Peter’s Hospital Diary

Whew! Home at last!

The last couple of days have been a bit tedious – I must have had the most uncomfortable mattress in the hospital!

However, to recap the last 24 hours… I continued with the various pills and potions to clear out my system, and they seem to have worked with a vengeance – the medical equivalent of Dyno-Rod! As you know, I was allowed out yesterday afternoon, but when I got back at 4 I was told that I needed some more saline. Time passed, I read my book, went to bed – and the drip was eventually put up at midnight!

This morning I was seen by an old friend, Sala, who was the senior reg here. He now works at Woowlich, but does week-end cover for Guy’s. He gave the OK and off I went!

It was good to see Nicky (one of THE senior nurses on the ward – and who was there when I had my first transplant) who was sporting a very nice new hair style, and I also said good-bye to Steve who starts a new job on Monday.

I’d like to say that the food had improved in the 10 months since I had my transplant. However although it did look much better than before, the big turn off is that smell when the cover is removed! I thought my sense of smell had completely gone – but no – the one thing remaining is the sensitivity to that boiled steamy aroma that comes from food that has been kept hot! Even after letting that waft away, the dryness in my throat meant that chewing and swallowing was beyond me and it just (to put it bluntly) made me retch, so it must be over 7 days since I last had anything to eat. Hey – the lymphoma/radiotherapy diet – a new one for the tabloids! Still, I am out now, so perhaps something might tempt me. The saddest bit is that I know exactly what I would like to eat – a nice bacon and mushroom baguette – but I know equally well that if I had one I wouldn’t be able to eat it, which makes it very frustrating. Perhaps a milkshake might fit the bill. Oh well, my mouth is less sore, and in a few weeks the sense of taste should start returning.

You may remember that last time I was admitted, it was to Stanley ward, newly refurbished and quite smart. Stanley ward is a general oncology ward, not just haemotolgy. Well I was staggered to learn during this visit that it is closing because of cash shortages. The physical ward will remain open (another ward is moving into the space) but the specialist chemotherapy unit is moving to Samaritan, and that will also take some general oncology patients. Maybe some of those patients will be treated as outpatients, certainly there is talk of expanding the day unit (although that could be because the day unit at St Thomas’s is also closing) but it seems pretty dire that a cancer ward has to close because of cash shortages. So where is all the money that the Government is supposed to be putting into patient care going? Certainly the NHS is going to be mortgaged up to the hilt for the the next 30 years paying for the PFI hospitals that have been built recently to fulfil election promises, and to make the public sector borrowing figures look better than they would be if they were bought outright. Grrrr – politicians! And don’t get me started on NICE – I’ve already had a go about them on previous posts!

Talking of Stanley ward, when I was admitted there, talk drifted round to PatientLine. PatientLine is a nifty idea that gives telephone and television to each patient bedside. Nifty – well that is one word to describe it, but it really needs a page of its own to describe it. That will be produced shortly, and you will be able to get to it from the links at the top right of the page.

Moving swiftly on, and a chance to get my blood pressure down, the journey back was quite pleasant. True, it was a Saturday, and the inevitable enginerring works meant that the train took a completely different route, but the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the trees were a magnificant balze of intense autumn colours. It really was spectacular.

And finally, to get rid of the medical guff and stuff, news of the conservatory! I forgot to mention (well, I have been a bit pre-occupied) that we had the final delivery of the conservatory furniture and cushions a week ago last Wednesday, and I must say we are very pleased with it. The two pictures show the final effect. If anyone is interested, they came from Haddon House and they do look good. It is a shame that their customer service and stock control isn’t as good as the furniture. It has taken over 6 months (and many ‘phone calls) since the first order (lost) and the second order (not taken down correctly) for the third order to be finally delivered, so if you are interested in any for the spring, I should get your order in now!

And on that note, I shall say, with a lot more conviction than in the last week or so, Onwards and Upwards!