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