Farewell and here we go again!

Last night we bade farewell to Richard, Dale, Andy, Ryan and Kiara at Heathrow terminal 5. It all came upon us rather suddenly and Tuesday was instantly Thursday as we lost a day packing and reorganising them into 5 large pieces of luggage and several dozen so called “hand luggage” items as well. [We foxed that airline we did!]

The word from Johannesburg is that all have arrived home safely to be collected in convoy by Dad in his bakkie (for the SAffers) Ute (for the Ozies and Kiwis) and mom in her sedan. Apparently the weather is scorching hot in JHB and the kids were instantly in the pool.

Rich nabbed the added bonus of a first class upgrade thanks to Cousin Nick (Thanks Nick – what a beauty!). We are left with a hole in the fabric of our lives in Oxford. Our house is much too quiet and it has stayed tidy all day. How does that work? We are forlorn without the boisterous noises of two boys [competing for every syllable in the collective sentence] - and the calm, sweet declarations of princess Kiara, laying down the sibling law without any fuss. It’s just the way it’s goanna be boys!

The lodge is blanketed in frost today, with a high of 1 degree and a low of -7, it won’t melt at all. The fields all around are serene and white, and we are lucky not to have a breath of wind to add chill factor to the mix. Kate and I are ensconced in our nest with the boiler boiling away and the tea flowing.

We are trying to catch up on weeks of ignored email and pretend that we are busy enough without the others and the fun and activity that has made up the rolling and repeating cycle of eating, kitchen cleaning, logistics planning, eventing, conflict resolving, bathing, sleeping arrangements, and more of the same all over again of the past 6 weeks…..boo hoo it is lonely on our own.

We are however putting the time to good use. You will be pleased to hear that Kate is lying on the couch wrapped in my Kiwi wool blanket (thanks Anne!) and pumping the phone to all points in the Cederberg - - - for accommodation information for the guests attending the NEXT BIG EVENT (A.K.A the ZekeandKateWedding dot com). I am readying the information and copy for a complete revamp of THE BLOG.

True to form, as many of you know, we have failed to post the invitations we prepared in May last year, and as time thunders towards our date (May 2, 2009 – for those still wondering) we have decided to build on the success of the kidney blog and use it for keeping everyone in the loop for the wedding. We still intend to send the invites – heck they are printed – but knowing us, an electronic solution MIGHT actually reach you.

PLEASE NOTE: the Blog’s address is going to change and we will list it by this evening and post the directions here for all to see. This means you will need to re-register to follow it – sorry about that – but hopefully in this world of upgrades it will not be too much of a chore.

So it’s goodbye to needles and catheters and onward to alters, veils and bouquets! See you there!

Moving Swiftly on!

Hello all. We hope your Christmas was as happy and homely as ours. It has been so long since we had a big family doo and never in our house so this year was extra good. I’m pretty sure everybody got what they asked for (and more!) but more importantly it was just great to spend so much time together.

Richard, Dale and the brood spent three solid days with us at The Lodge and finally had to retreat to Cowley to get the laundry done! We are all nursing bloated bellies and the conversation turns routinely to calories and bathroom scales – usually after the Christmas chocolate tins (yes, plural) have been passed round three or four times.

We are sharing meals at least once a day and really enjoying the time together. I am sure Kate and I are going to feel rather lost when everyone goes home and leaves us here to see out the rest of the winter alone. We are really not looking forward to that.

Richard had his final visit with the surgical team this morning at 10. He walked the four mile round trip to the hospital and back, marshalling Ryan and Kiara all the way and tramping up and down Headington hill with no pain or exhausting after effects! The doctors and happy with him and have sent him on his way with a full bill of health. He is feeling very well and mobile again and is happy to have another week and a half to get out and enjoy some holiday touring in the English countryside (after the car has been de-iced and enough layers of clothing applied to counteract the English weather…)

My own health seems to be on a permanent improvement plan. I never seem to get to bed before midnight and can seldom sleep past 7:30. It is so amazing to have what feel s like a unlimited reserve of energy - provided I don’t try to pick up anything heavy and keep to moderate exertion I can chug along all day and enjoy every minute of it. Fantastic!

I spent yesterday climbing up into the ceiling on a ladder and bolting a retractable laundry drying contraption to the beams above the bathroom ceiling and am thrilled to be playing with my tools again.

Love to everyone and do keep in touch.

Long Lunches at the Lodge and Birthdays in Cowley

Preparations began the afternoon before this lunch. Kate began the intricate assembly of her famous salmon pie and readied all the necessary components for assembly by 22:00 when we collapsed into bed.

We now know that the Lodge has a capacity of at least 12, that is, 7 adults and 5 offspring. Summer would have been useful for getting the kids into the paddock for a scrum or two but the lounge seems to have survived and the adults oscillated between the kitchen and dining rooms.

A sumptuous feast was prepared and Jason and Adele arrived bearing gifts and left bearing more gifts – the Charismas spirit is flowing thick and fast at the Lodge and we have decided to ignore the bank balances until at least January 15th!!!

Undoubtedly the heaviest Christmas in years but all the more worth it as Kate and I have had so few together with family in the past 10 years and this time we are at home for a change which means we are unfettered by travel baggage allowances and have discovered the joy of internet shopping…



Thanks to the Nottinghamshire delegation we will be hurling large steel balls around the paddock on Christmas day between courses as we try desperately to make space for mince pies between the roast and cheese board. Jason selected Boule for our family this year and is secretly so passionate about this game that he has deviously coerced his in laws into getting him a set too. No doubt we will be instigating an annual family tournament before too long…

True to form we hoovered the feast in less than 0.01% of the time it took to prepare and them Granny Gilly went into overdrive and autopilot and cleared all the dishes and washed the lot and left the place spanking clean for the next assault! What would we do without her? She earned herself a reprieve in the process and was collected chauffeur style by Simon yesterday and whisked away to Cambridge to see Jaclyn, Annabel, Isobel and Charlie (A.K.A. The Unit), for the evening.

Yesterday was Dales Birthday – Happy Birthday Dalsh!

Despite its proximity to Christmas, we were not prepared to amalgamate such a special day with a mere festival.

Richard was out of action and could not be managing surprises and parties, so Kate and I orchestrated a full on SA style braai in pleasingly mild (11degree)weather, at the Cowley lodgings.

The sun failed to make an apperance but no matter for we Africans! Wedged as we were between the church and the pub on James Street it felt rather fitting as a metaphor for wedging a birthday in before Christmas!!

This was undoubtedly the surprise afternoon of the past month for all of us. Dale was distracted by Kate and a nail bar where she resurrected her by now bitten to the quick talons into fine flourish of soft purple gel caps. But the time she got home, the fire was ready to cook upon, the salads were made and the meat marinated.

All hands to the pumps and we had the rest of the day to chill in the comfort of the rather charming house. It was so relaxing and pleasant to be dining on “home grown” food and in the company of some of our favourite people.

Rich and I fell asleep on the couches in front of a roaring fire in the living room.


Andy and Ryan kept it quietly stoked between several helpings of chocolate gattaux birthday cake (Andy doing his Grandpa proud by licking his plate and the cake plate clean!). There may have been a better place to be on the planet but frankly I think we had found it!

Oh and did I mention we even managed to find Biltong! In England Nogal! Lekker man!

Day 10 Post-Transplant!

So much for follow up – I do apologise if you have been waiting for the news. The interesting thing about the recovery so far has been the way each day seems such a massive improvement on the last. Every morning seems like the best day I’ve had in years. It is followed by an eager approach to the day which is still relatively short lived and soon finds me stretched on a couch somewhere and thinking about how long it will take to get my next wind.

When I wrote on Thursday I thought things were pretty good. Today apparently finds my colour restored to normal (according to my mom) and I was the first out of bed and making tea for the girls for the second day running. But now I am back on the Chesterfield in the airy conservatory and tapping the keyboard, happy not to have to do anything more.

We have had a steady stream of visitors to the house every day and this has been fantastic. Our big Christmas tree [and the rapidly expanding heap of presents underneath!] combines with a steady stream of familiar faces that have brought the most wonderful Christmas spirit into our house.

Today we receive our much loved cousins Jack and Betty (Jason and Adele) and wee Sky Piper and Tails Delta along with them. As you can imagine with my energies restoring and Jason in the house it is likely to be a boisterous afternoon! Well from one couch to another at least…

The hospital seems like a pleasantly receding memory already. Time seemed to slow down for Rich and I while we were interned - there was very little rest to be had on the noisy ward. Contrary to the image of hospitals a place of recuperation, I found it more of a production line for overhauling humans with failing organs. There were constant visits from (very nice and friendly) nurses bearing pills, capsules and needles. The vigil of measuring blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen and heart rate went from hourly to twelve hourly, but these always found one at the point of dropping off into a desperately pursued sleep which remained ever illusive.

I woke routinely at 1am and was unable to sleep again before 6am. I’d manage a few hours if I could ignore the breakfast trolley until 9am. The barrage of nurses and doctors once again took their place in the rounds of the ward from about 10, and they would spend at least 1.5 minutes debating ones condition from the foot of the bed, before moving on to the next bed. I discovered that they spent a lot more time in debate beyond earshot before they came for their brief-but-penetrating scrutiny of the patient.

The conversations were dense with information. If you could remember it there were at least four hours of pondering over it to be had once they had departed. A few more hours of sleep might be gleaned between 5 and 9 pm when there ensued another barrage of dispensing and prodding, emptying, bed changing and general discomfort. This was distracted however by the regular visit of Kate and Mom bringing smiles and fruit (and prunes, prune juice, prune extract and anything that had seen a prune in the production process!) and news for beyond the ward, buoying the spirits which had begun to flag by the third day in. Welcome visits were form Nick and Lottie and on Monday form the Paella King himself, Nicolas Friedman, all the way from London. Sally Wagner made it to the ward with lots of news and a reminder that whirlwinds move fast and leave a lot of dust behind them! Who can but feel energised by the presence of Sally the human dynamo! Thanks Sally by the time I saw you again with Marcel I was full of ideas for the New Year as you heard!

The first three days were plagued by the additional malaise of double doses of anaesthetic and pain killers. This had the effect of scrambling the brain in a most unpleasant way. Normal thought functions seemed to be happening but anything more than simple conversation and quiet reflection was met with a complete inability to focus the mind. As a result I left the three books I’d taken to enjoy reading, while being waited on hand and foot for 5 days (if only), in the bag I’d brought them in. I could not manage more than a short caption in a tabloid newspaper and still have no memory of what I discovered in these. But fret not dear reader; all is not lost, because I resorted to movies! I ploughed through two series of Lost [if you’ll pardon the pun] and two series of The Sopranos on my IPod - usually during the small hours of the morning when the general buzz on the ward and the combined effects of drug induced haze, discomfort and nurses chatter kept sleep out of my reach.

Then there was the much mooted trial of constipation which was apparently also related to the barrage of drugs and pain killers. Had I known that Morphine, such a splendid usurper of pain and discomfort, would result in a complete inability do the most natural bodily functions I might have opted for a little less relief in the long run! But enough has been said about bowl movements on the blog already I think! Suffice to say that it ended with every preparation know to man including Nurse Breda’s personal favourite, “ the Stick of Gelignite” (Enema) and a lot of very labour like shoving and grunting between 3 and 9am on the last morning in hospital. Please God never again!

Nausea was another treat and while I managed to avoid the end result on all but one occasion, it made getting anything into the furnace a time consuming and delicate job. Out foxing a tempestuous stomach is not easy and when it did eventually erupt on a very lava like combination of oranges and paw paw, spraying the bed linen and filling several bowls designed for the purpose, it ended in a muttered apology from Nurse Breda moments before she administered the horse kick of an intramuscular jab in the thigh. Expletives flowed freely and unavoidably for several seconds and the images of several grinning lions passed through my mind as they chorused happily in my memory – “That’s for all those darts punk – nice isn’t it!”.

And so we are now both home and happier for it my dear brother and I. We are content to be seated, as close to reclining as possible, and receive our guests as a brace of royals upon the couches of the Lodge on Chilworth Farm. Kate and Mom and Dale produce an endless supply of tea and cake and luncheons and treats which make the bathroom scale oscillate daily between extremes of water retented maxima and micturated minima. Christmas morning approaches with excited speculation form our trio of happy minors. I am ecstatic with suspense (I know what I am getting and have waited 5 years for it!!!) and keenly anticipating the glee on several faces for which I have planned the kind of treats Santa only dreams of – thanks to Amazon.com and several couriers…

Alas I feel our time on the blog is coming to a close – I may be wrong, but I think with all the success of the surgery behind us and only the long road of recovery and endless monitoring ahead it may become somewhat obsolete in its current form. We shall have to have a poll and see whether others feel the same. Of course there is always the chance that the next big thing takes over and the Zeke and Kate Show goes on to deliver a blow by blow account of the wedding which has been 12 years in the making and now exists only as a date, a venue, a box of un-posted invitations and two pairs of shoes! With May 2 approaching at the speed of time, it is very likely there will be opportunity for spasms of text as it all comes together. For now we’ll have to see what Christmas delivers in newsworthy comment and take it from there.

One more time I thank you all for your support in the recent past, so intense as to be almost overwhelming. We feel reconnected with our family all over the globe and have buzzed excitedly with old friends and new and feel extremely privileged to have had you all so close to us. A thousand thousand thanks for that!

ZekeandKate

Hi Bloggers - I'm back! Thanks for your amazing comments and interest in the whole sheebang over the past week - I am so grateful for all the support and kind words from all of you. Getting home was the shunt I needed to turn the corner after surgery. Today finds a much improved Zeke - no nausea, no dehydration, no constipation and generally in a good fig! This is just a short note to say hi and let you know that all is well and we will follow up with a more detailed account later today. Much love to everyone and thanks for being in touch! It is good to see all the faces appearing on the follower’s icons - some really fantastic pics there y'all.
Zeke

Richard and Dale telephone number

Hi guys, Rich and Dale's home number here in Oxford is 0044 1865 42 75 43.

Phone Numbers

Hi folks

If you would like to ring Zeke, the number to use is 0044 1865 226106 [that includes all dialing codes for UK, etc]

This number is for a cordless phone on the ward which is especially for in-coming calls to patients. The Nurses will answer and will hand you over to the Zekester. You can ring anytime - there aren't any restrictions.

Cell phone reception on the ward is very poor which makes a conversation impossible, but text messages do get through - his number is 0044 78 54 36 777 5 [all codes included]

A friend here in Oxford visited yesterday [actually the guy who introduced Zeke and I in Cape Town years ago!], and he has more friends visiting today and tomorrow. So, some fresh faces for him.

K

One down, one to go.

It has been a good day - great to be able to say that Richard is at home again tonight. Leaving the ward was something of an anticlimax really. He was wheeled out of the ward by Andrew, and the nurses hardly gave us a cursory glance. Clearly the comings and goings of donors and recipients is an every day thing!

As you know he was due to leave at 4pm but by 2.30pm he was allowed to go and let me tell you, he was wide eyed and ready to rock out of there! Wrapped up in his dressing gown and wheel chair at the ready, there was no stopping him!

We woke up to gusting, biserk rain, so Zeke suggested I have a brolly on hand for Richard's trip home. So there we were, man in chair with brolly over head - Richard thought it was utterly hilarious - and asked me to stop and get a picture of things. Lekker to be laughing on the homeward journey.

Rich is walking and moving quite slowly but feels ready to be home. As we settled in the car he was reflecting on the past few days and said how wierd that its only been two nights in hospital - it feels a lot longer. Certainly at that point I realised that I was feeling like I'd been doing this surgery story for about a week. Helpful to have that perspective from Rich. Also realising now how relaxed we are compared to just 24 hours ago.

Gill and I spent about an hour with Zeke after that, and he is really looking good. Kidney function is still spectacular. He and Rich have had quite a nasty time with belly ache [a particular type of trapped wind in the very lower colon - or something along those lines]. Our conversations are dominated by how much farting a man can do - and how best to bring it about - we celebrate each and every one.

Of course everyone thinks that they are an expert on this particular topic - but Zeke is sticking with what the nurses/pharmacists advise. Today the nurse's remedy brought on a nausea attack which had us all hopping around for a few minutes. Zeke broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of the damage and pain it would cause to his stiches and insides, but thankfully it all passed after about 60 heart stopping seconds.

So, an early night for Gill and I and certainly a groovy At Home Night for Dale, Rich and the kiddies.
Lots of love, K

Ryan, Zeke, Kiara.

Andy our lawn mower.

After the Panto, Andy needed a bit more of a distraction, and hit the lawn!

Temperature check

Nurse Wendy looking after Zeke - - we have had phenomenal care and attention from the staff at the Oxford Renal Unit.

Zeke checking out the blog

We took this shot today at about 4pm - just two days after surgery, and as you can see he is relaxed and looking happy.

Gill.

Gill in the visitor's chair next to Zeke.

Richard

Okay, we have confirmation that Rich is being discharged at about 4pm. He and zeke are having tea together as I type.

Breaking News

Have just spoken to Zeke who says that Richard is walking around the ward! So he is mobile and on the move.

Guest Editor Andrew

Today we went to Churchill Hospital to visit my dad and Uncle Zeke. Of course, the kidney crew was alert and ready for action. My dad looked a lot better; he wasn't as pale as the previous night. My Uncle Zeke was tired but always made a joke.

Guest Editor Ryan

The Highlights of the First and Last Home Run From Ryan

The operation was scary but it was a relive when we got the news. We go see them twice a day, they are feeling great. Zeke looks much better than before, and rich looks the worst of the lot. They have started to walk. Yesterday rich were yellow .Rich comes out on Saturday the 13 Dec and Zeke Tuesday the 16 Dec that is the highlights Of the First and Last Home Run!!!!!!

Guest Editor Kiara

To day I went to see my dad at the hospital. And he was feeling much better. But Uncle Zeke was looking much better then my dad. And he has a very fancy bed and he can make it go up and down. And my dad is coming home tomorrow so wish him a lovely day.

Oxford Kidney Unit

Did you know that Jona Lomu played international rugby after a kidney transplant?

Right Side Kidney Please

Here Richard has just had the surgeon mark him up - about an hour before surgery.

Out of bed!

Massage Moon Walking Socks

I know, I know, I take the best photos - this is an aerial view of Richard's feet - the source of endless fascination to the children.

Richard and his gang.

A jubilant Zeke

Zeke on the phone to Clem in Johannesburg this morning.

Richard and Zeke the day after surgery

Our V8 Donor

This picture was taken the morning after surgery. He has had enough of me and my camera!

Brothers on the ward!

Well folks, I was woken up at 8.30 this morning by a phone call from Zeke. He wanted to know when we would be visiting! So Gill and I hoofed it up to the hospital where we found a much improved Richard, and a tired but chipper Zeke.


Richard had a very uncomfortable post surgery day yesterday, which really took the wind out of our sails. It was hard to feel pleased about things when he was clearly in a lot of pain. His evening wasn't much better and he says that he made good use of the 'patient administered' drug clicker thingy. So we were really pleased to see that he was much better this morning, and had a few questions for Zeke.


Gill and I ran between the two rooms relaying questions and answers. They are in neighbouring rooms, and their beds are literally one in front of the other, so if you are standing in a certain part of the ward you can see both of them at the same time. Cell phone reception in the hospital is very poor so we thought a phone call wouldn't work, but we tried it anyway, and they managed a quick chat from cell to cell which was hiliarious.


Richard: hello, how can I help you? (with a big grin on his face!)


Richard says he hasn't used his pain mediciation at all today, and the doctors have said they will discharge him tomorrow, and he is really pleased about that. Although says he will miss the bed! Perhaps I'll have one shipped out to Joburg for him!


Seeing Zeke last night was one of the most incredible experiences. He was on Euphoric high, saying he felt a deep innner peace, and he was calling the new kidney a V8. He said he fought hard to come out of the anaesthetic because he wanted to be part of the process, and he was really excited - a wierd thing to digest given all the tubes and machinery and oxygen mask. He sent some very touching messages through to Richard which left us with lumpity lumpy throats, was asking to talk to his Dad and said he'd meet Richad in the canteen for a coffee in 20 minutes. So, very high spirits indeed despite being bedbound and I almost felt that we were a disappointment to him for not breaking out the champagne and doing the jig around his room.


He was insistent that Gill and I shouldn't go home and kept asking us to sit down, but he really needed his rest we felt. He fell asleep after about 15 minutes, and that brought the long, successful and entirely amazing day to a natural end.


This morning we have real evidence that in fact Richard's donation is a V8. Zeke's creatinine levels were at 666 when he was admitted to hospital on Wednesday night, but this morning they are at 289 which is a real success story according to the staff on the ward. Zeke also had an ultrasound at about 12noon today and it shows that the V8 has 'full profusion' which I believe means it is working the way we would like it to.


In terms of actual post surgery progress, Zeke was moved out of bed and into a chair for the first time at about 2pm - not much fun - and back again after 45 minutes. Kiara and Ryan gave him a foot tickling treat before we came home for the afternoon. Catheter to remain for 4 days, while Richard's is removed tomorrow.


I have found the children to be the most delightful distraction. I think if Dale and I had been on our own we might have sat on a sofa chewing our nails all through yesterday, but kids aren't interested in that type of naval gazing. The Kidney Support Crew all went to a Sleeping Beauty Panto in the morning - a purely selfish decision on my part, I wanted a distraction and I thought I could get the kids to join me if it was something to their liking. I think it is fair to say that I had more fun than anyone, singing along to ABBA, hissing at the wicked witch and loving every minute of it. I think I might have been an embarassing Aunty, but hey, it was fun! Pantos are totally under valued I have decided.


We had a big old lunch at Gourmet Burger [almost as good as a Panto!] and whilst wandering around a flea market in Oxford we got a text message from Zeke to say that Richard's surgery was complete and had been a success. So that put us on a high, and it was only a few more hours before we were able to see him. So all in all the day passed pretty quickly.

This afternoon we have read through all the comments on the blog which have been so heart warming. Thank you for all the lerv!

K

Transplant Success

Hi everyone

This is a just a very quick update to let you know that both Richard and Zeke have had successful surgeries. Richard went in first at about 9am and was out by 12.30. Zeke followed and we have just heard from the hospital that Zeke is back on the ward, drowsy but doing well.

We all went up to the hospital at 5pm to visit our Rich who is very yellow, drowsy and looking sore. But nonetheless making the odd joke.

Kate : how do you feel?
Richard: feel like I am stuck half way through a sit-up

Gill: Can you feeel your toes?
Richard: No ma, they cut them off.

So, a few tears, and some of the fiercest relief I have ever felt. How do we thank Richard for this?

Gill and I will go up to the hospital in about one hour to see Zeke.Now sitting down to a warming winter meal of Oxtail which Richard and Dale made yesterday [notice the on going references to food!]

And guys, thanks for all the text messages, emails and phone calls which we have had today. So warm and loving. I will post a few photos and things after we have visited Zeke.

Over and out.

And finally to bed

After a hard night of poker, our three under twelves are finally resting their weary heads. they fought like hell all night but elected to share beds and rooms none the less. beats me.

Zeke all checked in.

As you can see, watching videos and really quite comfy! he is plugged into his iPod and quite lost in some movie!