Well, there is probably enough for another blog in "catch up" for early January, but it will have to wait. I have attached a couple of photos of David in Wagin, including David at the Giant Ram.
We came back to Sydney for a week or so, before going to Perth on 13 January. We stayed a couple of days with my friend Carolyn, and celebrated her birthday. David inherited some excellent toys from Carolyn's niece & nephew (many thanks) and then we went to Wagin to stay with Gran & Uncle Steve. Paul headed off to work and home, leaving David & I for a few weeks R&R in Wagin.
The thing was, that Gran was a little unwell. Her cough had come back from last year, and she had no energy, and was losing weight without trying to. She had been going to the doctor (in fact a series of GPs in Wagin) had been referred for tests but without anything being detected. Gran got a lot worse over the next couple of weeks. The cough prevented her from sleeping, and then from even lying down, or reclining in bed.
We went out for a drive to Lake Norring on Australia Day, and that was about the last thing that we could do, because she got a lot worse. Eventually she was admitted to hospital with a build up of fluid in her chest cavity on Tuesday 2 February. The cough stopped when she was put on oxygen, and they immediately drained 600mls of fluid out of her chest. More followed in the next weeks, litres in all. A diagnosis took more than two weeks. It was overian cancer. Jan has now had surgery and the first session of chemotherapy. She is still in hospital, and still on oxygen. The lung is improving, but overall she has been very slow to improve after the surgery. The doctors drained her abdomen today for the first time (1.6l so far this afternoon) as the bloating wasn't clearing by itself. We are not sure whether she will be home for Easter, but that may mean that she has her second dose of chemo before she leaves.
David & I came back to Sydney after the surgery after being in Wagin for four weeks, and Perth for nearly two weeks. Paul has been back twice (and is still there now) on business and to visit Jan. I think that Jan is actually improving slightly over the last couple of days. She finally sounds a little more like herself on the phone. She has also been able to enjoy a couple of visitors in the last few days.
Also, in January, Paul's dad, Grandad Reg, also became very weak, and no longer had the strength to get around. This was a big shock, after a good Christmas with the whole family. He was admitted to hospital after a number of collapses, and then transferred to palliative care. While he initially looked very weak, and we thought that he might slip away quite quickly, that has not been the case. The palliative care has been marvelous, and he is very comfortable, and peaceful. Nanna Josie visits him everyday. Paul has been visiting Melbourne whenever he can. Unfortunately, David & I have not been able to get to Melbourne since Christmas.
All in all, a very stressful time for all of us. It is not over yet. All this and the other stresses and pressures of work and life. David has coped remarkably well with all that has been happening, and has started daycare. We will survive. It has been a blessing that I have not been working while this has been happening.
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