2011
Cathy's Plans Change
14 October 2011
Plans change fast round here. Cathy was not given permission to fly when the doctors came this morning. I was with her at the time. Her oxygen levels are too low. She has to wait until Monday and be re-tested on Monday morning. The insurance company had booked new flights for her and for Anne to fly with her tonight, but now that has to be changed too.
In the meantime she has been discharged and has come up to Ubud with me for the weekend to rest and do lots of breathing exercises. She has been given a big bag of at least a dozen medications and creams and gels! I was able to wait with her for the discharge and pack up all her things - and took her back to the others at the hotel. Big surprise for them to see her - walking too!! Wearing a very strong back brace over the BALI T-shirt we bought her yesterday for this purpose. Then marvellously, we were able to take her to beautiful La Lucciola, a superb airy, Balinese-roofed restaurant by a peaceful beach for an excellent lunch. A great treat for her after days of suffering and hospital life.
In the meantime she has been discharged and has come up to Ubud with me for the weekend to rest and do lots of breathing exercises. She has been given a big bag of at least a dozen medications and creams and gels! I was able to wait with her for the discharge and pack up all her things - and took her back to the others at the hotel. Big surprise for them to see her - walking too!! Wearing a very strong back brace over the BALI T-shirt we bought her yesterday for this purpose. Then marvellously, we were able to take her to beautiful La Lucciola, a superb airy, Balinese-roofed restaurant by a peaceful beach for an excellent lunch. A great treat for her after days of suffering and hospital life.
From there we went back to the hotel, farewelled the others who fly out tonight and came by the same taxi all the way up to Ubud. She is now resting - has coped very well with the outing and long drive up, but is totally exhausted now. We bought a plastic chair on the way up for her to sit on in the shower here at Josh's as she can't stand to shower. We had a great taxi driver whom I met this morning on the way to BIMC and he has come back for us several times throughout the day and been very helpful. At least he has earned well today!
I will go down with her on Monday morning early and stay part of the day while she rests at the hospital before the night flight. If she needs oxygen to fly home the necessary equipment will have arrived from Jakarta by then. We have transported her suitcase which had been left at Josh's, up and down to Kuta twice now!! He had to come down with it yesterday and I took it to BIMC this morning and now it has returned first back to the hotel and now to Ubud again, to go back down on Monday!
Cathy is pleased to be out of the hospital - if she is disappointed about not going home tonight she is not showing it - seems resigned to doing whatever it takes to get her home safely. I for one am very relieved to be back in lovely green, peaceful Ubud - I hated the atmosphere and traffic jams down south and could barely bring myself to go outside the hotel gate and get into yet another taxi - If I counted I will have been in at least a dozen taxis in the last four days - and one ambulance!! I will have to brace myself too, to go back down on Monday!
I will go down with her on Monday morning early and stay part of the day while she rests at the hospital before the night flight. If she needs oxygen to fly home the necessary equipment will have arrived from Jakarta by then. We have transported her suitcase which had been left at Josh's, up and down to Kuta twice now!! He had to come down with it yesterday and I took it to BIMC this morning and now it has returned first back to the hotel and now to Ubud again, to go back down on Monday!
Cathy is pleased to be out of the hospital - if she is disappointed about not going home tonight she is not showing it - seems resigned to doing whatever it takes to get her home safely. I for one am very relieved to be back in lovely green, peaceful Ubud - I hated the atmosphere and traffic jams down south and could barely bring myself to go outside the hotel gate and get into yet another taxi - If I counted I will have been in at least a dozen taxis in the last four days - and one ambulance!! I will have to brace myself too, to go back down on Monday!
After this is all over I intend to go back to watching the rice grow and not budge from the verandah here until I go home on 24th!