the week that was... a review!

Well folks, let me update you all on the week that was.

As you will remember, last Monday, the F-I-L-M (Father-in-Law) went in for (using his words) a small procedure on his heart. 49 burns to his heart & 10 hours later, a very heavily sedated FIL returned to the ward and all concerned family were around his bedside. Tuesday, which was to have been his return home, found the MIL in a very distressed way, so I left work no sooner after arriving (and not to return all week mind you, thanks for a caring boss...) so it was me dashing off to pick her up, down the M2 and to the hospital. At this stage, FIL was in considerable discomfort in his chest.

We left the hospital that afternoon so as he could rest and to get some lovely Lebanese food for lunch, returning a couple of hours later. A very late night after visiting the FIL, we were exhausted and L had to pack as she was going to Melbourne the following day.

Wednesday saw me taking the MIL again to the hospital as the FIL was still in pain. More tests were required today and by the evening, he was being ventilated and another drip was put into his arm for IV antibiotics. That night, his AF heart rhythm had returned and sent him into depression and in a phone call to the MIL, he was quite upset as this procedure was to have helped, even though it was experimental. So, off again I go to pick up the MIL, off to the hospital, sit there all day with them whilst tests are being performed... yikes, it was a long day, and have you ever noticed that hospital food is not that great!! Even the FIL was not impressed, come on, your in Coronary Care, of course you can't have SALT with your dinner!!!Whilst L was in Melbourne, I was trying hard to keep her informed enough so as not to be distressed, not that there was anything she could do, but she almost was going to fly back home, I was also either at the hospital, at the in-laws, or getting to bed very late! Needless to say, NO study was done during the week for my Uni.

After what seemed an eternity, we finally got discharged and off home we go along the M2. After dropping the FIL at home, I took the MIL off to the shops as there was going to be a roast pork for dinner, YUMM!!! During the evening, L calls to see how everyone is going, and I couldn't resist so I put on the nephews on to say hello, then the FIL, then the MIL and back to me. Then found out that she was rushing between a meeting and for the business dinner that she was there for so I was only able to say a quick HI!!

Friday saw L busy all day in Melbourne and on a return flight home in the early evening of which we stopped by to say a quick hi to the FIL and home about 10pm...

So, that was the week that was. The FIL is continuing to get better, although, bitterly disappointed in his heart operation not being a success. So it was a weekend back to the books, or in the case of this subject, to the PC as it is all on-line about Global Environmental Systems: - Climatology!

new finds

Flinders St Station Clocktower

as is mandatory on a trip to Melbourne I raced into Douglas and Hope where I managed to find a birthday present for the next sister down, although I would really like to keep what I bought her for myself. I should have bought two. I did by myself a pattern for a cute little doll 'miss buttons', and discovered that the cute little bird I liked in the window of Husk, is by tuesday designs.

I only had half an hour to do the rush around today, but managed to make it to Little Salon where I bought a couple of knitted cauliflower baby rattles for gifts. I might post a photo of these later, as they are currently beautifully gift wrapped.

Opuntia playbunniae

I was walking past our Plant Identification department the other day, and almost fell over backwards when I saw this...

You will see the large wound in the main section of this cactii which resembles the eye, but can you see a small wound that also is the mouth of the famous Playboy Bunny?
Loved it so much, I just had to blog it...

Opuntia playbunniae

too far from home

I am in Melbourne for a few days for work, and am really wondering what the heck am I doing here. I want to be at home with my family. B rang me thi morning with the sad news that my dads procedure did not work. I spoke with my mum, which made my heart ache, and I just wanted to be with them. I am a bit of a sook anyway, and couldn't help but sob quietly for a few minutes in the workshop I was attending. I spoke with B this afternoon who once off the phone to me had taken the day off work to take my mum to the hospital. I am so thankful to have such a caring and selfless husband. My mum and dad were also grateful. I got to speak with dad this evening, he is now home not wanting to stay at the hospital any longer, and his main message to me was that I not come home, but to have a good time, and to reassure me that all was alright he sent me on a task to get the address of an antiquarian bookstore he had visited last time he was in Melbourne.

Kay Craddock Antiquarian Books, Collins St Melbourne

I found his bookstore with no problem and a shop for me.

Husk, Collins St Melbourne

necklace, Husk, Collins St Melbourne

Husk, clock and paper collage picture

Mirrored Glass Bird hooks

cute bird

F-I-L-M

Ok, so this is NOT a film review, but rather an updater on the F-I-L ... M (father in law)!

As you may have read, on Monday he went in for, what he told us, a small* procedure. However this was not the case, far from it actually!

Let me tell you a bit about its history. His heart has been beating an irregular rhythm for some time now leaving him tired and breathless. Also, extremities (nose fingertips etc) blue. After a procedure some months ago to try and 'shock' it back into rhythm, it returns back to his irregular rhythm a few days afterwards.

A return to the GP and Cardiologist and he was booked in to have an 'experimental' procedure. 'L's' favourite brother took him to hospital and after waving him off into surgery at 7.30am (told by nurse it will be about 90 min so he doubled it and came up with 3 hours to be safe) left for Westfield for some breakfast. Returned well into the afternoon (he did call throughout the day remember) and we arrived at the hospital at 6pm to find that he was still in surgery. 6.30pm came and we went to the ward to find he had just returned and was in Acute Coronary Care, wired up and heavily sedated. He still had the little pads they put on when they give the 'paddles' like in ER, Grey Anatomy, All Saints and just about any other medical show where there is a heart attack! He was very groggy and not making much sense apart from saying he was in pain.

Over night, his pain had escalated and although we thought he was due to come home yesterday, this was no longer the case and he was required for more tests. The procedure is this:

• They need to get the heart into a normal rhythm, so they shock it into this.
• They then had to identify which muscle on the heart was diseased. They will burn it off shortly.
• They then stop the heart and burn the affected area of the heart muscle.
• They then shock the heart to start it beating again, and this is where it all went pear shaped.

When they tried to restart the heart, it would not, at first, re-start so they had to increase the amount of charge. They eventually got it going (thank the lord) but left him in severe pain requiring increased sedation and medication.

We had a visit yesterday, L called me saying the M-I-L was quite distressed, so I left work to pick her up and go to the hospital. When we arrived, he seemed a lot better than the previous night, although still in pain. After a couple of hours, re-positioning and some lunch, he became a LOT better. He is under strict instructions from the doctors/nurse's, that there is to be no lifting of anything over 3kg, so the two grandchildren who have a tendancy to launch themselves at you, are out of bounds!!!

* After talking to the doctors, I do not think that this would be classed as a 'small' procedure, do you?

what were any of us thinking

there was no way my dad was coming home today. I had the day off work originally so that I could bring him home, but we quickly found out that he would not be home until later in the week. My mum was a bit of a mess from worry and a sleepless night. So the day became just as much about her as my dad. B, mum and I spent some of the morning with dad at the hospital, no visiting hour restrictions for us, we didn't stay all that long just the same, given my dad was very tired and a bit dopey on medication.

We came back to our place for a change of scene and to let dad rest. Mum made some calls to my grandmother and the littlest sister, the favourite brother had rung earlier, and I laid out the patches for the Circus in Central Park quilt. Then it was back to the hospital, where I stayed until the littlest sister arrived.

circus in central park

My dad improved tremendously over the course of the day, and we managed to gather a few more small bits of information. That: -

• the procedure was experimental,


• may take as long as three months before we know how successful it has been,


• the success rate for the operation is not very high, and that


• he may require further procedures, and if this is the case the earliest this can be done will be 4 months, as it will take three months for the healing to take place from this procedure.

heartache

it was a long day, and I am so thankful to the doctors and nurses at Westmead Hospital who have looked after my dad so well today. Whilst I fought off the anxiousness I am prone to experience, by keeping busy, and with a Rescue Remedy pastille or two, a team of medical practioners performed a 10 hour operation on my dad's heart, all without a break.

I think it was a fairly major procedure, but my dad is not one for seeking attention, so none of us really knew much of what was going on until today. If he could have helped it, I don't think he would have told any of us. He had planned to catch the train to the hospital (which would take probably an hour or more) and would get a taxi or other form of public transport home, selflessly not wanting to put any of us out. But, I can say it really put me out. I felt I really needed to do something, and there is no way my dad would have allowed any member of his family to find their way to and from an operation. Bizarre, that he would think we would not help him out.

My favourite brother took the day off work, making sure dad got to the hospital, and accompanied mum for the day, meeting up with me for lunch. I wasn't really able to keep my mind on the job so had an early mark to wait at the hospital with them. I am grateful too that I have a manager/employer that is reasonable enough to provide me with a day off at short notice to be able to take my dad home, hopefully tomorrow.

And in respect for my dad, I shall end this post now, he is not one for this level of melodrama.

Suffice it to say, we won't know the success of the operation before two weeks, but early signs are good. Yay!

love thy neighbour

it has been one of the best weekends so far:-

• Quilting class yesterday, and progress made on a couple of my quilts (if we ignore the rye neck).


• a wonderful afternoon tea with our friends A, D, 5 month old B, and nanna. It was the perfect way to be spending an autumn Sunday afternoon. And Nanna, B tried to bring her home with us, makes the most sensational fairy cakes and jam drops. Ohhhhh, so lovely.


• no mowing of lawns, one blessing that comes with the cooler weather, I guess.


• our neighbour's 26th birthday, which started yesterday afternoon and continued right through to today, so many happy sounds; laughter, squeals (crazy people went swimming today), and glass bottles.

My dad goes into hospital tomorrow for a procedure on his heart, it has been the perfect weekend to relieve stress.


And a message from Macc to thy neighbour: it has been the greatest week with meat delivered on three occassions, and I thank you and promise to try not to growl at you as you pass by the passionfruit vine.

progress

the small boys speedy quilt has progressed nicely, although I have the sorest shoulders now from crouching on the floor as I pinned the front, back and batting together. The tiles in the kitchen provided the perfect flat surface to work from although at the time it was a bit hard on the knees, and now for the shoulders.

I returned to quilting class today, this time with Judy at 'Quilt Love' in North Rocks. Two and a half hours and I managed to finish the cutting out for the 'Circus in Central Park' quilt I purchased more than two years ago and started easily two years ago when I was doing a class in Penrith.

Circus in Central Park

I am not sure I will make it next week to a class, but this is the great thing about the classes at Quilt Love, you can come and go as you please and you only pay for the classes you attend and not those that you miss. I also liked that everyone was doing a different project, not just quilting, although that accounted for about half of us, the others were doing embroidery, knitting, and crochet. Judy is a master of many crafts.

building blocks

'building blocks' fabrics with 'everything but the kitchen sink' (red)

i am on a roll now. In under half and hour I had the fabric for my small boys speedy quilting project. Not impressed, well that included the drive (five minutes each way) from the office to Fred the Needle in Penrith and back again at lunchtime.

I think all the fabrics might be 'Building Blocks' by American Jane Patterns for moda. This quilt is going to be simple, with these fabrics sewn together as is, in wide strips on one side and the golden holden fabric in a solid panel on the other, and all bound together with 'Everything but the Kitchen Sink'.

I am hoping to have it done by the end of the weekend (very quietly said).