Since Jane started using oxygen to help her breath the hospice have put pressure on the hospital to admit her and drain the fluid from her chest and possibly from her abdominal cavity. She went into Lincoln Hospital yesterday afternoon and by 5 pm the abdominal drain had been completed with the tube left in overnight. These procedures really take it out of Jane and so I left her asleep at 7 pm. Overnight 1200 millilitres of fluid was drained into a bag from her stomach but there is more so it has been left in for another night.
Today (Wednesday) she was to have her chest drain and that went ahead at lunchtime. Why, oh why having had all morning to do it did they wait until lunchtime and disrupt Jane’s eating pattern? NHS Time! The aspiration went ahead (yes there is a difference between a drain and an aspiration) and they managed to draw off 1 litre but they were hoping for more. Jane started to cough as the lung re-inflated so the doctor had to stop and withdraw the line.
Despite being ready to go at 3.30 pm she didn’t get transported until 5 pm just as she was having her soup. When she got back into the hospice she was pleased to be back into the warm, safe, surroundings. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep but I managed to give her legs a massage, trying to alleviate the swelling – more work to be done there. At 6.30 pm the delightful doctor Moran came round to make sure she was OK.
Thank you for keeping us up to date with what is happening Steve. Hopefully Jane will feel a little more comfortable after the removal of all that fluid.
Give her my love and a hug from me.
You both have my admiration for how you have coped with all that is happening.
Take care of yourself too.
Sue Pickering x