The Chill Out Zone

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by RPWC

Well I’m almost ready to have my removed head replaced possibly next month or the latest maybe April. I’m going on RVI on 20th March and meeting a nurse for tests before the operation,and then an appointment with the consultant to speak about the operation afterwards.

This has been a long time coming.

From personal experience Richard, when you see the Consultant do ask what to expect about the post op care of your head, if you will have headaches or not. Ask the surgeon about any side effects from the operation and if he knows if or when you can return to work/ driving or not. Knowing what you have to face and cope with is half the battle.

[Gate Keeper]

Good morning all,

5 months ago today, I had the operation to repair the abdominal aortic aneurysm. I consider myself lucky to be here after such a major and complexed operation in London.

The aneurysm had been crushing the heart and without the op, I was told I would slip away and not see Christmas. When you go through something like that, other things are no longer important and you learn who your real friends are. Now I have a future, things are looking up for Jessica and I

I still get twinges of post op pain around the scar, but that is to be expected and I am following doctors orders about resting up in the afternoons.

Thank you guys

What is everyone up to?

[FLYING BANANA]

05.30 and getting ready to rock n roll to the Frimley breakfast meet.

It’s a frosty start.

[coolcat]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

Good morning all,

5 months ago today, I had the operation to repair the abdominal aortic aneurysm. I consider myself lucky to be here after such a major and complexed operation in London.

The aneurysm had been crushing the heart and without the op, I was told I would slip away and not see Christmas. When you go through something like that, other things are no longer important and you learn who your real friends are. Now I have a future, things are looking up for Jessica and I

I still get twinges of post op pain around the scar, but that is to be expected and I am following doctors orders about resting up in the afternoons.

Thank you guys

What is everyone up to?

Good morning Phil,

I think we can all say how much we admire the courage and pragmatism you showed when having your operation .
It’s great seeing your recovery and how you grasp the opportunity to enjoy your lives together post op

Today I’m going to have a lazy day after what has been a busy week.
I’ll pop and see my Mum later this morning to discuss the funeral we are attending of a family friend on Monday.
Got a cottage pie to make for later, can’t be bothered to make a roast today !

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by coolcat

Good morning Phil,

I think we can all say how much we admire the courage and pragmatism you showed when having your operation .
It’s great seeing your recovery and how you grasp the opportunity to enjoy your lives together post op

Today I’m going to have a lazy day after what has been a busy week.
I’ll pop and see my Mum later this morning to discuss the funeral we are attending of a family friend on Monday.

Got a cottage pie to make for later, can’t be bothered to make a roast today !

An early start for you Jeff and it’s kind of you to see your Mum to talk through the funeral. It seems ages since your Gran passed away. Rest in Peace

I have always found funerals give closure and bring relief, even some never get over the loss, we learn to live and cope with it.

People deal with grief in many ways, for some it’s private and for some “everyone must know”. I think the latter is better when people can talk through their feelings instead of bottling them up.

I have lost both of my parents and a day rarely goes by when I do not think of them in happier days. We are lucky we had parents we could look up to, respect and love.

Thank you Jeff and thank you everyone for your good wishes and support. I still get flashbacks to the op and I remember when the surgeon told Jessica and I that I would not see Christmas unless I had the op, it was a shock to hear, but he wanted to impress us with the seriousness of the situation. He was direct speaking and honest with the truth.

He added he didn’t care one way or the other if I had the operation or not.

Post operatively, I found him to be very caring and dedicated to my recovery. As you know I was in hospital for 11 days and in that time, the surgeon would be in early to see me almost every day at about 06:30, he said he was an early riser but I believed him to be devoted to his patients.

Looking at his NHS statistics for the previous year, in 12 months none of his patients who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm repair had died whilst being an in-patient, a statistic I found reassuring.

Jeff I am looking forward to seeing yours and Ian’s, Steve’s breakfast and food photos. It’s an art being able to take a photo of a plate of food which doesn’t look like left overs.

But and it’s a big one, it’s the bitter bottom we cannot thank you like we used to be able to do.

Because of all of the dental work I am having at the moment, my food has been put through a liquidiser. For lunch yesterday I had mash potatoes, liquidised pumpkin, cauliflower and scrambled eggs. I had a call from the dentist for my next appointment on Wednesday. I think I am about half way through the treatment and looking forward to being able to eat properly again.

Thank you for reading this far ……..

Make the most of your day

[Georgies Dad]

Good morning everyone,lovely bright sunshine here this morning,must be the spring weather on the way.

Not long now before we take our caravan and put it on its seasonal pitch for the summer,its just an couple of miles from Sandringham on a private adult only site and our pitch is next to the lake.

It looks good for a nice walk by the river then on to church

Have a good day everyone

Phil,thanks for sharing your stories and experiences,I always enjoy reading them and I am sure the others do as well,

[Lancpudn]

Morning all, Brr! Frosty first thing this morning & still only 8C in the conservatory, Why am I in here? Those sausages I made were very good but a little too strong on the leek for breakfast duties. Better for bangers & mash teas me thinks.


Morning Phil, Good to hear you're improving after such a big operation, Must have been scary to hear that news from the consultant.


We're going over to Mams later 3:00pm as my younger brother is just recovering from another major operation on his bowel cancer, His missus is doing one of those portal things akin to a zoom meeting on her mobile phone so we can see him/talk to him as he's in isolation.


Before that I'm going to check on my seedlings in the greenhouses & see how many have succumbed to the frosts I do it every year & start things off too early

[RPWC]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

This has been a long time coming.

From personal experience Richard, when you see the Consultant do ask what to expect about the post op care of your head, if you will have headaches or not. Ask the surgeon about any side effects from the operation and if he knows if or when you can return to work/ driving or not. Knowing what you have to face and cope with is half the battle.

Afternoon Phil, it has indeed been a long time. I was hoping it to happen in 2022, but each time we rang they didn’t know when the new cranial was arriving, but we rang about 2 weeks ago and we’re told I should be coming in to hospital for some pre operation tests before being admitted it.I believe I should be taken by DVLA for some driving test before giving the profession to allow me to start again.

[coolcat]

Thanks for the reply Phil.

The funeral Mum and I are attending tomorrow is of a close family friend.

Nans funeral is on the 8th of March. Hopefully no more will be forthcoming for some time after that.

I think that your surgeon not sugar coating things may sound cold but probably is the best way to approach the seriousness of the op you had. Sounds like his bedside manner and aftercare post op was brilliant.

You mentioned food......I aim to please.

Tonights Cottage Pie

Cottage Pie by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

Cottage Pie by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

Cottage Pie by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

Cottage Pie by Jeff Cranwell, on Flickr

[Georgies Dad]

Good morning,looks like I am first in again,today I was greeted by Jeffs Cottage Pie,it looks good enough to eat for breakfast,but I had to make do with a bowl of Ready Brek.

Well I have to get my oats some way

Its been raining most of the night and it has stopped now and the sun is trying to poke its head out