Sitting up straight

Less than 48 hours after surgery, Anna is sitting up straight in her wheelchair. It’s absolutely incredible to see the difference. Not just is she sitting in her wheelchair but she is messaging friends on her phone and doing some arts and crafts!

She’s still in intensive care and being monitored very closely, especially her breathing, although she has been allowed to take her mask off while she is in her wheelchair and it will go back on when she gets back into bed. She is still having food and fluids through a tube but has begun to take some drinks orally. Her arterial line (used to monitor her blood pressure directly) has been removed but she still has her intravenous line to administer medication and fluids as well as draw blood when needed.

I can tell she’s not particularly happy as she’s hardly smiled at all today and yesterday. She’s uncomfortable and at times sore despite a really good pain relief regime. She has a large dressing covering her wound which goes from top to bottom on her back. But she doesn’t complain (other than about the breathing mask which she hates).

The final photo is from near the beginning of lockdown so you can see the difference.

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