Kiwi Coss
Free Member
Some of our friends that we have met on the road may have missed some of my emails, so this is for all of you that we have met, and hopefully will meet soon, when we return from NZ back to your fair land.
Just a quick update.
After the wedding of the year back in NZ (our darling daughter Rachael and James McKenzie), I was tested positive for cancer and have been in hospital getting it cut out. At the same time the surgeon decided he would fix a colon hernia. This was on Thursday 6th August
Operation went smoothly and I was discharged home on Sunday 9th. But that night I was sick and the vomiting caused the stitches to rupture and opened up the wound. So it was back into hospital again in the early hours of Monday 9th.
First trip in an ambulance with my own private nurse as company. It's great having a daughter as a nurse. Knew exactly what to do and was so calm. Even when I could feel the blood pouring down my stomach. Once we got to the hospital I then had a kind doctor stick his finger in the wound up to his knuckle and wiggle it around to check the hernia stitches. Not the best feeling and one I am not keen on repeating in the future.
This put me back in hospital for another few days, and came out on Thursday 13th August.
I am back on the road to full recovery and had the catheter out yesterday Wednesday. So only have one more tube to come out, which is draining blood and muck out of the wound in my stomach. It is attached to a pump, which is going 24 hours a day, and looks like a little handbag, that I carry around with me, when I need to get out of bed. Good news is that I am mobile and was able to walk the dog yesterday.
29 Aug Update. this has been replaced by a little pump about 60mm square by 20mm thick, that can fit into my pocket. The hose is only 2mm thick as opposed to the 5mm thick hose of the handbag.
Will be left with am impressive scar, so we are thinking of believable stories to tell the potential grandchildren of how I got it. So far the two best are: attacked by a shark and, or stabbed going to a damsel distress. (Picked that one up after watching Game of Thrones while bed bound). Still, have plenty of time to prefect that before grandkids arrive,
Rachael leaves to go back to UK tonight Thursday 20th August, so I lose the services of my private nurse, but she has another man now to take care of, so I guess I will have to get used to sharing her. Just hope her mother can take up the slack and provide the quality of care that I have become used to. By initial accounts there will be no problem, as I think Christina missed her calling and should have trained as a nurse. I know now, that Rachael got her good looks, brains, and nursing skills from her mother. Christina is overjoyed at this revelation and I, not quite so. But I am humble that I am surrounded by family with great skills.
James has taken on the role as family matriarch while I have been incapacitated.
Dog woke us up last night, with his barking, and this morning we discovered that the work van was broken into last night. Lucky he scared them off as nothing of value was stolen, except maybe a laser level which I have to check on. Most of my tools have remained intact which is good. Of course the dog Tup is getting treated like royalty and rightly so. He is a great asset to the family, and I now understand how people love their dogs. Update to this they managed to get my Makita cordless tools including Makita carry bag. Bugger.
We leave for the UK on 16th October to continue on our travels. We will be heading for another winter, so as soon as the World Cup is finished, we will head south again for the warmer climate, and either head to Morocco or southern Portugal. The beauty of the gypsy (or grey nomads in Australia) lifestyle, is we can make this decision closer to the time. This is also depending on where our friends that we have met are heading to.
Anyway hope you all are in good health as I have learnt that this is the most important thing in life.
Safe travels
Colin and Christina. (Kiwi Coss)
Just a quick update.
After the wedding of the year back in NZ (our darling daughter Rachael and James McKenzie), I was tested positive for cancer and have been in hospital getting it cut out. At the same time the surgeon decided he would fix a colon hernia. This was on Thursday 6th August
Operation went smoothly and I was discharged home on Sunday 9th. But that night I was sick and the vomiting caused the stitches to rupture and opened up the wound. So it was back into hospital again in the early hours of Monday 9th.
First trip in an ambulance with my own private nurse as company. It's great having a daughter as a nurse. Knew exactly what to do and was so calm. Even when I could feel the blood pouring down my stomach. Once we got to the hospital I then had a kind doctor stick his finger in the wound up to his knuckle and wiggle it around to check the hernia stitches. Not the best feeling and one I am not keen on repeating in the future.
This put me back in hospital for another few days, and came out on Thursday 13th August.
I am back on the road to full recovery and had the catheter out yesterday Wednesday. So only have one more tube to come out, which is draining blood and muck out of the wound in my stomach. It is attached to a pump, which is going 24 hours a day, and looks like a little handbag, that I carry around with me, when I need to get out of bed. Good news is that I am mobile and was able to walk the dog yesterday.
29 Aug Update. this has been replaced by a little pump about 60mm square by 20mm thick, that can fit into my pocket. The hose is only 2mm thick as opposed to the 5mm thick hose of the handbag.
Will be left with am impressive scar, so we are thinking of believable stories to tell the potential grandchildren of how I got it. So far the two best are: attacked by a shark and, or stabbed going to a damsel distress. (Picked that one up after watching Game of Thrones while bed bound). Still, have plenty of time to prefect that before grandkids arrive,
Rachael leaves to go back to UK tonight Thursday 20th August, so I lose the services of my private nurse, but she has another man now to take care of, so I guess I will have to get used to sharing her. Just hope her mother can take up the slack and provide the quality of care that I have become used to. By initial accounts there will be no problem, as I think Christina missed her calling and should have trained as a nurse. I know now, that Rachael got her good looks, brains, and nursing skills from her mother. Christina is overjoyed at this revelation and I, not quite so. But I am humble that I am surrounded by family with great skills.
James has taken on the role as family matriarch while I have been incapacitated.
Dog woke us up last night, with his barking, and this morning we discovered that the work van was broken into last night. Lucky he scared them off as nothing of value was stolen, except maybe a laser level which I have to check on. Most of my tools have remained intact which is good. Of course the dog Tup is getting treated like royalty and rightly so. He is a great asset to the family, and I now understand how people love their dogs. Update to this they managed to get my Makita cordless tools including Makita carry bag. Bugger.
We leave for the UK on 16th October to continue on our travels. We will be heading for another winter, so as soon as the World Cup is finished, we will head south again for the warmer climate, and either head to Morocco or southern Portugal. The beauty of the gypsy (or grey nomads in Australia) lifestyle, is we can make this decision closer to the time. This is also depending on where our friends that we have met are heading to.
Anyway hope you all are in good health as I have learnt that this is the most important thing in life.
Safe travels
Colin and Christina. (Kiwi Coss)
