I took one of our Burmese cats in to see Amanda on Saturday morning. Car rides either mean the vet or the cattery, so he wasn’t happy, and the hospital was the largest vet’s clinic he’d ever seen!  I was able to close the door to Amanda’s room to keep him safe, but that didn’t stop […]

Physio has been a full on 45 mins to an hour each morning of standing from a sitting position, and walking along a bar with the main emphasis on locking her right knee to maintain balance. By today (Friday) Amanda can manage about 20 metres per session with a few sit downs and stand ups […]

I went to the hospital this afternoon expecting to see the speech therapist but unfortunately they never arrived. However the assistant to the physio  said I should try and catch him as Amanda had a great physio session this morning. A short while later he walked past and came into Amanda’s room. He said he […]

Amanda finally had an assisted shower and hair wash today. So when I arrived at lunchtime she was sitting on the bed and dressed in her own clothes. Earlier the nurses had sat her in a chair and taken her out into the sunny courtyard area. They asked my permission to put special straps on […]

I thought I’d get to the hospital early so I could help Amanda eat her lunch. But 12.45 was too late, she’d already eaten. However I saw on the whiteboard she was due to be transferred downstairs to the Rehab Unit at 1pm TODAY! – So I was there in time for that short trip […]

I thought I’d get to the hospital early so I could help Amanda eat her lunch. But 12.45 was too late, she’d already eaten. However I saw on the whiteboard she was due to be transferred downstairs to the Rehab Unit at 1pm TODAY! – So I was there in time for that short trip […]

Overnight Amanda decided she no longer wanted to eat through her nose so pulled out the nasal gastric tube. As a result she ate a good (but soft) breakfast and lunch and was drinking orange juice, complaining the water I tried to give her this afternoon was ‘too bland’. She is no longer on the […]

Just been over to Wellington on the ferry to collect our car and after arriving back in Picton I’ve driven for 2 hours into the night. This thought kept running through my head. I was desperate to get home so I could write it down… Christmas, 1976 and it’s the Scouts and Guides Christmas party. […]

The trachie came out midday Tuesday. At11:15a.m. Wednesday morning as I was walking back to the hospital from Central Wellington I got a call to say Amanda was being flown back to Nelson in 45 minutes, at midday! I was 10 mins from Jess’ flat so rushed back, got my stuff and we both got […]

The brain drain came out on Thursday and Amanda has now been 4 days on the main neuro ward. I met with her medical team this morning ( well, they are lots of people’s ‘team’). This week’s plan is to remove the tracheotomy tube and start physio. By 11.30a.m. they had let down the balloon […]