- - - SURE FOOTED - - -

E te whanau whanui, tena no koutou katoa!!

Matauria just filled me in on Dad's first days in Rotorua

Dad is moving around reasonably well - and is sure-footed!! The physios are working quite closely with him towards a measure of full recovery.

He is now able to feed himself and is eating all the food that he is given - although he sometimes requires a tube.

Matauria is now looking towards having the house assessed and prepared before dad is released - so she is working closely with the Doctors in Rotorua and may well contact Tuwharetoa Health Services for assistance

All-in-all progress is comng along nicely

We are still waiting for our copy of the minutes of the whanau meeting from Tuesday & we are still waiting for a "critcial care plan" so that we can monitor dads progress - the wheels turn slowly!!

Edward rang and talked with Whakararangi who is home in Taupo

When i know more - i will let you all know

Hei kona
Hauiti

Roto-Vegas

Ko te Arawa te waka
te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa
Ki Aotearoa
Ngatoroirangi tohunga
E karanga nei,
Powhiri atu ra
Tena ra koutou katoa!!

As we speak, Dad is being transported to Rotorua to continue with his recovery programme!!
The family are currently gathering themselves together, i understand that Tapeka may be accompanying the family down to Rotorua - Dad is getting closer to the homelands!!

We are grateful for our Tainui whanau for looking after us whilst we were in Hamilton, Tainui country: Hineauri, Phillipa, Ebony, Uncle Donald, our cousin LittleBit, and more recently Tapeka. We would also like to thank Andrienne Arthur and her team at Te Rauawaawa for advocating on our behalf.

Te Rauawaawa

Nga mihi hoki ki a ratou o ICU me Ward 14 mo o ratou manaaki ki a matou katoa

Naaku noa
Hauiti

Leaps & Bounds ! !

Mauri ora koutou katoa

Thursday

8:24am

Dad slept well

Had a good breakfast

There was some discussion about having a PICC inserted

12:30pm

Shower took a lot out of dad

Now too tired to eat

Rarangi will feed him later

TV on order so that he can enjoy the NEWS (he also got Rarangi to run off and get him a paper!!)

1:30pm

had a little eat, now resting

physio – making an effort to exercise

Friday
I just finished talking to Rarangi.
He indicated that dad had a great night's sleep and that his exercises went very well! He is also talking more and more. As we write he is being wheeled off for an xray

The family have a meeting with the Doctors this coming Monday regarding his progress and any upcoming procedures.

Wayne & Rawea visited yesterday while Rarangi was catching up on his moe. I think dad was quite pleased to see his moko Wayne.

2:39pm
Rarangi:
dad is having a very good day so far. Physio staff have compromised their programme thanks to Hineauri & Dad


Naaku Noa
Hauiti

Kua pau te hau!!

Tongariro maunga tapu
e pupuhi nei te hau matao
ki Waikato!!

e aku rangatira tena koutou katoa!

Just to bring you all up-to-date
We met a really lovely nurse (night shift Sunday) that dad responds to - her name is linda!


She is very accommodating and always takes the time to explain to us what she is doing.

Monday night gave my brother and i an opportunity to catch up after a long absence

Yesterday (Tuesday) Dad had a difficult day - as Rarangi describes it "they pushed him a little hard" - so he became a little worn out. I left the hospital at around 10am to catch a plane back to Dunedin at 11:10am - Ae ra, i have run out of gas so have gone home for a little rest!!

While i was still there, Dad called Hineauri to his bedside and reminded her of an incident that occurred some 50+ years ago at Oruamatua in Moawhango. She was 2 years old and found a live wire which she grabbed - and just yelled loud!! Dad heard her and came running, took her in his arms and cradled her.

Today
We have had a round of telephone calls concerning a procedure that requires a tube stuck in the arm. As it turns out, dad has developed an infection in the lung which requires some attention - hence the tube (otherwise known as a PICC) which will be used to administer anti-biotics directly.

Grateful for Hineauri being there to help our brother in his time of need

Naaku noa
Hauiti

Tonotono!!

E nga uri whakaheke o Tuwharetoa

tena ra koutou katoa

Well, Dad had his first day/night in the ward - and already he is ordering us around!!

Anyway, it is good to finally have him in the ward where we can be a constant presence. So, Rarangi is here and spent the night with dad. Tereinamu managed to get dad to start eating & drinking and Rarangi took over from her.

We have a journal to monitor his progress (liquid intake, medication, food intake, turn-overs, routines, urine output, blood pressure, physio and so on) and to keep a record of what the doctors are doing to him - so far so good. He needs alot of sleep, he needs food to get his strength levels up, and he will need physio to prepare him for physical activity


That was last night
He looks like he had a good sleep! He was a new man after they gave him a shower!!

Today he had a constant stream of visitors: Rawea, Misty & Baby, Josh/Ranui & Baby and our cousin Hineauri

Rarangi will be bedside over the coming week - he will be sleeping bedside to help with dad's recovery. His NEW cell is: 02102395596 (as soon as i give him the SIM)

Tereinamu headed home for Dunedin this morning

Aurora, thanks for the comments - i just found them today after matauria mentioned them to me on saturday!! i have left a comment for you

Heoi ano
thankyou all for your thoughts, prayers, karakia, whakamoemiti - we are most grateful for them!!

Hei kona
Hauiti

Tirohia ki runga!!

Mauri ora mai ra ano!!
Rarangi, myself and Tereinamu escorted dad up to Ward 14, room 8 (Fourth floor of the Menzies building) on Sunday at around 1pm - it was great to have some movement!! The amateur video was taken with a wee camera


This video is one of Tereinamu with her koro.







Naaku noa
Hauiti

Kua pakaru te ata, kua marama te ra!!

E nga totara o te wao nui a Tane
huri noa i te motu whanui o Aotearoa, o te Waipounamu
atu ki tawahi hoki!
koutou e manaakitia mai matou
i runga i nga momo whakaaro, whakamoemiti, karakia hoki!!
ko taku tenei e tuku mihi, e tuku aroha, e tuku ngakau hoki
tena ra koutou katoa!!

I have some GREAT NEWS!!!!
Dad is being moved to ward 14 in an hour!! - to the ward NOT to HDU but to the WARD!!

Kaore he korero e tua atu i tenei!!

Naaku noa
Hauiti

:-) :-) :-)

E aku rangatira o te motu
Otira ki a koutou nga whanau, hapu ranei o Tuwharetoa
tena ra koutou katoa!!

Let me bring you up to date with this morning's news.
I went in to see dad just before the doctor's rounds, he was sleeping and looked rather weary.
Anyway, Sandra is looking after dad for the day until changeover.

:-) no drugs
:-) just insulin
:-) still on milkshakes - cant take solids yet
:-) oxygen level down to 45%!! yesterday it was 60%
:-) vitals all looking much the same (blood pressure - normal for him, heart rate - looks good, respiratory 26)
:-) breathing without aid except for the breathing mask

All very good signs of progress!! But he still looks tired....

Apart from that: chloe and her bubba came up for a quick visit with her koro. The kids and i were down at the whanau house - they were cleaning up their mess before heading over to their cousin's place Ebony to stay the night!!

Cousin Hineauri and i went to the library where we signed her up for a gmail account, and gave her access to the BLOG!!

As we speak, Raniera and Rarangi are putting a hangi in the ground at Dad's place - BUT, dont go around there because they are bringing it up here to Hamilton!! Delwyn is making a steam pudding and Tereinamu is going to make us some trifle!!!! Then we are going to descend on Ebony's place!!

Mauri ora ki te whanau
Hauiti

Get your running shoes on!!

E te tini me te mano tena ra koutou katoa!!

11:30am
This morning we received more GOOD NEWS!!

Dad was sitting in a chair with a breathing mask and food tube attached!!
His oxygen levels are around 60% but thats ok - the fact that he is sitting up is very encouraging!!
So, he is virtually doing all the work himself - he still looks weary!

Mauri ora
Hauiti

Mauri tipu!!

Mauri ora e te whanau!!
Morning
Dad was moved to another room (10) so that he could get some much needed sleep. Sandra & on occasionss Matiu was looking after him
anyway:
-- Blood pressure is good - no drugs to help him
-- Oxygen down to 40%
-- Respiratory around 30
-- Blood sugars ok
-- Lungs doing alot of work by themselves

So, he appears to be doing well!!

Tonight we received some encouraging news!!

I meet with the Registrar Lupe who explained that she wanted to take the tube out of Dad's mouth - if he was able to sustain his breathing ----fine, if not - he would require a tracheostomy - this is a medical procedure on the neck to open a direct airway through an incision in the windpipe.

The procedure and risks were explained to me

This was around 2:00pm

When i went to check dad's progress he had a breathing mask on with no hole in the windpipe!!
He is no longer on Noradrenaline (for blood pressure)

Needless to say i was over the moon!!

But he did look very tired - so after a very short visit, and a talk to the nurse i left him for the night

Naaku noa
Hauiti

Mauri ora!!

Mauri ora ki te whanau!
Let me bring you all up to date:

• As you know, all the machines & tubes have been changed
• The PICO - heart machine - is measuring the strength of his heart - facinating to watch the nurses flush 15 ml of water through the tubes and measure how strong his heart is
• he was on 40% oxygen today - so he had to do alot of work!!
• heart rate and blood pressure is what is is - no suprises
• Dialysis - they had him hooked up for 4 hours today
• the oxygen levels in his blood are quite good - but dad has a habit of flicking off the clip they put on his finger nails!
• Debbie took care of him today - she is good, very friendly and open about what she does with dad - most helpful!!
• But last night - i had to help them move dad as he slipped down the bed - he has alot of strength left in him!!
• A couple of Joe Habibs daughters came to visit - nice one!
• Cousin Hineauri just left for home as i write this - cousin Phillipa is on her way up with tea!!
• Cousin Aroha French rang up and left a message for us - i called her back and left the BLOG address for her

Text from Aroha: thanku so much 4 letn us kno..our luv 2 u all, Aroha.!.! <~Big Mamaluv~>

• Tapeka is booked to come home - he just finished ringing me - it will be good to see the cousin and to bring him home!

It looks as if we are in for a very long haul. We have to organise ourselves so that we dont burn out: our priority is to ensure that someone is bedside looking after his wairua, to urge him on, maintain his dignity, to keep a keen watch over him and bring him back!

- So we need a base - somewhere we can dump our bags, cook our food, shower and sleep
- and we need a way to fund the accomodation, food etc
- we need to set up a rotating schedule to ensure someone is bedside
- we need to set up an account to make this all happen without undue burden on those at bedside

So, we as a family are currently looking at our options

Does anyone know of a place we can rent up here in Hamilton for a couple three months?

The kids and I need to head back to Dunners (probably by the end of the week - or whenever we can get the right flights!) - we need to go home and go back to work - so that we can get back up here in a month and do another week-to-10 day stint with Dad

Thankyou all for your prayers, karakia and whakamoemiti - ma te atua koutou e manaaki|

Heoi ano e te whanau - tenei taaku e mihi atu ki nga whanau o konei, o Tainui waka mo to ratou manaaki mai ki a matou o Taupo-nui!!

Naaku noa
Hauiti

ps: enjoy the video

He kai mo te ngakau

Hakopa Rogue Gallery!

There is nothing like mokopuna to lift the spirit and to know that you will live on forever in them!!

Naaku noa

Hauiti

Moko-spooners kei roto i te whare!

Na te mokopuna ka tipu ai te mauri o tena, o tena, o tena

I thought you might enjoy the latests photos of the mokopuna!!

This is Asher London - Chloe & Aaron

This one is Heaven - Ranui & Josh:

This one belongs to Candace & Hayden: Ly'rix te manawa Jaekib

Mauri ora

Hauiti

Te aupaki o te ra!!

Mauri ora koutou katoa
Ko te tumanako, kei te ora koutou

We had an interesting day yesterday (Saturday).

Cousin Jon Matthews and Marilyn came up from Napier for a visit and brought a huge bag of apples and mandarins. We decided that we would make an apple crumble pie which has just arrived at the Hospital as i write!! Did i mention that Aurora sent a bunch of flowers?? Nice

Cousin Jon still looks like a machine and has taken to waka ama
Cousin Boy rang as well - it was good to catch up with him - busy boy that one

So, what about Dad?
Lets see: Nurse Bindu took care of him up until her shift finished at around 3pm - then another couple of nurses took over including Tony - you remember him? He hasn't been around dad for about 5 days and so he shared with me his thoughts. He told me that he hasn't seen any significant changes in dad's condition since the last time he was here - that does not mean that he has gotten worse at all - he just thinks that dad has not progressed - hmmm

Anyway, there was a moment when Bindu (the nurse) was trying to give dad the suction (he was struggling with his breathing) and dad would not help her - he bit on the tube, he closed his mouth tight and refused to help her - so, i had to hold his hands as she 'put' the tube into his mouth and down his throat - yeah i know, real painful - and it showed on dad's face - he went all red!!

that over, he settled right down

FAST forward to today - Sunday 10
I went in and everything had changed
He had just finished dialysis
all the machines had changed
and he is on noradrenaline
they told me that there were some 'bugs' in the gunk they sucked out yesterday so all the tubes and machines were changed
But when i left him at 12:30pm odd, he was sleeping peacefully

chloe, Hollei and Raniera are up there and Hineauri has just pulled in with a huge apple crumble pie! So I am off for a kai!!

By the way - we had pork bones last night for tea - courtesy of Ebony and Hineauri!

The kids have gone to church with their kuia who resides in Templeview

Hei kona for now
Hauiti
ps: you see that little button below that says comment - thats the one - press it and leave a korero - love to hear from you all!!

Tera te haeata i takina mai i te ripa!!

Ra te haeata takina mai i te ripa te tara ki Tauhara

ko taku hoa pea tenei ka hoki mai ra

aue kau atu ana au i te ao

ka riro i a koe ra

te taonga e!!

Tena koutou e te whanau
Time for an update
We have had some great nurses taking care of Dad - two that come to mind over the last couple days is Ginny & Bindu - Dad seems to respond to them!

Yesterday Ginny showed me how to read the charts and machines that track Dad's progress

- Oxygen intake from the ventilator: 55%
- Blood pressure: as expected, nothing out of the ordinary
- Heart rate 110 - 118 bps
- Dialysis: about an hour - just over a litre per day of urine
- Brain: responding well to questions
- Movement: he is strong - moves both arms and crosses his legs often
- mokopuna: keeping him alive- They are just a breath of fresh air ! ! !

Tapeka rang yesterday - he is coming home around the middle of next week. I have meet his daughter Ebony and both mokopuna. In fact Ebony brought us a huge breakfast of eggs, sausages, steak, onions, bread and eggs this morning!!

Rawea, Misty and moko popped in for a visit today as did Tama, Candace, Hayden and moko

Hineauri turned up bedside. We managed to have great catchup korero - i learnt so much about Hineauri.

Little bit and her daughter popped in around lunch time - i did not recognise her as it has been around 30 years since i have seen her!

Maria Fox (Box) Dad's niece called in as well!

I sent the kids out with their cousin Ebony for a much needed break - they had a hikoi around hamilton for around 5 hours!!

As i write this, phillipa and her daughter will have headed home; Rawea and Misty have gone, and Tama and his clan will go home as well.

Matauria, Raniera and Chloe went home last night

But, Koro is doing quite well - the nurses have a great attitude towards Dad's care - and he is doing much better.

On a more sombre note: Taihoa Lloyd (Sarah Grey's daughter) is not well, not at all. The family are quite devastated as can be expected

Heoi ano, e aku rangatira, koutou o te hau kainga - Tongariro maunga!!

Hei kona
Hauiti

Tumarere ki runga! ! !

E aku teina tuakana huri noa I te motu whanui,

tua atu ki tawahi

Tena no koutou katoa

This is a summary of Dad’s condition and progress in the ICU
Presented by Dr Nina Civil, last night (Wednesday)

Background
Dad was admitted to the ICU on 29 July 2008 following heart bypass surgery.
He had surgery because of a heart attack in July 2007 which was followed by regular angina pain, and investigations showed that he had sever disease of the blood vessels to the heart

He some bleeding during the operation and also had to go back to the operating theatre because of bleeding from the sternal bone in the chest. This is not unusual.
He has been slow to recover from the operation and many parts of his body have been affected.

Brain
He is awake and able to communicate with us. He cant talk because of the breathing tube. He responds to medical staff and moves his arms and legs when asked to. He seems bright and happy today - I think it is because he is surrounded by his mokopuna (Wednesday 6th).

Lungs
Dad needs assistance to breathe and is hooked up to a breathing tube and ventilator machine - he also needs extra oxygen. Oxygen is required because of the fluid on the lung (pulmonary oedema), because his heart is not beating as strong as it might.

There are three (3), which help drain the build up of fluid:

1. Medication – Frusimide
2. Suction using the ventilator
3. Dialysis – to help the kidneys to its job

According to reports, Dad is choosing when to breathe – the machine ‘puffs’ and extra bit of oxygen into his lungs when he breathes in and out. Dr Civil suggested that if Dad needs the ventilator for much longer he may be better off with a tracheostomy tube attached to his neck.

Heart
Dad’s heart is not beating as strongly or as rhythmically as it should. This is partly and old problem, with some recently complications. This is also the cause of his lung problems. He is receiving some medication to help the heart mend itself – now medical staff is waiting to see if the heart will mend itself.

His blood pressure is good and he does not required medication to keep the blood pressure up

Kidneys
His kidneys are making some urine but is not working as well as it could. Dialysis machine is being used to assist in its function. Medical staff are unsure at this stage whether his kidneys will recover.

Overall
Dad has not recovered as quickly or as smoothly as we or the medical staff have hoped. He has had many setbacks while in ICU. At the moment he is making progress. According to Dr Civil, things can change at any time for ICU patients and there is still a possibility that Dad could die from all his problems.

There is a small window of hope

Naaku noa

Hauiti

Hei whakamaumahara!

Me nukunuku me nekeneke!!

1:30pm
Kia ora mai ra ano e te whanau!

We had a visit from te Rauawaawa Trust - a group of kaumatua from around here. Dad and Mutu Chase come up to Hamilton on a regular basis and hang out with them. So, they came for a visit. One of them, Adrienne Arthur has offered us her services as Liaison - we need someone to translate Doctor-speak into English

Cousins Cheryl and Milton are currently with Dad
Cousin Will rang, Cousin Jon sent a text

My Update

• A new drug is being used to drain out the build up of toxins - they just started that today
• he was on dialysis for an hour last night
• oxygen levels has been reduced and he is coping well
• sleeping is peaceful
• still being assisted to breathe
• nurses are giving him 2 units of blood as i write this
• Chloe arrives in a couple of hours
• Kotuku and Tapeka arrive shortly there-after
• good to see all the mokopuna
• thomas is still asleep!!

Addie Ngatai rang moments ago to see how Dad is doing

Bolo Cleveland posted a comment of support!!

Mate Deanno rang as well (Dunedin)

Tapeka rang to say he will be heading over middle of next week!!

The sun is shining here in Hamilton - and it is lovely to be with the whanau!!

Naaku noa

Hauiti

tereinamu bedside

Bedside - first shift.
just finished being with koro - every 2 hours they do change over.
He's becoming more alert - moving his arms and legs to keep him comfy.
I still cant believe how swollen his arms and hands are. I slept with him for most of the time i was with him. he has a very fast heart beat and his chest makes a rattling-whizzy sound! i asked him if he was sore at one point and he nodded yes!
Lovely doctor looking after him at the moment.

Moe time for me now
Holes is next starting at 4:45am
xoxo

First Impressions in Hamilton

Ham-Town

E aku whanaunga o te motu - tenei taku e mihi atu ra!!

6:30pm
I have now had my first full day in Hamilton

Dad had quite a few visitors today: at least 4 from Taupo - it was nice to catch up with them [Andrew Spackman, Aneta & her friend and Sam]

Whanau on board today: Thomas, Stacy, Hollei, Hineauri, Phillipa, Tama, Delwyn

Thomas said that his Koro had was responding well to the mokopuna - expressions, squeezing their hands and smiling

Cousin Phillipa was up for the day as well - great to catch up with her

The whanau was upbeat, smiling and laughing - a great sign of wellness and healing as well as togetherness
Tama and Delwyn turned up with some fried bread, jam & golden syrup!! It is good to catch up with the brother, it has been so long!

Bedside with Dad

I had some time with Hollei bedside

I looked at Dad with a tube stuck down his throat, all hooked up - and touched his forehead. I said to Hollei that i was responsible for some of the gray hairs on dads head!! I mentioned to Hollei that perhaps the mokopuna should go right ahead and organise a family reunion - to bring them all together - it is time!!

Of course when Hindy arrived, she was still laughing about all the stories we told last night!! She just cant help herself - mind you, it was real funny - and you had to be here to appreciate the whanau sense of humour!!

Addy Ngatai rang me to talk - her husband is Enoka Ngatai who went Massey with Dad way back in the early 1950's; they came to nan's tangi - nice to hear from her.

Aunty Nola has posted a couple of comments - and that was nice to receive that level of support as well.

An old school friend from Taupo by the name of Sam popped in to see Dad

Bonz is on his way down and should be there by the time i get back to the hospital

Update:

• When i left the hospital to head to the internet cafe, the medical staff were just hooking up Dad to the Dialysis machine



• We think that he is making progress at his own pace



• the drugs have been reduced



• he is still on the ventilator



• Had an xray to see what is going on with his lungs



• Lots of movement



• lots of recognition - he is drifting in and out - and he does recognise people



• and there is hope smiling gently down upon us all

We have a whanau meeting with the Staff apopo around 8pm!!

Hei kona whanau

Hauiti

Kua tae mai nei!!

E nga rangatira huri noa i te motu whaanui o Aotearoa me te Waipounamu,
Atu ki tawahi - tena no koutou katoa!!

I arrived in Ham-town late last night at around 8pm - Raniera and Thomas were at the airport to greet me.

We went straight to the hospital, upstairs to the ICU where Dad is - Hollei, Matauria, Stacy & Hindy were in the waiting room to greet me - so nice to be with the whanau!!

I took some time with them before being ushered into the unit. It was not what i expected to find

Dad looks good
His hair is as white as snow!
He seems to be glowing!
But he is swollen all over, with tubes hanging out of his mouth
His breathing appears to be laboured - but it is the first time i have seen him

We then had our meeting with the Doctor who brought us up to date with Dad's progress - and yes there is progress, slow, steady - but none the less - it is progress

However, the medical staff are not that positive because of the time since surgery - they are not hopeful

BUT the whanau are hopeful - young Thomas is quite an amazing young man - you should see him in action with the Staff - in fact the entire whanau are Hakopa to the bone - NOT SHY IN COMING FORWARD!!

So, little by little - progress is being made

Thomas informed me this morning that his Koro had a good night, in fact koro reached across and grabbed his hand and squeezed it!!

Good to be surrounded by whanau

Hei kona
Hauiti

Taku hokinga ki te hau kainga!!

E nga uri whakaheke o ngati tuwharetoa,

otira o te whare o te Heuheu,

tena no koutou katoa!!

Heoi ano, ko tatou tena!!

its 5:50pm and i am 'stuck' in Welly-town waiting for my next flight to Ham-town!! my phone just went on the blink and i cant for the life of me contact anyone!!

Anyway, update from last night:

• Dad is on Dialysis to clean up his blood - this is the only change to his 'condition'
• Still on the ventilator
• still on medication to help his heart and blood pressure

i spoke to Hindy last night and she does not think the prognosis is good - so.... i got a little stressed and anxious for a couple of hours - but i managed to come right

Booked some flights for myself and the 3 big kids - so we on our way to see dad

Cousin johnjohn rang up for a korero - nice one cuz, i appreciate al the support and encouragement!

Tapeka rang up as well -and after talking to the cousin i felt so much better!!

anyway

Received emails from FONZ today:

My thoughts are with you all. Thanks for the updates with the blog. I think Matauria is sick of me ringing her up!!. Mother, daughter and Raniera are travelling to Hamilton now to see their Father and Koro.

Te Ahunga:

hey bro

Have just spoken to Tapeka as well as Eddie Awa today, they both send there regards, If Tapeka gets time off he may be in Hamilton by the end of this week to tautoko

TeAhunga

Spoke to rarangi who is at home catching up on sleep!!

Tried to ring Tama but my phone is playing up - kia kaha brothers!!

My thoughts go out to all the family around the world!!

Gotta go, my plane is waiting!! (6:10pm)

Mauri ora

Hauiti

Monday 4.08.08

Kia Ora e Te Whanau!!!!

Today has been a long day. Helping Dad get ready... Doing this doing that!!! Driving here, there and everywhere!! So tired right now, but I need to eat and drink before anything else.

I started my preparation for the journey back home. Washing, Shopping, Doctors aswell... Need to get better I do!!! And now I'm at work typing this out.

I'm not so familiar with the language or terminology that the Doctors and Nurses use, so after speaking with them last night this is what I found out- But correct me if I'm wrong???
My Koro's body is slowly breaking down. Not too sure as to how much time he has left either.
It makes you think if we're experiencing such things, what is he going thru???
Akene pea kei te taha o tona Hoa Wahine- Tereinamu??? He whakaaro noa iho.

So my Father left this after noon and wont arrive in Hamilton until 7.40pm. Then at 8.30pm at the Waikato Hospital the Whanau will have a meeting with the Doctors to discuss the situation- Koro's progress etc etc...

I leave Dunedin tomorrow at 2.40pm, arriving at 8pm. The two boys, Kotuku and Tapeka will follow on Wednesday at 12.45pm. The rest of the Whanau down here will wait until they need to come up.

So how have things been down in Dunedin???
I've been in contact with most of the cuzy's thru out the past week. Mostly Hollei and Candacce. I've spoken to Uncles Tama and Rangi, Aunty Matauria aswell. And have txd the other cousins aswell.

Its not the easiest thing being down here in the south. I can't be as close as i wish to be with my Whanau, with Koro. But the Family has done well!!!!

My Brothers and Sisters down here are okay for now. We were able to talk amongst ourselves last night. Me being the oldest at 20 and Matapihi being the youngest at 8 there is a big age gab and yet we are still able to comfort each other, help each other, and communicate with one another so that we have an understanding of whats happening.

Today Dad spoke to Aunty Nola and Uncle Jim Biddle. Dad and Uncle ended up talking bout their experiences with Koro. Uncle Jim telling us how he meet Koro, as he did not know how closely related they were. Its good just to think back to those good memories.
At such a time like this we should be celebrating those precious memories and of those who havve come before us... Do you not think???

Love to all the Whanau....
Ma te Atua e manaaki ia tatou i tenei wa, a, ki a tau te rangimarie i waenganui ia matou nei.

Arohanui,
Tereinamu Xx0

One Heart - - - One Mind !

E nga poupou paetara,
E nga papa o te wao nui a Tane !!

A thought occurred to me yesterday afternoon that we should FAST as a family. The purpose was to progress the recovery of our Father. So, i galvanized the kids in readiness. Then i thought i would contact the whole whanau and let them know what we were doing - as it turned out, we managed to get a hold of most of the whanau to let them all know that we were having karakia/whakamoemiti/prayer at 7pm - - - ONE HEART & ONE MIND ! !


I wanted my brothers to know that they were not alone in their bedside vigil - i wanted them to know that the family were joined together in One Heart & One Mind in karakia/whakamoemiti and prayer to help with Dad's recovery!!

I am so grateful for all of you!!

Chloe: "Hey thats a good idea, i'll be doing karakia often when i have a quiet moment, good stuff"

Chloe: "yes, the more we agree together on the progress of koro the stronger our voice is"

Jon: "Kia ora cuz be thinking of you, Aroha"

Marina: "Thnking of you all, xx"

Aunty Harriet: "We will have whakamoemiti as well"

Johnjohn: "Choice"


Once we finished karakia, i rang the hospital for an update and spoke to Leah the nurse in charge:

• They did not feel that Dad was ready to have the ventilator removed
• So, his breathing is still being assisted
• He is on a reduced level of medication to help with his blood pressure
  
• Blood gas test -to determine the levels of oxygen in his blood (must ask more about this)
• Noticeable secretions - must ask more
• sedated, sleeping well - appears to be stable

Then i rang Whakararangi - they are pleased with the level of care from the nursing staff - especially Leah and the previous shift nurse Anna

Mauri ora
Hauiti

These go back a wee while!!

Mauri ora
Hauiti

Not so early Saturday Morning - 7:00am!

Ata marie e hika ma!!

The thought has occurred to me that the whanau need someone to 'translate' all the nurse/Doctor-speak into plain english - most times i dont have a problem reading between the lines - but i just want the message to be CLEAR & UNAMIBIGUOUS!!

Matauria rang me around 10:50am and i relayed my concerns to her - she shares those same concerns!
Anyway, lest we forget - young Eugene turned 9 last Thursay - he is having his birthday today!!!
Raniera and his mum are cleaning up a few bits & pieces at Koha Road

Whiungarangi is on her way up to visit her koro for a few days

Tereinamu is a bit mokemoke for her koro and wants to be close to her whanau right now - soon, my girl, soon!

State highway 1 north of CHCH is not looking too flash at the moment - there is quite a bit of work to do before the way is made clear

My thoughts go out to the whanau - to be strong, to be patient and to be ever watchful

Mauri tipu
Hauiti

Early Saturday Morning - 4:00am!!

E aku rangatira tena hoki koutou katoa!

My phone beeped at 3:00am odd - i got out of bed and found a message from Rarangi - he found a charger for his phone!!

So, we had a yarn at around 4:30am odd

Young Thomas has been looking after his Uncle and his Koro. Phillipa is having a moe
Whakararangi cant seem to sleep - he hasnt slept in a few days
He talked about several wairua things he and young Thomas have been feeling; he also talked about Bonz - who went all the way to Tauranga before he came to Hamilton - again, it was a blessing for our father

He also talked about he manner in which the nursing staff have been administering care to Dad - i think there is something missing

Young Thomas had karakia for his koro
Rarangi frequents the chapel for karakia and korero as well

Then Tereinamu entered the conversation briefly before i took her to work at 4:50am

Mauri ora e te whananu
Hauiti

Friday Update

E nga mana o te motu tena ra koutou katoa!!

When i got home on Friday night i gave cousin Johnjohn a ring to bring him up to speed - he and his whanau are trying to track down Te Ahunga

Then i rang the hospital for an update
Spoke to Lara - nurse in charge
Dad is still on the ventilator - which means he has a tube down his throat;this helps him to breathe
When he woke earlier (Friday) he was agitated because of the tube down his throat
Rarangi requested painkillers to ease the mamae - the nursing staff administered painkillers
He is still under sedation and has been moved to Unit 2

Bonz came down from Auckland for a visit - tena koe e te whanaunga!!

Phillipa, Thomas & Rarangi are bedside - with no charged phone between them!! So, we have been without contact for a few hours!!

Hauiti

E nga whanaunga

Mauri ora everyone!!

This is our family BLOG
- for us to keep everyone informed of Dad's progress
- for us to keep in contact with each other
- for all of us to leave messages for each other
- for us to post pictures and share stories

Please feel free to leave messages, contact details and send this BLOG address to everyone of the family you know!!

naaku noa
Hauiti

Ko Te Tawiri-o-te-rangi Hakopa

Tuturu nei te korero
mai i Maketu ki Tongariro
Ko te Arawa te waka
Ko Tongariro te maunga
Taupo-nui-a-Tia te moana
to tatou nei tupuna a te Heuheu te tangata
Turumakina te hapu
Ngati Tuwharetoa te iwi
teenei tatou nga uri whakaheke
e mihi atu ki a koutou ra!!!

Mai i te hiku o te ika a Maaui,
tae noa ki te manawa ki waenganui
peka atu ki Moawhango
heke iho ki te whanganui-a-Tara
piki ake ki te Waipounamu
tae noa atu ra ki Waihopai
tua noa atu ki Poihakena
tae tawhiti atu ra ki Perth
tena, ko nga whanau whanui o te Uira raua ko Te Kotuku Hakopa
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou nei

E hika ma - tahuri atu ki tetahi atu reo - hei whakamarama i nga ahuatanga!!

Greetings to all the mokopuna of te Uira and Te Kotuku Hakopa

What is this?
I started this blog so that i could update you all on what is happening to our father te Tawiri-o-te-rangi Hakopa - he is the last of that family and it is our responsibility to ensure that all of you are kept informed

Following is a chronological breakdown of events

Tuesday 29 July
So, a few days ago, Dad went into Waikato Hospital for surgery. He had an aortic bypass - which is heart surgery. His aorta (the main artery that leads into the heart) was playing up (thats a technical term by the way!).

Now this is major surgery - given that he is a koroua - it was taxing on his body so recovery has not gone to plan. Now what has gone wrong is that he suffered a major bleed as a result of the invasive nature of the surgery, so he required second surgery to stem the flow of blood.

As a result he required support to assist his breathing - known as ventilation. He is also receiving specific medication to keep his blood flowing at a constant pressure to keep his heart going. He has been unconscious throughout all this.

Wednesday 30 - chain of events
Matauria rang to inform me that Dad was in intensive care following surgery
I picked up Tereinamu and tapeka - we tracked down kotuku - i informed the kids what was happening

I managed to track down Hineauri through Rosie, via Will & Jonathan Mathews.

I spoke to Bonz, left a message with Judy & Bulli

And then rang the hospital. The nurse in charge at that time was Tony

I got a hold of Whakararangi to arrange for Dad to receive a blessing
Whakararangi arrived at the hospital that night and found Tama at Dad's bedside
Hineuri rang me back - she had got a hold of the hospital and told me that she would be bedside the following day

Before i hit the sack that night, someone was with Dad
Ka nui


Thursday 31st
Bulli and Will rang early

Hindy arrived at the hospital to find Tama and Whakararangi
The kids and i had breakfast together - bacon and eggs, and baked beans on toast

Whakararangi text - he was urgent!! I managed to get some credit on my phone and rang back - the family just had their first fight!! - and the hospital staff were none too pleased!!

so, i rang the hospital and spoke to the doctor in charge - Nina
It was her that brought me up to date with what actually happened to Dad
At the time we spoke, it was critical
I asked her who was appointed as next of kin
Matauria and Hinauri
I appointed Whakararangi as liaison between the staff and family - Nina was pleased and very helpful

7:33pm
Cousin Will:

we r all hoping and praying 4 a successful
and full recovery

Rang Hindy to thank her for being bedside
Rang Rawea who was on her way home
Spoke to Tama, Whakararangi, Matauria & Raniera
Now the family have settled down for the night - and everyone is working with the staff to progress Dad's recovery - all good!!

I found Edward's phone number and gave him a ring
I also rang Dad's cousin Uncle Jim Biddle

Rawea, Rarangi, Tama & Matauria are all positive that Dad will recover - there is hope!!
Text the family - or those i have cell phone numbers for - to update them on progress

Friday 1 August
10am rang the hospital for an update
Nurse Denise in charge of Dad's care for today
She brought me up to date:

• Cardiac ok - no problems - still receiving medication in reduced amounts - this suggests that he is improving
• they are looking to take Dad off the ventilator later in the afternoon

Phillipa is bedside with the whanau

Latest text from Whakararangi (4:00pm)

"Dad is semi-conscious and aware
- he cant talk but he has alot of ihi for a sick man
and makes alot of movement.
He tries to pick himself up.
Thomas gone in to settle him"

Naaku noa
Hauiti