Day 136

Thank you everyone once more for your prayers and kind wishes for Matthew. He underwent surgery on Monday to have a skin graft taken from the front of his thigh to cover his abdominal wound which was still quite open and covered only with granular tissue. This kind of tissue is not strong enough to prevent his bowel from herniating through his abdominal wall. He seemed in good spirits on Monday night, though the PCA was only just keeping his pain under control, surprisingly his thigh was the most painful. 

By Thursday night he was feeling unwell, having difficulty breathing though he was being given oxygen.  He was complaining about pain in his right lung and when examined by the doctor he heard Creps in his lower lung, eventually a saline and Ventolin nebuliser was ordered. 

On Friday his condition had worsened, so much that his temperature had risen to over 40 degrees Celsius and the tachycardia had returned, his heart rate having risen to 166 BPM. He was put on very strong IV antibiotics and IV saline and glucose. He is being monitored very closely because of his temperature, tachycardia and he now has pneumonia. 

On Saturday morning the dressing was removed from his abdomen and unfortunately the skin graft has not  taken/adhered, it came off with the dressing. Thrown away, along with our hopes. What a waste of surgery, his skin graft, the pain he has had and is still enduring. 

We are still waiting for answers to explain how this could happen. Yet another disaster after so many complications. Matthew was very down on Saturday night and depressed tonight and I am very concerned for his health, how he is coping and now what can be done. Where do we go from here? 

I await some answers from the medical profession.

Much love, Dianne  ♥

Image - The Atrium at the Hospital-Some green-space for the patients to enjoy, 

Day 122

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes and prayers, I apologise for not visiting your blogs and leaving comments, I have missed you and most of your recent posts, I am sure they have been beautiful.

To you dearest C.B. I apologise for neglecting you, I miss you and think of you every day and I say a prayer for you each night. I hope you are enjoying your beautiful Summer in the U.K or perhaps in France with all of the delights of the warmer weather and lovely flowers? I hardly visit here anymore, I have been so busy, I have been checking my emails on my iPhone.

Matthew remains in hospital, there have been good days and bad days, more complications, too numerous to mention but we must be grateful as he was not expected to live. 

He is being transferred to another major hospital on Monday, for the first of four surgeries. When he had the second surgery due to infection and an abscess. his abdominal muscle had to be removed. As I mentioned the VacuSeal dressing failed, he haemorrhaged and he was left with a large gaping wound with edges which were not strong enough to be sutured together. 

He has this wound cleaned with saline, silver nitrate and packed with special gauze every day and the granular tissue is beginning to fill the void. This tissue is not strong so when he stands his bowel is herniated and will almost certainly push through the tissue. 

He is to have plastic surgery within the next week where some mesh will be sewn in place for support and a skin graft taken from his thigh sewn over the top. After bed rest he will be going to a Rehabilitation hospital until he is strong enough to come home.

When he regains some strength he will have another surgery to remove the granular tissue which is growing into and strangling his bowel, the next surgery is to hopefully bring the two sides of the wound sides together to be sutured and the final operation to reverse the colostomy surgery and re-join his colon. That is if all goes well and according to plan. I have to admire him, I don't know where he finds the strength and courage to go on, given all that he has been through and what is still ahead.

The photos above are of the path leading to the car park just visible on the left. It is quite chilly when I leave the hospital at night, you can see the aura of the frost around the lights, some stars and a glimpse of the moon. It is fresh after the air conditioning of the hospital and there is a beautiful fragrance in the air, so lovely. it is the lemon scent of the leaves and flowers of the Lemon Scented Eucalyptus or Eucalyptus Citriadora. These grand trees have been there for many years. You find beauty in the most unexpected places.

My condolences and wishes of sympathy to the people of Nice for those who were maliciously murdered and injured and to their families and friends. Yet another senseless act of violence.

Please take care everyone, I do think of you when I have the time.

Much love, Dianne ....♥