Another week

Martin remains in Intensive Care. His nurses are so kind. I have noticed a large number of them are American.
He is supposed to be on constant dialysis to help remove the ammonia in his blood stream, but the machine keeps clogging. The Doctors are talking about a liver biopsy this week and maybe putting in a trachaeostomy, but with his clotting levels so low that presents a problem of bleeding.
Let's hope this week is kinder to us.

I have no idea how I managed to put the photo here;0) When I have time I will go back and investigate.

I made this card, a very quick one I confess, and not my usual style for my niece's husband.

Sorry about the duck in the background..

Crafting with love.

Cally x

Update and card

I really don't know where to start.
I had hoped, when I went to Addenbrooks yesterday morning, that there might be a slight improvement. Martin had been put on dialysis to help clear the ammonia from his bloodstream. The machine had clogged after 12 hours and it was not put back on until 4.30pm yesterday.
The ammonia levels had been reduced slightly.
The liver would normally pick up the ammonia in the bloodstream and change it into Urea {check you beauty products girls, lots of them contain Urea!!!} It is then returned to the bloodstream, where the kidneys pick it up, and, out it pops when we have a wee.
Martin was pre-comma when he was sedated and put onto a ventilator on Monday. They have tried to take him off the ventilator, but when they reduce sedation he becomes very agitated  and will not respond to simple instructions.

This is a card that I made at a Workshop with, I believe, my lovely friend Sharon. She will slap me if I an incorrect.

I gave it to my Brother-in Law, Tim, yesterday along with a pair of "Gold  Leaf" gardening gloves. For any gardeners out there - the gloves are fab. They are made of the softest leather, but, really protect your hands.

Crafting with love

Cally x

Update

Martin was transferred to ICU early Monday morning. His condition had deteriorated over night. He was not responsive to painful stimuli's. 
It has been a very tiring couple of days.
The Doctors are constantly monitoring him.
Yesterday afternoon sedation was withdrawn to see if Martin could breath without assistance. He can, but he became so agitated and, seemingly, unable to understand simple requests. So a light sedation was administered to calm him. The breathing tube remains in place.
The team want to "sit down and talk to me" today. Good or bad?
Cally x

Hospital visits

I would like to apologise for my lack of blogging.
I had hoped that, on my return from Crete, I would find Martin slightly improved.
The opposite has happened.
Sunday night he was taken back into HDU on the Transplant Ward.
He is very poorly.
The Doctors cannot find the source of the problem and it now affecting his brain as well. Today they are going to try a lumber puncture to see if there is any infection there. His clotting factors were too low to do it yesterday.
Cally x 

A weeks R&R

I am not having much time to blog, what with my exciting life.
Tomorrow morning I shall be packing, then visiting Martin before I head North. Tuesday morning I am off to Chania in Crete with my Mother and sister for a much needed break.
Martin's little nuclear isotopes have found the source of his infection. It is behind his new stomach, where they suspected it was all the time.
Tomorrow Mr Butler decides whether to operate and remove the infection. It is hiding behind a lung as well, making Martin short of breath. The worry being that this could then start up other problems with the grafted stomach. Why is life never simple?

I wanted to share with you a card I made for my friends Janet and Ken {they love their garden}

It was both their Birthdays in January, but it was a rotten month for them. Ken suggested they celebrate an Half Birthday in July. So I made this card for them.

Crafting with love

Cally x

Another Shrubbery Tale

Yesterday afternoon was spent, back in the shrubbery, arguing with the Pyracanthus. I have managed to fill 2 green bins, which the bin men kindly emptied today. So I shall be back out there tomorrow. 
Hopefully Martin is starting to feel a bit better. He had the naso-gastric tube removed a few days ago and he was able to eat a little.
He has had a trip to Nuclear Medicine this morning. I shall hear all the details this afternoon.

Here is a card I made, again, some while ago. Not much time for crafting at the mo.

But saying that, my good friend Marion and I have booked to go to a Little Claire Workshop in mid October. I am really looking forward to it.

You may have guessed, I am fond of LOTV

Crafting with love

Cally x

It's Sunday, where did the week go?
Yesterday I spent most of my time in the Shrubbery. What a state it has gotten into in the last 6 weeks. I am now covered in scratches inflicted by the Pyracanthus. I had to rub Anthisan on them last night.
Also, I started to tidy up some of the Craft Table as I cannot find a thing.

I made this card for my friend, Lynne, when she started her On-line shop
Have a peek, if you get a chance. She has 20% discount on her sentiment Digi's and stamps plus some Clearance items this weekend.


Crafting with love
Cally x

More Mae Rose

Cody, Seth and I went to see Bret, Gemma and little Mae Rose this afternoon So here are a few more photo's

This is Cody with his neice.

This is the fab card from my lovely friend Veronica

How nice is that?

And, now the Candy I won courtesy of Mandy at Crafty Fox Cards

I shall be using it to make some Christmas Cards for the Charity, PINNT, that Martin and I belong to.
We have a get together in November and I shall be asking all my friends to donate one of their lovely cards to help us raise funds for a very helpful Charity. I hope they won't mind making an extra card when they are making their own!
I am off to see my new Granddaughter shortly with out 2 other sons, Seth and Cody.

Crafting with love
Cally x

Busy Day

What a day I have had.
First thing this morning I got stuck behind slow moving traffic on my way to a Workshop, in Burnham, with my friend Sharon. Got a tad wet walking from the car to her house. Luckily she made me a reviving cup of coffee. I will try to post the cards I made tomorrow.
I purchased some lovely charms, metal embellishments and paper flowers from her shop
 
Then I went on to visit Martin at Addenbrooks. He is still very low. The Psychiatrist saw him whilst I was there and has upped the dose on his medication. Back home around 8pm and Cody had cooked me a lovely meal. 

My friend, Veronica, sent Martin and I a lovely card she had made to congratulate us on the birth of Mae Rose.

Crafting with love
Cally x 

Mae Rose

Here we have a photo of our new Granddaughter and the card I made for Bret and Gemma.
I went to visit Gemma and Mae Rose at Southend Hospital yesterday.
Martin was transferred from high dependency on Friday afternoon to the Transplant Ward. A step in the right direction I hope.

Mae Rose on her way home. Sorry I can't work out how to turn the photo round.

Crafting with love
Cally x

A Granddaughter

Just a very quick blog.
We have been blessed with our first Granddaughter today.
Mae Rose arrived at 3.37am this morning weighing 6lb 8oz.
Gemma and Baby are doing well.
Our son Bret is as proud as a peacock.
Hugs
Cally x 

Martin's Birthday

Today is Martin's Birthday. Seth and Cody came to visit their Dad with me. Bret could not make it. He had to take Gemma to the Hospital. They are expecting a baby at the end of this month and poor Gemma was having a bit of a problem. She is being kept in overnight, just to be on the safe side.
Martin still can't keep anything down.

I wanted to show you this card designed by my poorly friend Lynne at "Stamp Around The Block". The Sentiment is one of her own making. It was made as a topper, which she kindly let me have, then I turned it into a card for Natasha and Chris on the arrival of their little girl Poppy. Such a lovely card, but not mine!!


Crafting with love
Cally x

The Saga of the Tooth

This is an on going tale of grief. About 6 weeks ago I was eating dinner when there was an almighty crack. It was jolly uncomfortable to eat after that. I sought advice from my Dentist, Miss Sutton. She explained I had broken the pre-molar. After a lot of drilling, killing and extraction of the roots then impressions taken I was ready for the back of my tooth to be replaced. It lasted less than a week and it fell out. All that money, no NHS service around here.
I took it back to the dentist and it had to be cleaned ready for re-insertion. It went back on today, fingers crossed.
Martin felt very tired today but his temperature is under control, more finger crossing.

This is the card that I sent to Willow for her Birthday this year. I do not claim it as my own work. I made it at a Workshop run by my wonderful and generous friend Sharon. You can find her on ewe2cancraft.blogspot.com. We share a love of LOTV stamps. She also has an on-line shop which you might like to take a peek at.

 
Sorry, I haven't remembered how to add stuff to my sidebar.
Crafting with love
Cally x

Kelly's of Corwall

I am worried about my friend, Lynne.
She is having terrible migraine problems and has cancelled workshops for the last 3 weeks.

This is one of the cards that I designed "all by myself" with the aid of her book, her stash and her valuable advice ;0)
Martin remains much the same. I washed his hair properly today, the first time in a few weeks. He is feeling neglected by his dedicated nurse today so I had to say something. Now I am in their bad books I expect.
I did manage to get him to eat a few spoonfuls of Kelly's of Cornwall Chocolate Ice cream. I am not a lover of Ice cream but this was very nice.
Today a few LOTV Sentiment stamps that I bought on Ebay arrived, they are a lot smaller than I expected. Another case of caveat emptor.

Crafting with love
Cally x

I did make it to Stampendous at Stevenage where I bumped into my lovely friend Marion along with her friend Norma.
I was not sure whether to go. The ballcock in the bathroom had died and there was water flowing into the front garden {well, the garden could do with a nice drink} Then, the tumble drier had a hissy fit {yes, I do use it in the summer. A combination of tumble and line dry means almost no ironing}
I did enjoy being there and kept my spending down. Except, of course, some absolute bargains.
The car radio packed up, more worry. Then, trying to make my way to the A1, to visit Martin I was stuck for quite a while getting past all the cars heading to Knebworth. Why were they going there is a mystery.

Martin is still the same, no improvement. He had an Ultrasound to check his new liver was ok, and it is. 

I claim this card as all my own work. I went to a workshop with Lynne at www.stamparoundtheblock.blogspot.com She let us pick a sketch from her book "My Little Book of Sketches" and from then on we were on our own. I chose the LOTV stamp and worked from there.
Green and purple, a lovely combo I think.
Crafting with love
Cally x 

Blog Candy

A lovely lot of Blog Candy up for grabs, so take a peek.
www.cutiepiechallenge.blogspot.com

Seth Did It

Not much change with Martin. He is still running a temperature and has no interest in food. I gave him a nice wash this afternoon and washed his hair as best I could for a chap sitting in a chair.
When I got home I found Seth had managed to transfer the photo's from my trusty old phone to my desk top.
Looking through them I realise that I have not taken pictures of most of "my" cards before I sent them, only the cards I have made at workshops. Silly me.
And now back to the drawing board.  The few photo's I do have do not want to be recognised by this machine.

I made this one for Martin on his Birthday last August. He was always out riding his bike. To add the photo I had to transfer the photo from one folder to another. I can see this is going to be a long process.
I hope to go to Stamperama at Stevenage tomorrow. Better check that I have some cash ;0)

Crafting with love
Cally x

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