Get well soon Darryl and Kathy

20/06/2022

Gday Everyone! Much Agape & Philia (and Storge...) to you ALL!🥰
The many prayers and well-wishes were so beautiful and so overwhelming that I just HAD to try - hard!
I've been recovering at home for the last couple weeks, and felt good enough to go out (other than to doctors) - Kathy & I saw Top Gun - great movie (if you liked the 1st one).
We're still concerned a bit about my legs, persistent swelling and blisters (only on burn-areas...weird...). I'm going to hospital to see my dermatologist again tomorrow, we'll see what they say.
Everything else is great!
So happy to be up/about and able to respond here (with my own fingers...lol)
My God was with me - He received SO MANY prayers that He just couldn't ignore, SO may He had to respond to/for you all, and: He most certainly did!!
THANK YOU! for all your love and support. It really did keep me moving forward...still is...
MUCH Love (Agape, Philia) to you all!!
May God bless and support each one of us in these difficult days...
- Darryl

27/05/2022

Hey everyone! So we have some of the best news….
Dad has come home from hospital today! 🎉🎉🎉
He has worked so hard, doing his physio therapy, and he’s been allowed to go home. So, I’m sure he’d like to see some visitors if you’re in the area

19/05/2022

Hey everyone,
Sorry it’s been so quiet in the updates front. This has been a case of “no news is good news”.
Dad has been doing really well. Mum gets up to see him pretty much every day. He gets up out of bed a lot, but hasn’t been walking. So this is the next step. He is on the verge of being transferred to the rehab ward, where they’ll work on him walking, and getting ready to go home! Yay!
It’s been a long and quite bumpy road, but it looks like it’s getting closer to the goal! Wooo! 👏👏👏
I’ll let everyone know when he gets moved, but for now, thank you everyone for all of your positive words and prayers! They’ve been so appreciated and obviously someone heard all the prayers.
Please feel free to still send through any emails to dad at getwellsoondarryl@gmail.com
❤️❤️

15/05/2022

Dad is doing well at John Hunter.
Mom has been able to see him, as she’s doing much better too.
They’re very happy that dads kidneys are working very well. They’re working so well, they’ve removed his dialysis port. Woo hoo!
HIs skin is looking pretty good. They’re running some tests, as he has a slight infection, but nothing too serious.

09/05/2022

Dad is being transferred to John Hunter this morning. He’s excited to be closer to his near and dear, and having more visitors

07/05/2022

Dad is feeling great. Alert and ready to go to John Hunter…. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday, depending on when a bed is ready for him. He says hello, and thanks everyone for their messages.

05/05/2022

I have some great news to share regarding both dad and mom. They’re both doing so much better.

We will start with mum. She is feeling so much better. The eye specialist was not worried when he saw her, that her eye would be impacted much. And he gave her the antiviral meds that can help with shingles. Her face is much less swollen and way less painful. She said it was so swollen the skin was painfully taut. She still isn’t 100%, but is mostly there. She said the eye swells when she’s laying for long periods, so overnight, but drains away again when she’s up for a while. She’s stopped scaring small children with her face! 😂

Dad has officially been transferred out of the ICU! Yay! So he is just in the standard ward of Royal North Shore Hospital now. They said probably another week or two before he’s moved back to John Hunter Hospital, closer to home. This is for the best continuity of care. They said rather than others having to try to get up to speed on dads cares, they’ll keep him a little longer, until he’s less complicated needs wise. So hopefully won’t be too long.
He has had a permacath inserted for the intermittent dialysis. Despite the name, it’s usually used in the mid-term… usually 1-6 months for dialysis. Dad is sounding really good. And enjoying the emails, calls and messages passed along.
So please continue to send them. All of the family appreciate the love being shown and sent.

When I talked to dad just before, I interrupted his and moms call. lol like a couple of twitterpated teens, always on the phone “no you hang up first!” 😂
Anyways, as you can see, the news is going in the right direction, and let’s all keep praying it stays this way!

30/04/2022

Hi everyone,
I’d like to post an update on my parents.

When dads health deteriorated on Saturday, mom was so stressed out that she has developed shingles on her head and the left side of her face-including her eye.

Dad is doing much better! But mom is recovering slowly.

26/04/2022

Good morning everyone.

Please feel free to send dad an email at
getwellsoondarryl@gmail.com

Send something to brighten dads long boring days. At this stage, they’ll be read out to him. But once he has better use of his hands, he can read these him self.
It can be a favourite story or memory you have with him. He really does appreciate everyone’s words of love and support. We pass them all on. But please send him an email too 😊

Have a great day, and we will keep you all posted on his progress.

26/04/2022

Hey everyone, so here’s some great news. So good dads giving the thumbs up! His kidneys are working well again. The renal specialist is happy to take him off dialysis. He’s still on the vent, but will be off it tomorrow. As you can see, it’s a thumbs up! His hands are looking so much better, and he’s healing so well!

22/04/2022

Just a quick update…
Dad has gone downhill again.
His kidneys have completely shut down. They’re putting in lines to do dialysis.
And if that’s not enough, he’s also got fluid on his lungs, so they’re putting him on a ventilator. Which means they have to put him in to a medically induced coma. This will be for the next 48 hours, at least.
Any love and prayers for both dad and mum at this stage are appreciated. ❤️

22/04/2022

So it’s been a roller coaster the last few weeks.
This is why I’ve been reluctant to post, until things were more settled. But I’m sure many of you would like to know what’s been happening.
Dad seems to go two steps forward then one back. He might make more progress if mum could visit him…. but since she got Covid, she hasn’t been well enough to go to see him in person.

So, dad has done well as far as healing goes. They are very happy with how that’s progressing. But, there’s been a few hiccups. Firstly, dad has a reaction between all his medications and the anaesthesia every time they change his bandages (which happens every few days). This causes a delirium of sorts. He knows who he is and all, but some things get fuzzy and he doesn’t remember why he’s in hospital. He might get oriented a bit better, if mum could be there. She’s hoping to get there this weekend, if she can shake whatever bug she has.
Also, dad seems to have developed a fungal infection due to his body’s natura barrier, the skin, being compromised. They’re hoping they can get it under control, as it seems to be affecting his kidneys. so this means that dad, even though he was all set to be released from the ICU and be sent to the ward, he is now in need of the extra care the ICU provides. So, we aren’t sure how much longer he will be there.
Hopefully, once the infection is controlled, and now that they are aware of the reaction to the anaesthesia, dad will be able to receive visitors and phone calls soon.

12/04/2022

So, growing up, dad always asked what it was like having super man as a dad.
He’s doing really well (especially considering what he’s been through). I spoke with him tonight, and he’s in his usually good spirits, ready for a laugh but able to be serious too. He appreciates the prayers, and he is feeling them help him get through this ordeal. Thank you everyone! ❤️❤️
As he said, he’s not ‘done yet’!
But he is bored out of his brain! So, people can try to give a call. If he’s not busy (he was the first time I called tonight), his nurses are brilliant and help him answer.
He is going into surgery tomorrow. His nurse said his chart says for a scrubbing and dressing change. Not sure exactly what time. And they will knock him out, as it’s quite painful. So he may be loopy tomorrow. But if anyone would like to call maybe Thursday, he might be up for a bit of chat.
Again, thank you all for your continued prayers and good wishes for dad. He, and all of the family appreciate it.

08/04/2022

Some great news this evening….
Mom had a good chat with Dad. Looks like they're hoping he doesn't need anymore grafts because his skin is healing well. Just a procedure every Monday and Friday to debride and clean

08/04/2022

Yesterday was a sad goodbye to the boat.
But at least the constant reminder of the accident is no longer right outside.

08/04/2022

07/04/2022

After the rescue by Ben

07/04/2022

We can’t go visit dad right now as some family members tested positive to Covid on Monday and had visited dad on Saturday. He is currently in lockdown in the ICU with no visitors allowed 😞
He will be getting his new phone hopefully next week and will be able to respond to messages.