What's wrong with me?!

[br d]

Top stuff sir!
You're progress is amazing Ross, no doubt you're fitness levels pre-op are paying off now.
Hope you do get some time off for good behaviour and see a bit of Christmas at home but if not just stick it out and coming out will be all the sweeter.

Doesn't help you much but I have to say seeing you on the mend is cheering my Christmas and many others here I'm sure.

[Tyre Tread]

just

You sir, are amazing.

Here, have a heapload of respect and more positive thoughts.

[BlackVanDyke]

Walking looks great! You may find that while your balance is still not quite 100%, having a stick or crutch or something makes people be that bit more careful not to jostle you. Bit like a P plate on a new driver's car or something.

You're gonna feel like some fker's punched you hard in the stomach when your new PEG's in. Surgeon never warned me, but it gets better really fast afterwards - you'll be able to forget it's there in a couple of days.

Keep going matey.

[E65Ross]

Thanks for the heads up, bd!

[BlackVanDyke]

E65Ross said:

Thanks for the heads up, bd!

Usually better not to be surprised by these things! Best of luck with it, they knocking you out or doing it with a local and some happy drugs?

[goldblum]

Doing very well there Ross. What was the result of your biopsy? No loss of CSF?

[E65Ross]

Local and happy drugs. About to go down within 30

[NDT]

Hope it went well.
You're an inspiration!

[E65Ross]

Back now. That was a piece of piss.. Only took 15 mins!

[Patrick Bateman]

I fear public transport may be the worst to come.

[KTF]

E65Ross said:

Back now. That was a piece of piss.. Only took 15 mins!

Do you get a book of 'recipes' to use with it or do they just point to the blender?

[E65Ross]

KTF said:

E65Ross said:

Back now. That was a piece of piss.. Only took 15 mins!

Do you get a book of 'recipes' to use with it or do they just point to the blender?

Sadly they just say to use their supplements but sod that. I bought a pill crusher too so I can ensure I get all my vitamins etc

[KTF]

Having thought about it, I guess as you cant taste it then protein shake type things with a few multivitamins mixed in as you suggest will do the job.

[BlackVanDyke]

E65Ross said:

KTF said:

E65Ross said:

Back now. That was a piece of piss.. Only took 15 mins!

Do you get a book of 'recipes' to use with it or do they just point to the blender?

Sadly they just say to use their supplements but sod that. I bought a pill crusher too so I can ensure I get all my vitamins etc

Decent blender (or a not-quite-so-fancy one and a sieve) and away you go. There are a few liquid vitamins out there though, easier than fiddling around with a pill crusher. They'll give you bottles of formula milkshake stuff as your main food but it's pretty ropey nutritionally - think a McDonalds milkshake with protein powder and a multivitamin added and you're not far off - lots of people blend their own grub instead. And you will taste it, when you burp at least.

There's a decent book called Complete Tubefeeding that has some info on DIY food stuff, worth getting your hands on a copy if possible.

[RDMcG]

Glad to hear of so much progress!...my bast mate went through a period of liquids, no taste, it did take a while, but he is now 70% back on taste and solids and back to a full independent life. All the best!

[s3fella]

Nutri bullets on offer at currys!

Good luck and merry Christmas Ross, a both harrowing and inspirational story!

[ali_kat]

Keep up the good work

[Mrs Muttleysnoop]

Just how amazing are you Ross? Answer - you are amazing. Just keep up the good work but remember to rest to allow your body and mind to recover.

[E65Ross]

Reasonably productive evening.... Learned how to use the feed machine that I'll be going home with.... Piece of cake really. Also had the speaking valve fitted to my trachy and it's much more difficult to breathe out with that than the other thing they give you.... They said to just use it for an hour at a time and build up. My family and also the SALT person said my speech is more clear now than before the trachy, and that the trachy makes no difference to speech.... The implies my tongue is moving a bit better.... Confirmed by the fact I can now JUST about lift my tongue high enough so they can fit the thermometer under it now.

Progress feels slow but I do keep getting told it's being quick.

Nurse here very impressed with my progress and how quickly I'm taking things on board and my attitude towards this and my desire to learn.... It's more the fact I just want to go home now! She's also rather tasty if I may say so!

I'm shattered now so off to sleep.

Edit - lots of people keep saying they're proud, I'm doing so well and coping amazingly, I'm being inspirational etc but I'm not exactly sure why? How would others be? I've had my moments, mostly in the 1st week but now I don't see how moping is going to help, this has happened, it's st but I need to deal with it. Do I want to get better? Bloody right.... So may as well take things on board and try.

[bint]

As long as you're willing to try, I think that's all that anyone wants and knows is best for you to succeed.

Great news but serious staples (has just shut the whining OH up who had 5 stitches last week) - the scar will be easily covered, but that's a minor thing given what you've endured thus far.