Curing the Heart

April 3rd/11........3:26 p.m.

too bad,Herr H. does not want to be creative and fabricate a teddy bear!

Yesterday, saturday, daughter 2 and myself took a drive to Waldliesborn, to visit Herr Husband at his clinic- hangout - Klinik Eichholz - an about 2hrs. drive. We took my Mini, but daughter did the driving, Landfrau is not such a great driver on unknown terrain. At least my car had a ball, km 160/h it never had been driven. It did fine, although you have a bit of a go-cart feeling, but not bad alltogether. The weather had been really great, summer temperatures of 25° C and we found our patient at very good shape. He is the hit of the place, envied by many as owner of his  electric luggie. He zooms around like speedy gonzales all over the compound.  - So we had lunch together and later on coffee and cake at one of the outside terraces, very relaxing. And since the place has a big in-outdoor pool (which Herr.H. unfortunately is not allowed to use - it is rather strong sole - ) it also has a little boutique, offering bathing suits. So daugther found a real cute one at a bargain , I fould a nice one too, unfortunately bargains are not to be had in my size, too many heftier customers around! - Late afternoon we decided to drive back home, we wanted to pass by Dortmund before a real important soccer game ended just about the time we were at the spot. We had been lucky, we just made it before being caught up in the fan traffic jam.
Back home Landfrau invited daughter for a drink and a delicious salad at a nearby bistro, our first time sitting outside in the evening.
By then we both had been bushed and my bed saw me pretty early. - It had been a nice day!

Groundhog Day

February 22/10.....7:42 p.m.

In a grotesque way it is like a deja-vu, Herr Husband is in the Krefeld Hospital again, his heart is playing crazy once more. Last year had been a lucky year, no hospital visits, this year we start with a heart catheter and hopefully this will not be followed by another bypass operation. Landfrau told his guardian angel that he ows him!

Sequence of the" Shit happens"

June 28/08 11:15 p.m.

Now,take us, first the heart surgery, then the broken foot and now...the television in the downstairs area, the only one the patient can move around in, is on the verge of breaking down. But, do you notice, the events become minor in the run. So, there's still hope, but for tomorrow nite we are in a jam, m.o.m.l. wants to watch the soccer finals, we have a big screen televison in the "tower" room, but no ways to get him up there. So, it's a hard decision, rely on the tv to hold on or take him to watch the game at daugther's place, which involves getting him into the car, loading the wheelchair and whathaveyou. As I always say: we shall see.
We had a beautiful summer night and I had a time out on the garden deck with a glass (or two) of red wine, lightening my little kiva stove (which always reminds me of Santa Fe) with my outside torches burning and looking,like on a stage, into the camping type living room, where the patient is sleeping on his double inflated bed. The first cast is supposed to come off on monday, then it will be one he can walk on (so they say) and we will take it from there. He has high hopes, I am doubtful.

The Mess we are in

June 26/08 9:25 p.m.

...reminds me of Heinrich Heine's bed he could not leave anymore for the last eight years of his life and called his "Matrazengruft" (matress catacomb)

(Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was a journalist, essayist, and one of the most significant German romantic poets. He is remembered chiefly for selections of his lyric poetry, many of which were set to music in the form of lieder (art songs) by German composers.) - from WIKIPEDIA -

We certainly hope that the confinement of our patient won't last for the next eight years.

And some more about the European soccer championships, I still think the Turkish team had deserved to win last nite. Now Germany is the semi finalist and has to play against Russia or Spain, whoever wins tonite.

Make do,or being inventive

June 24/08 9:42 p.m.

Not so easy, getting everything managed. Moving up the stairs asswise of course did not work. So Landfrau had the really,mega brilliant idea to put up two inflatable guest beds, one ontop of the other,in the living room and after moving the patient around on our wheel equipped computer chair, I picked up a wheelchair today. We have a big problem since the patient is not allowed to stand on the castfoot for a week (so they say) and his healthy leg is without muscles,ergo no strengh. His arms he can not move on account of his bypass scars, so moving around ,like to the bathroom, is a task. Makes me a nurse and a housewife on the side and as if I had nothing else to do I had to empty our fishpond and clean it this morning. It started to smell terribly and the water had turned, so when I emptied it I found one of our leftover goldfish dead on the ground. Have to get the lonly rider now a new companion, whish he had done me the favour to die too. But - you can't have everything.
And now it's early bedtime for me.

MALCONTENT

June 23/08 4:41 p.m.

So our patient has "fallen" himself back into the mega-patient state, he broke the middlebone of his foot. Had an X-ray made this morning, because he could not walk any more. He is far too heavy for me to handle and he can't use crutches on account of his bypass scars. I ordered a wheelchair , which we will get tomorrow,but that won't save the staircase problem to the upper floor, where the bedroom is located. The guestroom is in the basement, same amount of stairs. He thinks he can manage on his bum, well, I think he might be in for a surprise. Then we will have to think of something else. -
Today is Herr Hund's birthday, 10 years old, and we really are neglecting him, poor bugger. Netherlands vaccation with grandson is out, so are any other activities for the next 6 weeks to come. Brilliant? Don't think so.

HERZKAPSPER

June 21/08 2:56 p.m.

....Is a somewhat flippant verbalism of a heart attack, and that's what Landfrau will get pretty soon if m.o.m.l. keeps up his mischiefs. Home for a week now he took his bike and - fell off! As if it was not enough that he has scars from the heart surgery, a damaged shoulder, damaged knees,( all previous ailments), now he is sitting in his chair beeing supplied with cold packs and ointment for his foot. And Herr Hund has infected anusglands, so he has to be treated too. Hope I do not mix up the medications.
Aside from keeping a hospital I baked an apricot cake which right now smells up the house very nicely,hope it's as tasty as well.
The accident happened yesterday and since yesterday I get a laughing fit,every time I see my patient limping around with a cane,which he refused to use up to now, like "I am not an old man" - well... Somewhat mean, I know,but the only alternative to sit down and bawl. Kind of an hysteric reaction, I suppose.

Journey with Little Miss Sunshine

June 10/08 7:52 p.m.

Not long ago I have seen a tv-documentary about a Mongolian Nomad family. Amazing how they manage to pack and stow all their belongings, even furniture and their yurt-tent into oxen drawn carts in no time. But this is nothing, I tell you nothing, compared to our trip ,granddaughter, great granddaughter and Landfrau took, to visit m.o.m.l. at his rehab in Lippstadt for the weekend. The car had been loaded till under the roof with things the baby needed (so her mom said). We did not even have room for Herr Hund, he had to stay with daughter No.2. Our patient of course had been very happy to see us, he looked and felt well. They for sure make him work hard at his rehab. He will be coming home coming saturday, then it had been 2 days short of 3 weeks. Time flies. The place where he had been is a nice retreat, in the middle of a big garden parc. The small village of BadWaldliesborn gives the impression of a big parc, very clean but on the other hand a bit boring. I think fox and hare bid each other good night in this region. The clinic had a nice outdoor sole bath - swimming facilities which I enjoyed. M.o.m.l. isn't allowed yet to swim on account of the scar and granddaughter had to take care of the baby. So I went by myself and was eyed by some lonely swimmers, obviously bored patients and bitten by a nasty bug. I still have a bruise on my collar bone. At night we had a nice grilled meat dinner at a local restaurant.We even could sit outside, weather had been great, which during our drive had not been so great, since the aircondition in granddaughter's car had broken down and we arrived quite sweaty with a sweaty baby. Then it was good not to have a smelly Herr Hund along. - We had rooms in an a bit oldfashioned hotel, right across from the clinic, all the other guests were old people,so little
Miss Sunshine had been the hit. We had breakfast together the next morning and then we left for home, granddaughter and baby stayed with me till this morning and I have been busy today to turn the house,which had been a big playpen, into a normal house again. All in all some nice days with beautiful weather. Now it's me and Herr Hund till Saturday.

Funny Side to Everything

May 17/08 3:40 p.m.

Nothing can be so bad, that there is'nt a funny side to it. The side effect of our patient's (who, by the way is making nice progress) narcotics is, what I call his own home movie show in his head. A day ago Frankfurt daughter asked me about the mosque right at the parking lot (which can be seen from his hospital window) where all the moslems came out of in pouring rain and milling around on the parking lot. So I told daughter that I must have missed the place but would have a look next visit. - Could not spot any mosque and by asking our patient, he pointed it out to me and told me the same story,only as an additional feature he said, that there had been a ghost in a long gown coming out of the attic window and dancing on the roof. Fact is, you can not even see a building, there are big trees covering the opposite. - There had been other incidents, when we had been talking quite normally and suddenly he told me very funny things in between. At first I had been worried, but not any more after I learned the reason and that it would wear off .
I am glad he has no nightmares, have been told some patients have. So I rather listen to his "colourful" stories.

Testing the repaired Heart

May 14/08 6:20 p.m.

That's what we did today, m.o.m.l. and Landfrau. First of all, patient is doing very well and recuperating amazingly fast. the bloodpressure thing is still a problem (one which can be solved, I hope). But now for the "test". Wen I wanted to leave the hospital today, m.o.m.l. asked me where I had put his three credit cards.
Landfrau: I do not have them.
moml: I gave them to you, when I checked into the hospital
Landfrau: ???
moml: I clearly remember handing them over to you, where are they?
Landfrau, searching her purse and wallet,no cards -
and..I never got them.
moml: my god, our accounts are robbed now, look at home, call me right away!
Landfrau: calm down, they are not lost I'll find them.
moml. No, you wont, they are gone, they are gone, call me right away, if they are at home.

Well, looked of course right awy at home, no cards, and barely had I entered the house, the phone rang. Have you found them? Me: ehm, no, but calm down, no I wont calm down, keep looking, (well, thats what I did, all the time). Finally I had the idea to look into his locked away wallet, and there, three credit cards grining at me,which I certainly had not put there.

But the repaired heart took the first test with flying colours.

Intensive Care the 2nd

May 12/08 11.11 p.m.

Waiting to get into intensive care is like trying to get into Fort Knox. You are happy when you finally made it, kind of forget why you want to get into there, till you see your patient, all cabled and beeping. Our patient today gave a quite improved impression, although he kept complaining about the nurses not looking properly after him and he had overheard the proffesor talking about some lump on his heart or his lungs, which I doubt, since the heart for sure now is a showpiece and the lungs have been checked before the OP. And the staff is really doing a great job, of course they are short on personal, for sure on a second holiday on account of long weekend. Hope they will move our patient to the normal ward tomorrow. Could not get hold of a doctor, understaffed too.
-Me, I'm batteling a summer cold, coughing my soul away. Aircondioned car and hospital does not improve matters. Keeping away from the patient , although don't think it is contagious, just an additional pain in the neck.
So, that is for all of you friends, keeping you up to date.

Intensive Care

May 11/08 10:36 p.m.

I simply admire the people, doctors and nurses, doing duty at intensive care. And that at low pay and irregular hours. Have been visiting that place now for two days and must say, it gives me the creeps. All that machinerie the patients are hooked up to, and most of them lying there like already gone. Fortunately our patient is quite talkative,even if you can hardly make out what he is talking about. One thing though, he worries - about the whereabout of his bag, the machine he is attached to and what have you . No wonder he has a bad heart . The doctors are quite positive, although his lung function has to be improved, but there he has to work along by blowing into several devices. Tomorrow is another holiday, on tuesday he should be moved to the regular ward.

My day today I passed running around in my car. This morning to a birthday party of an old friend, she is the mother of my godson. Had to use my tom-tom navigation device first try. We are not quite friends yet, halfway it put me in front of an icecream parlor, fortunately the place had been fenced off, I would have ended up at the counter. - little joke -
Then to daugther's place to pick her up for the hospital run, later on dropping daughter off again and driving home to look after "Herr Hund", who by now starts to develop hospitalism.
So I took him along tonite to son-in-law's birthday party, Barbeque, where he could fight with his buddy mad Max for dropped sausages. He did not puke in my car, good dog! -

So, tomorrow same routine, without the parties.

Done!

May 9/08 1:16 p.m.

For all of you who kept the fingers crossed: heart surgery operation went fine, 2 bypasses have been laid and the patient is now "sleeping" in artificial coma. Well, it's still a long hard way, but the first step has been made. Thanks for the support!

Waiting Game

May 6/08 5:11 p.m.

Back from my daily "routine drive" to ugly Krefeld. M.o.m.l. should have been operated on - take note of the should have been - tomorrow morning first thing. Everything had been set, even the shaving had been done, but then they sent him to the ENT section on account of his failing voice, and now the whole procedure has been postponed till further notice, i.e. till it has been made sure that there is no infection. Great? - And there is a long weekend coming up,where nothing happens anyway. I am pissed off insofar, as he is in the clinic since sunday nite with that voice and nothing has been done about it. Now we have to bathe in patience again,but one thing is for sure, I do not want him home again, you never know, with what he will come up then.

MEGA GAU

May 4/08 8:18 p.m.

There must have been not enough crossed fingers out there! m.o.m.l. 's heart is so to say a goner, only a bypass operation can help and that has to happen soon. Checked him into the hospital after the weekend leave tonite and hopefully things will start rolling next week. The heart surgeon leaves a good impression, he seems to like his job,which can not be said of all doctors. He really took his time to talk to us. So last nite we had dinner out with the daughters and families, we succeeded to cheer our patient up for a bit , I think, and today his sister and brothers came to see him, so the day did not drag till he had to check into the hospital tonite.
And once again our holiday trip had to be cancelled. But that can be done with a "topfit" man of my life later on, only it's a long hard way till then.

Play it again, Sam

April 29/08 12:22 p.m.

Or rather, please, don't play it again, m.o.m.l.! - Just arrived home from my "favoured" drive to the Klinikum Krefeld, which is now privatisized but just as crummy. Man of my life seems to get into the habit to book himself into that place once a year spring or early summer. Up to now we have had kidneys twice, bowels last year and this year it is the heart,so tomorrow a catheter-scan will have to be made and then we will see further.-
Friends out there, keep your fingers crossed, every finger counts!