Taking food pics

Now that I'm basically done with the posts of hubby's surgery, I realise that I have hardly taken any pictures of the kids recently.  Must resume doing that!  These ones here are from just before the surgery.

I'm notoriously bad at taking pictures of food.  I could be happily snapping away but once food arrives, my attention is totally diverted haha.  I'm better at taking pictures of OTHER PEOPLE taking pictures of food hehe.

JE is in teenager mode already as in she isn't as enthusiastic and everything is usually just 'MEH'/'so-so' in her eyes.  So it's rare to see her out of default mode.  Oh she does not own a phone despite multiple requests (Mummy still says 'no way jose')... this is my old phone with a weak battery.

Noodle!

Oo nice

Very nice

Dessert!

 We haven't dined out since hubby went for surgery.  The kids have replied all my suggestions to "abandon Papa and we go out for lunch" offers with "Mummy evil!"  Haha.

Out of the tunnel

Day 18 (2/1)

Started acupuncture.  This is my first experience with acupuncture.  So the doc diagnoses the problem, pokes the needles where needed.  Then the nurse/assistant will come with a machine and attach the electrodes to the needles.  The patient then adjusts the current to the level they are comfortable with.  The machine will run for 30mins each treatment session. Two heaters are also placed where the doc indicates it.   

Acupuncture session

Thanks everyone for the well wishes!  Today is Day 23 after the op and hubby has shown definite improvement.  The numbness he woke up with is reduced to only a few areas.  From limited thumb movements in his right arm, he can now move the whole elbow - at least no longer a dead arm!  The 'seizures' are apparently just 'twitching' and part of the recovery process.  Biopsy results show the brain tumour isn't cancerous - it's a Grade 2 which apparently has a higher chance of recurrence than Grade 1, but I suppose we could always do regular MRI scans to catch any problems early.

There is still some distance to go.  Hubby's movements are very slow and takes a lot of mental effort to perform.  I am rather swamped ferrying him to his physiotherapy (twice a week) and acupuncture (daily), not to mention helping him with things he cannot do yet.    

But he has survived the op and fingers crossed, we will get back to normal soon.
 

Recovery

Day 11 (26/12)

Seizures again sigh. They were multiple and consecutive although milder compared to the one the previous day.  Hubby was just jerking uncontrollably for 15mins or so at a time.  Worst thing was he got extremely tired after these episodes. Surprisingly he took them in his stride and messaged the neurosurgeon that his preference was not to be admitted to the hospital.  I was so glad the doc said ok.... that meant he didn't think hubby was in trouble.  And personally, I'd had enough of living in the hospital!  

Day 13 (28/12)

Went to take a CT scan. 

Day 14 (29/12)

Went for the scheduled appointment with the doc.  Doc reviewed the scan and said things looked fine.  There was expected swelling and bleeding.  But nothing to worry about as long as hubby didn't fall unconscious from the seizures.

Day 15 (30/12)

Started physiotherapy.  I was rather disappointed at his caution that recovery may well not be 100% and may take months.

 This has been such a roller-coaster ride.  

Back home

Day 9

My parents drove over the next day with the kids and maid.  Funny thing about the kids... I expected they'd be overjoyed to be able to return home.  Instead, JE asked if they could stay an additional day.  And SE said she's already very much used to the place - used to Ah Kong/Ah Mah, having the air-con on any time they liked and "and talking to mama only on messenger".  Hmmm.

Oh well, it was easier not having them underfoot.  Hubby moved into the room downstairs as it was too difficult for him to go up the stairs.  It had to be cleared as it was chock-full of things.  He also requested his 'workers" (actually the younger members on his side of the family) to paint the walls, put in a bed and some furniture, bring in his personal things.  Many requests and a frenzy of activities later, the room looked pretty good.  A new mattress was eventually bought and delivered, and a new air-con installed as the previous one hadn't been used for umpteen years.

So we are settled in and good for the recovery phase.  I felt like I was having jet-lag haha.  Tired.  But it was good to be home.

Day 10 (Christmas day)

A new problem presented itself early in the morning.  Hubby had a seizure lasting 18mins which left him worried, exhausted and weak.  He was already on medication for seizures so we didn't expect this.  The neurosurgeon said that should another seizure happen, hubby would be re-admitted to the hospital.  Sigh.

Without further incidents for the day, we were able to proceed with our dinner plans.  Roast lamb with trimmings, yums!

Merry Xmas!

Pardon the tired looks.

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 visits to various doctors 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.