Sunday, February 2, 2014

Home Sweet Home

Elaine rang me this morning to say that she had been given the all clear to come home.  I sprang out of bed and once again gave the boat a going over to make it look a bit presentable.

I decided to take the motorhome again as it's more comfy than the little C3 Citroen, plus she could always go to bed if she wanted to on the way back!

By the time I arrived at the hospital they were giving her a huge bag of drugs to take home!  It was then time to take our leave with Elaine receiving lots of hugs and kisses from fellow patients and the wonderful nurses.

The M6 was pretty busy for the journey southwards ... I will miss the M6 (not) but we don't have to go back to Manchester for about another 3 weeks!

The dogs came with me to Manchester to pick up Elaine and seemed a bit non plussed by it all ... but once back onboard the boat they went a bit mental.

Bombo was very happy to have his mum back!

So that the surgery is over and after a couple of follow up appointments we should be good to go to leave the marina in April.  Actually, we are planning on leaving in the motorhome - the boat will stay here for a while.

I will leave to Elaine to write a few words, now that she is back with her pack


Hi Everyone !  El here ...

Thank you so much for all your messages and e-messages - goodness, they kept me busy!  The Nurses kept bringing me wads of paper in brown envelopes ... I think they wondered what was going on !  It was so lovely to receive them all ... thanks so much - I felt the lurv !!!

Well, all is good with me - I am sitting comfortably tonight in my little slice of heaven I call Narrowboat Caxton with all my boys!  I've got Paul the slave boy working hard too, so what more could I ask for?!  (Oh yeah, a bath!)

I just wanted to say that I have been treated amazingly (by the NHS) for the whole of this journey in several areas of the country!  I should just add that I do have a background in the medical / health industry and more recently in the natural health industry (UK, Middle East and Oz) , so I reckon I am pretty qualified to say that the medical staff I have encountered do exactly what they can within their remit but are also happy to listen to patient's needs / requests also - and, as such, have worked with me for my treatments, never against me.  I have, of course, been helping myself with safe, natural remedies along the way - but that is my area of expertise and my choice, so I would never expect the mainstream medical staff to know where to go with it - they have way too much work to deal with!

I was a little saddened during my stay in hospital though to hear people's many and various stories but more so that the majority of them didn't want to get involved in their treatments and handed it completely over to the docs ... to the extent that many of the people I spoke to weren't even sure why they were having the treatment / operations they were having ... they really didn't want to know.  Sad, but interesting.

Anyway, that is my little bit over.  I have enjoyed one of Paul's amazing omelettes since I have been home ... which was exactly what the doctor ordered!!  (I have also had a slice of vegetarian sausage roll passed through the side hatch by our next-boat neighbour Joan and the promise of a veggie pastie tomorrow from Dot ... yummo !)  I am sooo thankful for all my family, friends and support I've had and ... I will finish now ... (I know, too much morphine this week!!!) ... just want to say that our Boaty mates are wonderful people!  OK - that's my lot for now !

20 comments:

  1. Hi Elaine, so good to hear you're well on the road to recovery and back 'home'. After 35 years in the Health Service, I understand your incomprehension about people leaving everything in the hands of the 'professionals' without question. I guess sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and sometimes people are just too trusting. It's good to be in the middle as you seem to be. Have faith, but ask questions and learn as much as you can about your body so you are aware of what treatments are out there.

    Good luck for your continuing journey to recovery, hope we can catch up soon ;-)

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  2. Well it's all been happening while I have been away and I have read through all of the blog posts. I am so pleased you are now home and enjoying the life us boaters love. There really is no place like home to recover.

    Enjoy Caxton and keep warm and dry.

    Sue xx

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  3. That's not a crap photo Elaine, I think you look dashingly piratanical! I bet it feels good to be home but oh for a bath. Take it steady and keep that cabin boy on his toes, love from us both xx

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  4. Hi Elaine & Paul,

    It's good to read you are back together on The Manly Ferry with interesting plans for the future.

    A word of caution Paul. don't get too good at the cooking and cleaning..... There could be a full-time position going!

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  5. Welcome home Elaine. I missed all of Paul's informative updates until today. So glad you're out of hospital and back to the job of healing yourself (with some two and four legged cuddle therapy of course). Each week gets better, I promise! Gill (in stupidly hot Melbourne)

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  6. Welcome home Elaine, get better soon our thoughts are with you both. xx

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  7. I think our emessage will have arrived too late, I thought it would be nice to have some spread over your stay never thinking you would be out so soon!
    With regards people not asking about their treatment I believe it is because we have been brought up in a culture of not questioning that 'doctor knows best' and Doctors generally didn't encourage you to. It is only in recent years that has been changing but there are still many of the old school left and the older generation have a fear of upsetting the doctor.
    Kath (nb Herbie)

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  8. Home Sweet Home indeed. That is where the healing is bestest!!!!
    Love Stephen & Jayne :)
    nb Dolce Far Niente

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  9. Paul & Elaine the word was 'healing' not 'heating' bless you
    NB Dolce Far Niente

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  10. Great to hear you are home. You'll get better so much quicker now. Just make sure he uses your new mop every day!

    Cheers, Alistair

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  11. You look marvelous Elaine!! It is lovely news indeed to hear you've received good quality care and treatment and even better news to know you are back home aboard Caxton. May your healing continue strong and steady.
    Jaq and LesX

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