Thursday 7 October 2021

Extended stay in Banbury

 there are much worse places to be😃

Geoff continues to baffle the doctors in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.  Some of his original symptoms have improved but he continues in his confused state.   He has had CT and MRI scans, a lumbar puncture, skin biopsy, a flexible sigmoidoscopy and countless blood tests.  The latest round of blood tests have been sent to specialist labs for analysis.  A hitherto unknown disease (to us) has been mentioned as a possibility.     /guillain-barre-syndrome/(GBS).  However this is not confirmed and there are other possibilities.   It seems to be a waiting game at the moment.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Boe has joined me on Petroc which is great.  She can continue her online teaching thanks to modern technology.   We are moored just below the lock in Banbury right by the station.  Just over a quarter of an hour on frequent trains to Oxford and then a half hour bus ride to the hospital.  Everyone has been very helpful including CRT who have granted me an ‘ approved overstay’.😎😎

The family are not a million miles away which would be the case had this happened when we were back in Cornwall.  

We are taking it in turns to visit so that he always has at least one and sometimes two family members each day.  Despite the current rule of 1 visitor for 1 hour each day which you have to book, they are reasonably relaxed and two people seem fine.  This allows me a couple of days in the week to catch up with work( still doing Giles accounts) and some respite for Boe.  She has joined the Spiceball Leisure centre for a month.  This has a swimming pool and large gym and she has just gone off for her first swim 0640am!)

So for the moment we are comfortable here and will stay until at least we have a positive diagnosis and plan for recovery and rehabilitation.  It is obviously going to be a long haul as Geoff has now been in hospital for almost 3 weeks and at is moment he still has a feeding tube in. He is being well looked after and has even had a couple of visits from his god-daughter who is a paramedic in this area

This was not how we planned to end our cruising season😳😳😳


3 comments:

Andrew Turner said...

Oh my word, Gill, what an eventful summer you have been enduring!
I noted your comment about being nearer your family than you’d be down here - I can see why you wanted to move upcountry a year or two ago! I seem to remember twas the patient who insisted on staying put… Thank goodness your “mobile home” enables you to stay close-ish to both the patient and your children! I do hope the medics can get to the bottom of Geoff’s condition - and, hopefully, do something about it…
I don’t think I told you that nearly £2k worth of oak is now with the Stn Carpenter - to make a new outer door for the north porch… Rosie says it needs to be completed by her return!!

Gillygrove said...

. She who must be obeyed!

BigJohn said...

Oh, Gill. I wish I wasn't so far away - I'd give you a big hug - the girls too. A prayerful hug will have to do. 🙏❤️🙏 I can sympathize with your situation and imagine the strain of all the visiting. Have you considered asking the hospital chaplain to anoint Geoff for healing? Would Geoff like that if he was "in his right mind"? Will pray the drs have an inspired solution. Sending love. John