After surgery

Continued - Day 2 

While the doc had initially informed us hubby would spend the night in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) after the surgery and I would stay on in our room, the nurse told us we can't 'keep' the room and I'd have to go home first.  Hmm not an ideal situation as how then would I get news of hubby?  Also some logistics problems as we didn't drive there and had brought a lot of things so it would be difficult for me to transport everything out and back.  And I would need to take a Covid swab again.  There wouldn't be cost savings either as the room cost of RM238 would be offset by the Covid swab of RM95 and Grab rides back and forth.  Finally... phew they agreed to give us a room near the HDU.

The anesthetist visited at night to explain a bit about the surgery.  There would be a breathing tube so hubby might experience a sore throat when he wakes. Should there be excessive bleeding, he would be taken to the ICU first in an induced coma.

Day 3

He was taken from the room about 9am.  I moved to the new room a couple of hours later.  It was near the HDU so I could easily walk over to look through its glass walls for hubby.  No visitors were allowed in.  At 130pm, surgery was over and I was very happy when he appeared in the HDU - yay, he did NOT need to go to the ICU!  First hurdle of many cleared.

Zzzzzzz

When he woke up, he appeared totally himself (very important after a brain surgery).  We could message and call to communicate.

 

Talk, talk

Unfortunately, our relief soon ended.  Hubby discovered he couldn't feel the right side of his body.  His right arm was totally unresponsive. Doctors visited and said that wasn't supposed to happen, he was supposed to be able to lift the arm right after surgery.  Tried waiting for some time and still the numbness continued.  He could move the right leg although it didn't quite function properly.  He could move the right thumb slightly if he concentrated - we took this to be a positive sign he wouldn't be permanently paralysed.  But he couldn't sit up as half the body was a deadweight.

It was a bleak evening and night indeed. 

So it was a pleasant surprise to be greeted with this sight the next day.... 

He was vertical and he was actually taking some steps with the help of the physiotherapist.

Days 4-7

However our hope for a quick return to normalcy wasn't fulfilled.  Hubby didn't wake up and suddenly regain normal usage of his right side.  The next few days were of ups and downs.  There was definite progress - he got limited movement back in his right index finger and later the wrist.  Some numbness subsided from his face and chest.  He had good appetite and none of the other complications explained by the doctors.  However progress wasn't always upwards. Some days he'd say his mobility had actually gotten worse.  He kept saying the neurosurgeon must have cut too much and kicked himself for choosing this doctor.

Day 8

Discharge day.  Things could have been worse but they could definitely have been much better.  His right arm remained useless.  He could only walk like a stroke patient - very slowly and uncoordinated - and got very tired from moving.

Going home

 At least, going home.

A major challenge

I have been away for a very important mission: To get hubby well again.  It has not been smooth.  The story was like this:  At the beginning of November, hubby had numbness and some shaking in his right arm.  He didn't think too much of it but went to get it checked out just in case. It turned out to be a large brain tumour.  The shaking was actually seizures.

A few opinions later, all were unanimous an operation was necessary and quickly.  Hubby decided on early Dec to have some time to settle his affairs in case he didn't make it.  

Last minute, the doc postponed due to some urgent matters.  So finally we arrived at the hospital mid-Dec for the surgery.  A week's hospitalisation was expected.  JE and SE would stay with my parents.

Ah pek waiting for admission

My bed 

JE asked, is Mama's bed a bunch of chairs?  Haha.  It was a foldable contraption which can open out to be horizontal - good enough for sleeping.

Admission was 2 days prior to surgery.  

Day 1: ECG and Echo tests for the heart in the afternoon

Day 2: Embolism procedure in the morning (ohhh that's why needed to be admitted 2 days earlier) to reduce the risk of bleeding during the brain surgery.  A tube is threaded from the groin area going up to the brain where medication will be inserted to stop blood flow to the tumour.

No issues with any of the procedures although the second day one carried its own risks of stroke and blindness.

Documenting down our experience.  The situation isn't stable yet at the moment.  Stopping now to get some rest.

Chinese food

Went for Chinese food on a weekend.  If it's up to the kids, Chinese would never be their pick.  Especially at a 'basic' coffeeshop.  I decided we must check out new places occasionally and Chinese food IS very nice.  Hmmfff.

I'm getting bored

What can I do?

Good thing kakak came prepared with pen and paper.

Draw draw

This place is Mei Kheng at Sg Buloh new village.  My objective was this seafood porridge, which was pretty good.  Other dishes were too salty for our taste - noodles, iberico pork ribs (my first time trying Iberico!), curry stingray.

 

Don't like porridge. I'll eat noodles

SE said the place wasn't nice.  Told her this was a 'no frills' place where focus is on good food and not the surroundings.  And she complained the food wasn't good anyway.  Meaning we must dine out more at this type of shops hehe.

Waiting time

I go through some Bahasa with SE on weekends.  The time spent vs results is extremely low.  A lot of my time is spent WAITING.  While SE does this.... (after I ask her to open the book)

  

Lie on floor (here squeezing a toy)

Continue lying on floor

After oh, 15mins, finally she gets going on the book.

Opens book

After a very short while she slouches off to the chair and remains in this position for a few minutes.

Slouch

After patiently waiting a while, I eventually find out she's slouching over the iPad and secretly continuing her game.  If I hadn't been entertaining myself taking pictures of her, my patience would have run out much sooner.

AND after all this, she very quickly forgets whatever she has learnt. Wonder whether it's worth continuing this but obviously can't leave her alone either.  SIGH.

Where to next

Since dine-ins were allowed, we have gone to The Ship...

Cheese!

These sizzling things are so smoky

We have gone twice to Gangnam88 for Korean food....

Cheese

The girls were thrilled with the stuff from Squid Game.

Card game and Dalgona cookie!

And we have gone twice also for Japanese...

Yums!

Initially it was difficult to pick the places we missed most after the months of MCO.  But quite quickly, we have run out of places to go! Haha.