to do anything but watch.  The boys are feeling it too and they are very concerned about what is happening to their mother and they are concerned about how it is affecting me. LOL — I’ll be fine as long as I keep the caffeine levels up!!

Sunday 25th June

Woke up very early this morning. Yesterday was a long day for me and I fell asleep early, so probably another long day  today but for different reasons. Found the nurses here are all very young  or perhaps they are not and it is just me getting old and probably senile.  I am only booked here in the  Lodge until Monday but I do not see her being released, or returned to Whyalla at the moment so I will extend my stay here. I am not going home and leaving her down here on her own.

However, the surgery went well and she looked well when I saw her – tired but well. She slept much of the day while I sat quietly – either brought my diary up to date or read a newspaper. I did help her to drink water when she asked for it from time to time. By mid afternoon she was starting to come to and we were able to hold a conversation.

I have extended my stay for one more day, so if she is flown back to Whyalla tomorrow (Monday) I can pack and get away early on Tuesday  morning, and if I can get away early enough I should be home not long after lunch

This evening when I went on line I was shocked to learn that Norman,  Monica’s Old English Sheepdog – had died – or as she put it, “Become an Angel” Something I never expected, and it hit me like a brick.  I am so very, very sorry.

It’s cold. And for those who might perhaps claim that I do not know what cold is, I do and 12c here is cold. A nice 56F may be the bees knees in Scotland, but here in South Australia it’s colder and it is only the start of winter.  However, I have made a discovery – I have discovered how difficult it is use  a laptop when wearing woolen gloves. Annabell, bless her wee heart, is sleeping in a warm bed, in a warm room. Ah yes, my electricity account in action  :o). I am drinking lots of coffee. I know that’s not so good, but who cares, the mug is warm to hold  and my poor hands enjoy the temporary heat.

This weekend is a long weekend with Monday as a public holiday. The public holiday is to celebrate the King’s Birthday. Come Monday and may  have a glass of something to wish ” Happy Birthday, King Charles”  provided, of course, that I haven’t frozen to death before then.  Annabell has not been too bad these last few days. She still gets me up at 3-4 am to help her but mostly I can get back to sleep again. If it is any later – say around 5am, I just stay up for our morning walk. and get ready to take Benji out at between 5:45 -6am.

Tuesday 13th. Well, as you can see, I didn’t freeze to death. Was awake twice this morning and although I stayed up the second time, Benji really didn’t want to go out, so I went out on my own. I really need to get him to the vet but I cannot do so until tomorrow. Monday was a public holiday, today is a hospital day, so  it has to be tomorrow. At this moment,  tomorrow is a relatively free day – depending on how Annabell is and  depending on the vet being available.

The CT Scan didn’t take that long and we were home by 5pm.   At the moment she is resting in her recliner and I have covered her with  blankets and I expect she will fall asleep. She has had a troubling day and she is tired. I  am fine but I suspect dinner will be very much delayed tonight.  This afternoon I put a dry towel down on the table so later on I will move my laptop in there, which will allow me to continue doing what I want to do and still be close at hand if or when I am needed.

Today has been cold with some scattered showers, which, I must say were pretty heavy while they lasted. The Flinders  Ranges had  hailstorms that covered the area in an interesting white blanket. The temperature here fell to 9c – which was even colder than yesterday – the cold coming off the Antarctic icefield. Seem it will be like this for a few days.

Annabell was well rugged up and sleeping so I went out early and did the shopping and people are complaining about the cold. I mean, we have gone down to 2c  before and I really don’t remember it being as cold as it is at the moment with this 9c. It’s very odd.

Since starting this I have had to take Annabell the hospital (A & E) but after sitting in the waiting room for nearly three hours to have a seven minute consult with a doctor, nothing really changed. Despite all the tests and the scans there is no indication of what is causing the pain in the lower abdomen and despite what Annabell thinks, it is not related to the Cancer.

I have a view (doesn’t everyone?). She finds that placing a hot water bottle on the affected area eases the pain. It occurs to me that I did something similar some 40  years ago when I had gallbladder problems and the heat from a hot water bottle definitely helped ease the pain and discomfort – then  I had an operation and that was the end of that.   Probably totally way off base, but I can’t help thinking about that time and the hot water bottle. But then, doctors are supposed to know things that we mere mortals have no knowledge of.

One week today since we returned from Adelaide – three visits to A & E and she is still no better. We did have a telephone call from Adelaide and the medical team are discussing whether or not Annabell will be strong enough to undergo surgery. The latest results are not encouraging -not bad – but not as good as the doctors would have liked.  The cancer has not  grown in any way, but by the same token, it has not diminished as much as they believe it should have after nearly two years of treatment.   We cannot keep  driving back and forth to Adelaide. I don’t mind too much, but it is draining on Annabell and the way the prices are with fuel, it is becoming more and more expensive with each trip. I honestly believe that the people in the city have the impression that Whyalla is a suburb of Adelaide, not that it is a town 300    miles north of them.  The continued expense I can

cope with, but the drain on Annabell is getting too much.  But her system is so badly declined that I have doubts that she could survive major surgery.  Anyway, that’s just me- I’m a mere male, what would I know? :o)  However, that’s what Adelaide are going to investigate over the next three months. The reason for the delay is that we are not due back in Adelaide for three months. Had a letter today and Annabell, is to see a visiting specialist. She has been put on his waiting list. Since he only comes to the country one day a month, it could possibly be a while before she actually sees him.  She also needs to have an EEG in the hope that this can help determine the cause of the seizures. Oh, yes she can have an EEG  here, but she would have to wait between four and five months, but she can have it done in Adelaide in a few days. Her doctor is in the process of organising this. I  lived in Adelaide for a few years, knew my way about the place(mostly) and I like the city – Annabell is not so keen on the place.  But as I have said before, I am a sort of Shopping Centre Addict and there are a good many of them in Adelaide. But in 30+ years since I lived here, things have changed quite considerably

On the subject of Adelaide, this was the view from the window of our room at the SA Cancer Lodge. Not great because of the window and the insect mesh.

The weather for the first day or so was not all that great so it took me a few days to walk to the area and  explore the building. When the weather did clear I took the camera and went for a walk in the general direction of the building. I found it to be  a Catholic Church which was built in 1905 and overall, an interesting building.  The building stands just off Glen Osmond Road, which, like Greenhill Road, is a fairly busy road – among the busiest in Adelaide. However, considering the

distance from the center of the city, was probably a quiet, out of the way road, when the church was built over 100 years ago. I suppose that’s the case with most cities,  great buildings are built Away from the city  but as time passes the city finally encroaches and what was once  an isolated building becomes part of a city suburb.  I think  this is the case here and the name of the suburb seems to indicate that possibility – Parkside.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this is June 2023 – yes?  But, from Flinders Medical I am getting dates and times for  echocardigraphs for February 2024. I understand they are busy and all that but a future date  eight months away is really a bit much. I also have a future date for September 3rd. this year – which, I suppose is reasonable.

To close up, From time to time I use   a word that might be confusing to some people.  The word is Lead.  I was asked once, by an American, why I use a word of a metal in relation to my dog. It is simply how the word is used in the UK, particularly in Scotland and also some states in Australia.  The word has two meanings—Led with respect to the metal and Leed with regard to the  control of the dog. Same word different pronunciations, and, of course, different meanings . All very confusing….