On Sunday morning I was honoured to be invited to bring the message at the Hope Community Church for Mothers’ Day. It was great being back in the pulpit and the message seemed to draw favourable comments.
The sermon is available for download, or can be listened to online by going to the church’s website where it can be found on the front page under “Latest Sermon”:
After getting out of Geelong Hospital we went back to Philippa and Mark’s property in Winchelsea where Abe & Phoebe also joined us. We had a lovely time attending the children’s sporting events over the weekend and generally relaxing. The weather was also good and I had no more problems from the blood loss other than lethargy.
We left for the airport very early on the Wednesday morning and had breakfast there before catching our AirNZ flight back to Auckland. We met my brother Gordon In Auckland and he helped with our bags. I was not supposed to be lifting very much because of concerns with my stoma herniating. It pained me more to see Bronwen having to lug them around.
We finally made it back to Nelson at 9pm on the Wednesday night. There was an element of doubt about us being able to land due to low cloud but we came in on time. It was very, very nice to get back into our own beds.
We also discovered that the weather while we were away was better in Australia than it had been in Nelson so we timed it right. My body is taking a while to recover from the combination of blood-loss and lots of travelling but I am taking it slowly. I had a blood test on the Thursday morning as soon as I got home so all the results will be available for my next Oncology visit on Tuesday 10th
While in Geelong Hospital this week I had a visit from the stoma nurse and he was excellent, as was the rest of the medical care I received – very thorough and personal. The Stoma nurse was concerned that my stoma is herniating and there are pressure bruises because of the type of stoma bag I have been using. He gave me some new bags and information on how to minimise further herniation. He also supplied me with a stoma support belt.
In the end I was glad I had the bleed so that I could get this vital piece of information.!
We arrived in Geelong on Tuesday and booked into an apartment to spend a couple of days with some friends who had flown down from the Gold Coast. The first day was great but on Wednesday evening I ended up in Geelong Public Hospital after losing 650ml in 2 hours on Wednesday evening. Losing nearly 1 litre of blood in 3 days seemed a bit too much to lose.
The medical care at Geelong hospital was excellent. The Emergency Department doctor referred me to the gastro-enterologist who considered operating if the bleeding didn’t stop. In the end, although my haemoglobin dropped from 112 in Hobart before Easter, to 99 Wed night and 94 on Thursday, I didn’t need a transfusion. (The level has to drop below 90 before they consider a transfusion is necessary).
It is encouraging to know that my blood has recovered sufficiently over recent weeks to be able to withstand these mysterious bleeds. We still have no real idea why the duodenal ulcer suddenly decides to bleed.
I was discharged on Friday at mid-day. Bronwen enjoyed an extra night in the waterfront apartment with our friends. We are both now at our daughter Philippa’s place in Winchelsea until we return home next week.
Bronwen and I came to Canberra last Thursday to stay with our son and his family. It was our first chance to see our latest grandchild, Joseph Philip Douglas Duncan, now 6 weeks old.
It is nice to celebrate Easter with them. We went out for dinner on Saturday night to a local Chinese restaurant. That night, between 10pm and midnight I bled about 250ml into the stoma bag. I was a wee bit worried we might have to make an early morning visit to Canberra Hospital A & E for a transfusion. Fortunately I only lost a further 80mls during the night.
As always, we try to work out what aggravated the duodenal ulcer and it might appear that the ginger in my roast duck dish might have been the culprit together with some not-so-mild spices in the lamb dish.
The weather has been the best we’ve experienced so far in Australia and Easter Sunday has been a relaxed family day. Joseph even smiled at me!
While visiting Hobart last week we had lunch with an old friend who is a Neuro-surgeon in the public and private hospitals. He was amazed to see how well I was looking and suggested he arrange an appointment for me with the local oncologist. He hoped there might be a treatment available in Australia I could undertake.
The Oncologist adjusted her appointment diary to fit me in the very next day. She was extremely helpful and interestingly knew our son Simeon who used to be a youth leader at St Johns Presbyterian Church that she attended. Unfortunately there was nothing she could add to what I already knew. She is on the Royal Hobart Hospital Ethics Committee and phoned the secretary to see if there might be any trials in the pipeline for approval. The Sirflox trial I was admitted to in Auckland in December 2008 has only just been authorised to accept candidates in Hobart!