Up again

We just returned from a visit with Derek at the hospital and are gratified to see him in good spirits. For the first time in months, he has no abdominal pains, and as a result, had a very good sleep last night. He's got a tube threaded through his nose to clear out his stomach, and he'll have NPO (no food by mouth). He'll be "fed" intravenously, in order to give his intestines a rest, and promote healing. His surgeon visited him while we were there, and asked about certain symptoms - as doctors are supposed to. He is the surgeon who removed the cancerous section of Derek's colon. The surgeon seemed satisfied with the answers Derek gave, and told him that he'd be in hospital over the weekend, at least. We are glad about that, because we could certainly not care for him as well as the staff at the hospital does. The consensus seems to be that there is some intestinal swelling, and that caused the problems with the inability to take food properly, and the pains that Derek has experienced post-operation. After all, this was serious surgery. You may have read the comments which Laurence in Paris (France) has left on the blog; her husband is going through very much the same problems, and Derek wishes him well (as we all do). When you are this closely involved with this insidious disease, you begin to understand what other people are going through.

It certainly is a rollercoaster.

A bit of a downer again

Derek phoned a little while ago to say that he hasn't been able to keep his food down, and that the nurses inserted a tube through his nose to empty his stomach. He says that he's feeling a lot better. His team of nutritionists and doctors will assess the situation in the morning. There is a possibility of a partial blockage somewhere - only partial apparently, because the ileostomy bag is receiving some output from Derek's intestine. We'll know more in the morning.

Continuing on the path

We just came back from a visit with Derek - he is on a controlled IV drip and his blood sugar is back to normal. He is tired from the medicines, but is eating some food and having tea. The meals that arrive are supplied by contract with outside caterers, and it shows. They send food which is a no-no for Derek (after all, he is diabetic and should also not have fibrous food), so Derek has to check the menu before he touches anything. The nurses then have to hunt around to find something suitable for him. This needs some work. The doctors and nurses are doing a first-class job. Derek is constantly monitored. It is gratifying to see that every effort is being made to keep him on the road to recovery.

Upward again

Derek phoned this morning from the hospital; he sounds like his old self. He's asking for his deoderant, some fresh pyjamas, a couple of the books he's reading, and a couple of other things. It's obvious to us that the withdrawal routine is responsible for his down periods. Derek said that he will try and eat this morning, including some "power food". I think that means some of the fortified liquid foods usually used by athletes. In any case, he sounds and feels a lot better this morning. More after we've visited him.

The Rollercoaster

As you know from Derek's blog, he's going through the morphine withdrawal routine. In the last couple of days the symptoms have become bad enough for him to be unable to keep food down. So, we decided that it would be better for him to go back to the hospital. He'll have his electrolytes, and blood sugar levels brought back to normal and be under observation. We want to thank the hospital staff for the quick attention Derek has received so far - we had a bed in emergency quickly, and he's now got a bed in the regular hospital ward. Derek felt fine over the weekend - now he's down again. It is a rollercoaster recovery.

One step at a time

For those of you who are wondering why Derek hasn't been blogging the last couple of days: Derek's feeling pretty tired these days - the withdrawal routine and the general healing is having some effect. He has an appetite, but is not eating overly much. We're trying to "fatten him up" by providing him high-calorie, sugar-free food and drink. It's up-and-down. Derek's sleeping and waking times are all over the map, he says. We're lucky to be next door to him and that's good for both him and us. We can help quickly with anything he might need.

Another way

Yesterday, I wrote at some length about the cells that make up a good part of "life" on Earth now. In particular, eukaryotic cells of which we humans are made up; a human can therefore be considered one way of assembling these cells. There are many different ways (i.e. insects, mollusks, etc...). Here is another way:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimiandpapa/831136542/