Thank you all for your support and for following our progress through this nightmare. It’s good to be home with doctors we can understand and who have a sense of humour Pete can respond to well. Also,  who we have confidence in. 

They had a team of six surgeons operate and assess today. 
Unfortunately the result was not a miracle. They said it is not as good as we had been led to believe. Pete will lose his lower leg. Below the knee. 

He said he had been laying thinking about this possible outcome for two weeks and has come to terms with it. 

Elena has been a wonderful support and loves him no matter what happens. 

So it looks like Tuesday or Wednesday and then he’ll be home in 3 weeks. He will eventually get a prosthetic and is planning which para Olympic sport he will play. 

Let’s hope that’s how it all goes. 

Our flight was good and Pete  enjoyed being a celebrity with the Courier Mail waiting to interview him when he arrived. 

Then to the serious stuff of being admitted to yet another hospital. 

Mater A&E is not a pretty place. Not like the 16th floor of Bangkok hospital. But the engaging nature and sense of humour of the nurses and doctors was the tonic Peter needed. He responded to them so well , so El and I headed home for a much needed shower, unpack  and a bite to eat. 

Our beautiful neighbour Penny called in with groceries, Wendy left a comfort care package on the doorstep and lovely MJ, a therapy friend, arrived with lasagne and chicken. The ultimate comfort food ( so different from Fuji our Japanese restaurant in Bangkok). 

Thank you all. 

Back to the hospital to find out what the plan is for Peter. Dr Ben outlined what happens tomorrow. Lea my medical advisor was a true friend and offered suggestions of what to ask. 

A big operation. We will find out the extent of his injuries and the possibilities for repair. 

Peter is still holding up and being strong. 

Finally time to leave. 

Pete was very anxious this afternoon. He just wanted to get going. So about 6 pm on he kept asking us to hurt them. 

El and I ducked off for a last bit of sushi at our favourite little Japanese restaurant. Also it’s the only one close that sells beer! 

We got back and Pete was in pain and wanting to go. He was anxious and trying to get out of bed to get going. 

Finally they arrived and set him up for the ambulance trip to the hospital. He was so excited. 

El went in the ambulance and they had booked a driver for me. The traffic was incredible. Steve had left earlier for his flight home via Singapore and nearly missed it ! 

I left before they’d even loaded Pete but when we arrived through pouring rain there they were. They’d travelled siren on at big speed ! 

We all got out and went to the Busibess class check in before they wheeled him in. Before we went through customs he had to go into a wheelchair. Sounds easy but it wasn’t. They hadn’t prepared a length of wood to support his leg. 

We went into the lounge for awhile but no fun for Pete. Then came the shock. We had to walk to a far gate which for him was a long time in the wheelchair. 

But then it wasn’t a bridge into the plane. It was a bus ride. El and I went off worried how they would manage him. 

Poor guy finally was put on a lift in light rain and lifted up to the plane. He was in pain but settling into the seat made him relax. 

Then it was all good. The doctor and nurse with him are great they listen to him and help. Funniest thing was when the nurse said she thought she remembered him! Turns out she was the nurse who looked after him when he’d been in hospital in Bangkok. Several years ago when he was airlifted from Laos to Bangkok she helped him. She said. “You’ve got the same girlfriend !’ Not Pete replied this one is my fiancé and more beautiful. 

He slept. He ate a little and El loved business class. I was just behind in economy so was able to pop up and see him. I even slept a little. 

I’m writing this as we are landing and hope the next part goes smoothly. 

Off to hospital and another assessment of his injury. 

Just got confirmation that Pete will be admitted to the Mater Public. 

It’s a relief to know where he’s going and that a good orthopaedic surgeon will be doing the work. 

Hope they are all ready for him! 

Life in the hospital is getting a little bit the same. We feel like we are marking time. 

Then the Physio arrived with a wheelchair. Pete was very happy to do his exercises and then prepare for his first sit in the chair. 

He got in just fine – lucky he’s strong. But he needed his leg out and supported. So he and Steve worked out a plan , put it to the Physio and then he was comfortable – leg out. 

Off he went for his first upright tour of the ward. Everyone clapped. Pete felt confident for tomorrow’s airport trip. Pain wasn’t too bad – the drugs are working as they should. 

So tomorrow another clean and inspection of the foot and wound. Then a sleep for us all. 

Off to the airport by 9 for a midnight flight. 

Steve leaves at 8pm flying through Singapore . Just no seats available on our Thai flight for him. 

Looking forward to returning and Pete is keen to watch the AFL final. 

Just hope they have worked out which hospital we will go to ! 

See you all soon. 

Peter had another clean out and assessment. We feel we’re marking time.

Another mishap when the IV line with pain relief came out , which we hadn’t realised until Pete’s pain increased. Grrr.

He went off to theatre feeling pain and returned ok,  still sleepy.

Decision today on flights. They are proving hard to get. Looks like to get a direct flight to Brisbane he will need to sit in a normal business seat for take off and landing before turning it into a flat bed.

We’re assessing that today. Hope he can so we can get going in few days.

Poor Pete is keen to get home and start the rest of the big operations.

Hope for further good news.

This is what we like.

Quiet days.

Pete is of course finding being in bed all day rather awful.

He likes his Physio.

Long chats with doctor. General health better which is good.

Things are stable.Looking to get seats in direct flight to Brisbane. 

Feel a bit like marking time but Pete is feeling stronger and is a better colour.

Cant wait to get home.

Around the middle of the day  the nurse asked how he was feeling and Pete replied with his usual smile. ‘It’s the best day ever’ the nurse giggled and he corrected himself and said ‘ since I came to hospital’. 

He had a good nights sleep, woke up feeling quite good and continued to doze all day. He needed to catch up on sleep and start to heal. 

The epidural continues to work and allow him rest. 

We bought him a roller massage glove and El gave him a beautiful massage on his legs and back. He loved it. Staying on his back is taking its toll. 

Steve got jealous so I gave him a back massage then gave El a long massage. Her back, shoulders, legs and head. She really relaxed and she really deserved to. 

Then Camilla arrived. She’s a gorgeous Swiss girl living in PP with Randy,  a lovely Australian guy, a journalist, who helped Steve in PP. 

The day passed and then it was 4.30 and they came for Peter for his next operation. This one was to clean and assess the wound. To see about circulation. 

Peter left happy and we hoped he would return happy. He did. Not singing. This time jiggling his legs, to get the circulation going, so he said! 

To pass the 3 hours he was gone,  we went to the Marriott Hotel’s 48 th floor open air bar to have a cocktail and watch the sun set. A little R&R was much needed,  but when we’re away from him we miss him. So we mostly chatted about him telling funny stories and wishing he was with us. 

So today a quiet day 

Tomorrow we meet the doctors to hear about today’s cleaning and assessing,  perhaps moving closer to a decision about toes and flying home. 

Thanks for your ongoing messages of support. 

Today a better day.
Steve arrived and Peter liked seeing someone other than his loving fiancé and loving mother!
He’d had a terrible night last night but today is much better. The epidural is still working and the management of his pain, was explained very well by Dr Nu the pain specialist, who walked in on her Valentino high heels. She’s very chatty but tough. She told him he had to stop pushing the pain button as the epidural was  working.  If he wanted to get home asap then he had to pass the aviation airlift rules and morphine was not allowed on a commercial flight. ??? Tough love.
Now she wants to come to their wedding!!!!! Could be handy having a doctor there.

Anyway his case manager came today and we had a long chat. They will do another op tomorrow to clean out the wound again! and assess the arteries and the extent of the dead tissue and how far down the foot they have to cut. Originally it was the tips but now it’s further. If that is extent of the lose after this terrible injury then we are lucky.

I was shown the photos so they could explain things and I can tell you they are not for the squeamish. Truly terrible. Our doctors are miracle workers.
So the Doctor  said that after tomorrow they will make a decision and perhaps we could get passed for an avaiation medivac airlift approval for Peter to fly within the next week or two.

No promises but that is the loose plan.

The insurance people are making arrangements between the hospital here and where we will go in Brisbane.

He has a low level private insurance but not for this type of thing, so it will have to be the public system which proved wonderful for Rob. So in major things, public is good.

We think Peter needs to be where there is a bigger support group. I think  he’s still suffering PTSD  and who wouldn’t when he remained conscious and saw what happened to his leg . In fact he said he closed his eyes to block it out but he could still see out of one eye  as it had a cut in the lid! He had 6 stitches and it is healing well.  He also broke his eye socket and has a very sore jaw and can’t chew –  not that he is eating much , no matter how much we try to tempt him. El makes him up protein drinks several times a day and he’s having that.

The physio was in today to make him do exercises on his arms, good leg, knee of bad leg etc  Peter liked this  and in Maitland competitive style did more than he needed to!

Thanks for all your loving support.

We Maitlands are tough!!!!!!

Lucky because we are being tested.