Well, the waiting is finally over. After being troubled considerably by an over-active thyroid gland since before Christmas last year, Helena has finally had it removed. She has had bouts of Graves Disease before and they have always been able to be controlled by medication but this time the medication just wasn’t working and allowing the thyroid to stay was only going to cause more damage to her heart than what it had already done so it just had to go.
I’m sure you remember the dramas that have been associated with this process. Her first attempt at surgery in May was aborted when the surgeons discovered that her blood pressure was over 200. The deferred date, approximately two weeks later, came and went as a series of emergency surgeries in the operating theatre meant that they doctors were unable to give her the nearly three hours of time that is required to do this delicate surgery. So we were given a new date in August, last Monday the 20th.
I don’t mind telling you that it was a nervous wait. I don’t really know what we would have done if the surgery had been deferred again but, fortunately, it wasn’t. The operation is, as noted, very delicate, the thyroid’s close proximity to the vocal chords meaning that extreme care is needed whilst removing it. Though it ended up taking considerably longer, the doctors were happy with the result and her blood tests and blood pressure measurements yesterday morning meant that she was able to come home in the afternoon, spending just over 24 hours in hospital.
To say that we are very relieved is an understatement. And we are very grateful for all the good wishes we have received and the offers of support and assistance, it means a lot.
In motorcycle matters, it’s the British GP this weekend, one of my least favourite tracks and one on which Marc Marquez has not had a real great run. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Ducatis go and whether the others have an answer to the power advantage of the red machines. Yamaha have brought in a new electronics expert to try and solve the traction issues being suffered by the blue machines but nobody is expecting any overnight “fixes” given how long it has taken the other teams to get the best out of the “spec” ECU.
Closer to home (literally) it’s Round 4 of MotoStars this weekend, in my backyard at the go-kart track at Kembla Grange. After a long mid-season break during which Damian’s wife, Amy, gave birth to their little daughter, racing resumes with the junior riders having gotten in plenty of practice at other meetings in the interim. That’s the good news, the bad news is that heavy rain is predicted in the area for the weekend and, give that many of the kids haven’t really ridden much in the wet, it’s going to be a pretty tough weekend.
Understandably, I have hardly ridden much at all in the last month or so, but the weather hasn’t been favourable anyway with the usual August gales battering the area. Can’t wait for Spring time.
Oh, and Facebook reminded me today that it is 7 years today since I did my first nursing home gig with Elwyn and Henry. Wow time flies. And, appropriately, I have another one to do today, so what a way to celebrate an anniversary.
That’s all for today, catch you soon.
dunc says
glad all went well with the hospital trip
speedy recovery thoughts being sent to Helena
Phil Hall says
Thank you, mate, much appreciated.