Recovery!

Today Darrell and I went to Southampton to see Mum, who went in for her operation on Tuesday. Previously all Mum's surgery had been carried out at The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, but recently all vascular surgical procedures were moved to Southampton General Hospital, so that's where we headed this morning.

Mum was on ward D4, not the nicest part of the complex and certainly not as amiable as the one she was on in QA recently, but it looked comfortable enough. Mum was her usual truthful self, telling me how it is, refusing to eat the food and generally annoyed at being there in the first place. However she was complimentary about the medical staff, who couldn't do enough for the patients.

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Mum seemed rather chipper when we arrived, almost happy and looked amazingly well; I was pleasantly surprised at her general demeanor. Mum hasn't seen my partner Darrell for about six years, so it was good to see them both talking after such a long period; they had a lot to say to one another, especially with my Mother In Law also being so ill herself.

Mum was on very few painkillers, just a couple of paracetamol, after her operation, but appeared to be all the better for it. With two amputations under her belt, it was almost as if she was used to what was happening; a quiet resignation as to what happens next. Mum has suffered so much in recent times, I was relieved she was so calm and dignified after such an ordeal. At 69 years old, she would have put many much younger to shame.

I was able to view the wound and it looked clean and neat, unlike before she had the operation and I think she was just relieved to be over the worst that could have been.
 
Now comes the hard part; Mum will have to undergo intensive physiotherapy, as she has done in the past and will need the support of all of us as we help her through this difficult period. Of course they are also moving home soon and with so much upheaval in their life, it is important they have a close network of friends and family around them, something we have to all play our part in.

For now I am glad the operation is over and Mother is on the mend, The next few weeks will be crucial for her recovery, but with a positive outlook I feel confident she will overcome any obstacle thrown her way. Today I feel far more optimistic about the future than I did yesterday, that is important now, for everyone!

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