cooperlola2

Just before we head back to the hospital (and poor D was sick 5 laps before the end of the Grand Prix!) thanks for your further good wishes. D has the Kindle and a DVD player with her, and I keep her supplied with her choice of software, along with knickers and tee-shirts! The next couple of weeks aren't going to be nice, but perhaps after that D will be home, feeling better, and able to get into the swing with you all again. Let's all look forward to that day! XXX

I had hoped that Deb would feel motivated to post on here, but that hasn't - obviously - happened so far, and she hasn't switched on her PC yet. Indeed, grim news that we received from the doc on Thursday night has left us both feeling a bit flat, to say the least. Deb has a headache most of the time now, is still tricky to feed. The agenda as we know it is for an ECG on Monday/Tuesday, with a biopsy operation on Thursday, following which the word prognosis comes into play. Please forgive me for not being more upbeat!

The anaesthetist was not impressed with Deb's papers, spent half an hour reading through them, then rang the intern in Deb's ward. He is clearly not happy with some aspects of her fitness for surgery. She should have had an ECG today, but that will not be until tomorrow. Then she comes home for the weekend, so you may hear more!

Deb had a lumbar puncture this afternoon, and sees the anaesthetist tomorrow morning, with a view to having an operation allowing a full exam of her uterus etc so that the lump can be at least partly removed and analysed. She remains in good form, and pleased that at last we may know more. "Stuff we don't need at our age"? Deb never had any use for her ladies' "bits"! She was comparing notes at lunchtime with a Brit neighbour of ours, who has recently had breast cancer - neither of them ever had any need of the bits that have rebelled!

Because she's been downstairs having scans etc, Deb hadn't actually seen a doc (as distinct from radiologist, who are also qualified, of course) since Friday. She mentioned this to the nurse this morning - and she's just had a visit from 3! They intend to find out what is in her uterus pronto. While this may prove to be bad news, at least it will be progress. Your continuing good wishes on here are really appreciated TVM! XXX

Deb has had another couple of days of scans. Today was a PET scan, very high tech. That was at 13.30, so she hadn't eaten since last night. Finally back in her room late afternoon, had her (saved) lunch on the table, about to tuck in, when doctor appears and says come back - they've missed your feet! Isotopes still live inside her, so back she went. Doh! She actually seems much better to me, and we hope she'll be fit enough to go back to gynae, where they can conduct a biopsy on whatever the original scan found was not nice in her uterus. Today, though, they got a result from an exam on her, umm, output, which led them to insist that anyone emptying her bedpan wear a mask and gloves! Since she's had the bedpan taken away, because now she's not on a drip she can get to her loo unaided, it all seems a bit pointless. Anyway, her digestive tract does seem to have recovered its composure now, so we suspect what they found has already been knocked on the head by the antibiotics she was given due to the rash which was caused by - no-one knows!

Took Deb down to the entrance today in a hospital wheelchair, hoping to do a tour of the grounds, but it was breezy and spitting with rain, so we snuck back under cover for a few minutes, then went to the cafe. Made a change, and she is so much better than she was. An intensive eye-test on Friday revealed nothing sinister - except a (common at our age, apparently) potential for a detached retina. This week may well be a turning point in getting to the bottom of it all, with the gynae people probably having another look now D is stronger, and a Positron Emission Tomography scan on Tuesday. That was booked a fortnight ago, suggesting that it is an important and valuable technique, not to be readily had like an x-ray!

[quote user="idun"]Will they keep her in for another week until the next MRI? Has she got a laptop, can she look in here and post, might help with the boredom and distract from the itching. [/quote]We've never managed to get online in this hospital, sadly. L'Arche, the rehab place, was better, but then many patients were there for months, so it made some sense. If we get lucky - so will you!

Sick visiting can be an - er - interesting experience. Yesterday I arrived to find a grumpy lobster. Most of Deb was bright red, and because it is all so itchy, she hadn't slept much. Eating was beyond her, too. I didn't stay long! Today her car needed servicing, so I dumped it at the dealer and caught the tram to the hospital. No sign of Deb, who had gone for another scan!Deb appeared just before I returned having got the car back. She'd been gone 3 hours for a 15 min scan. So far the scans haven't identified anything to cause her problems and her lungs are fine after 35 years smoking - but she has something on her uterus, something on her brain. I'm cancelling our annual trip to Belgium for sportscars (24 hrs of Spa). Yawn.

Deb has had an MRI scan today, has some other sort tomorrow, is booked for yet another variety next week. Still no suggestions as to what is wrong, but the bloating that started all this has not returned, 4 days after she was drained. She is always a v fussy eater, & hospital meals aren't exactly hitting the spot! The allergy rash that she experienced at Rouen has struck here and she is rather bored with itching! Calomine etc no longer seem to be in the medical chest, either.

Deb is eating a bit - first real food in a week. Not using oxygen, either. Drip has been withdrawn, but she did have some blood-plasma instead. The bone sample from her sternum was a failure, so now she's had one from her bottom. Some time after the procedure was over, the nurse came in to inspect the bottom, and pronounced it "parfait". I think she was a bit taken aback when I agreed!

[quote user="Cendrillon"]She's a very brave lady. [/quote] You must be right - she's been marrried to me for 37 years!

Deb has had a biopsy, and a very effective drain in the abdomen. So effective, I insisted on sitting on the other side of the bed from the bag! The saline drip has been withdrawn. A little more Deb "fire" was on display tonight, but it hurt if I made her laugh, so of course.....

Deb rang at 9. Some sort of drug last night had kept her busy in the loo, but she is certain that the bloat has reduced a tad as a result. Lots of giggles as she faces another day of prodding and/or worse. I return at 6 tonight to hear more.

Deb must have been naughty, as the gaeni lot threw her out after 24 hrs. She is now back in the general hospital, who are charged with finding the root problem. On oxygen, still can't eat, sleeping a lot. Not great. She needs a lot more strength before the gaeni team can sort what's been seen on her ovaries. Frightening. I believe tomorrow they expect to puncture the bloat, and that may sort a few problems in one hit.

Deb spent some hours with a tube up her nose, down her thoat to tumtum, to release some air. She was not a happy bunny - and it doesn't improve your powers of speech with one of those down your throat! Now she has had a scan. As a result, she's spending the night in the Gynaecology Department, with every likelihood that she will shortly be dispensing with some bits she never had any use for anyway....

Well, this Forum has lost none of its warmth, I see! Lovely to read so many positive messages in only a few hours since my OP, so TVM for that, one and all! Deb rang at 0015, to say that the hospital (I think LM is the biggest non-teaching hospital in France) had concluded that this is an infection of some sort, and were conducting tests. She rang again at 10.45 today, and has been given food, which indicates they do not expect a surgical intervention. I'm not sure she could eat much, mind. She awaits further news, is breathless due to ongoing pressure on the diaphragm, but we had a giggle. Your warmth has been passed on - and will help, I'm sure!

Good afternoon. Those with a memory will recall I chipped in nearly 3 years ago re Cooperlola being un petit peu late back off her hols, courtesy a French lorry driver. Today it is my somewhat less sad task to inform you that she's back in hospital, hopefully not to stay too long this time. Since last Thursday Deb has been suffering with sudden unreasonable bloating of the lower abdomen. Our GP prescribed this and that, but by today there was no alternative to hospital, so she's gone to be explored! She hasn't eaten since Thurs, nor been able to drink much, either, so by today she had become quite disorientated - very unusual for a sensible-shoes girl! More info when I can.

Given that we are only 5 mins from the border with Normandie, we haven't had more than a few drops of rain in more than a fortnight! It hath been very threatening at times, temps above 30 after lunch etc, but no actual rain. Sleep has been in short supply at times due to overnight sweating! A good downpour would be welcome, but not this weekend please, as we have the LM Story meeting at Le Mans, a low-key revival event, full of French cars of all periods, padded out with the usual UK historics.

[quote user="Cathy"] [quote user="Thibault"] Mrs K always had a reputation for being shrewd as well as being a bit brighter than Mr K.[/quote] ... like most women ...  [Www] [/quote] So... does this mean most women are brighter than Neil K  - quite a sweeping statement, and sadly not borne out by a number of the women I've met - or that women in general are brighter than their spouse? Cooperlola would, of course, agree with the latter!

Certainly a popular win here, as the crowds after the race seemed much more willing to stay for the presentations etc. The collision in the pits was clownish indeed. This is the first time in 10 years an Audi has not won - the 2003 Bentley was an Audi under the skin, of course - and it was also the best race for some years, confounding the fears of those who thought recession would affect this most prestigious of endurance events. The Lola Astons do sound wonderful - it's been a while since a V12 engine screamed round Le Mans in the prototype class. They put up a great performance.

Chateau (more like chaumiere) Cooperlola is by no means a hotbed of royal sentiment - although my mum and Betty Windsor were both expecting their first sprog at the same time, so I'm two days older than Charlie Boy - and the Really Bad Years of royal news, when the princes were all dating, getting married and having the bambini etc made a horrendous bore of the media. Undoubtedly, though, UK plc benefits hugely from the residents of Buck House in terms of tourism and all the foreign exchange that brings. London would be a poorer city without all those gongoozlers, albeit the Tube would be emptier, too! The unpopularity of elected leaders in recent years has probably served to soften the resentment that arose after Dianagate, although that might reappear when Betty pops them, but the ice-cream sellers would love to see a coronation. However, even if there are all sorts of good environmental reasons to vote Green, perhaps - this ain't one of them.

[quote user="Dog"] It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite. Sam Levenson [/quote] Years ago I was advised that there are two ways to behave at a meeting. You can just sit there, and look a twit.* Or you can open your mouth - and prove it!   *Not the orginal 4-letter word, but this is a family site!

When black people - and women of any race - have REAL equality in the workplace and elsewhere, we white males may have something to grumble about. Until then, guys.....

So wot about things like Tamoxifen? World's best selling drug for recovery from breast cancer, with a huge success rate if the condition detected early enough. I think a lot of ladies - and their nearest & dearest - would say England did rather well there, too.......