Another Distinction!

M passed his hospital tests with flying colours. No abnormalities, signs of Nasty Things To Come, stones, cancerous anythings, kinks, wibbles or furfles.

It took nearly 9 hours door to door, although the procedure itself took barely 15 minutes.  We were both asleep when the carers came at 9pm to help M into bed. I sacked out fully dressed in the bed, woke up at 3am and got meself organised.  M was asleep in his chair and has no memory of being moved!

Interesting.  We didn't endure any trauma, we weren't particularly nervous or upset.  Mostly we sat/lay around.  I guess the amount of nervous tension we did have was enough to wear us out.  And usually good news gives you a boost.

Oh well.

He's clear now for (the doc said) a good 10 to 15 years!  I'll hold him to that.

I feel a drawing coming on for my next post!

Thursday brought to you by eau d'hospital.  Friday brought to you by my dear friend Gucci.  I might consult him further today!

Didn't happen...

I was briefly inspired to draw my impressions of the weekdays (previous post).  But it didn't amount to anything,  Another time maybe.

This week we seem to be working working working.  M is busy with uni classes and (no surprise to me) he achieved a Distinction for his first assignment. I TOLD you he wouldn't get a pass!  He's sort of pleased but I think still expects the 98.5% he (over)achieved in his previous semester (before the accident).  I seem to recall feeling somewhat like that when I was studying, but I never achieved such lofty marks!

We've been trying to sort out the contents of the house and garden, finalise the mortgage, re-work the architect's plan, apologise to the cat, get to class, cookwashsewknitdomesticate, see umpteen doctors all the time, get to physio, manage our 3-tiered diary system (yes, folly I know) and have some sort of leisure.  Tricky but possible as long as you don't look at the floor.

Today the cleaner came. Hurray for the cleaner! I think he had to rake the carpet before he vacuumed.

Tomorrow M must fast from 7am before having a small procedure at day surgery. We hope this will lead to a long-term improvement in his general health by clearing up a source of recurring infection.  M blithely announced we would be returning from the hospital (at 6pm) by BUS.  At NIGHT.  In (relatively) PEAK HOUR.  I don't think so.  I just sent messages to our three favourite taxi drivers to see if we can get a lift home. I don't fancy a post-sedated M in a power chair on a bus with lots of people.  Well, only as a spectator sport..

It feels a bit like we've got a routine.  I suspect it's dangerous to say that but .. I live in hope!

This post brought to you by quite a lot of Prada, sprayed in M's room last night when the carers said it smelled of cabbage in there... as far as I know M doesn't secretly cook brassicas in there at night, but it was a good excuse!

Back in limbo..

M is recovering but the situation at the hospital is very poor in terms of his non-respiratory needs.  Yesterday it took FOUR HOURS for the nurses to get him up, showered and dressed.  Exhausting and frustrating for him.  Later the wardsmen getting him back to bed broke a small but crucial part on his wheelchair.  We are so vulnerable..

I fell over on the weekend, needing to sleep and beat my dang sinuses into submission.  I think my immune system takes careful note of when there is a chink of time for me to actually stop, and takes advantage.  Nothing else explains it.  The thought that a body system has functioning sentience is a bit scary tho!

Nothing else to report except a very happy cat thanks to resident me for a few days.  I'll have to stop this indulgence very soon.  We don't know how long M will have to stay in hospital but are hopeful it won't be too long, as he's continuing to respond well.  I stuck a small bomb under the doc this morning about slack physios (they have been seeing M but not doing anything, I pointed out the value of proactive management vs wait-n-see).

I see that in a former life I did something (I do wonder WHAT) which means that in this life I seem doomed to spend lots of time pointing out the bleedin obvious to people.  I sometimes wonder if I should just have a tattoo on my forehead which says JUST DO YOUR JOB.

It will never catch on.

No no!..

Thank you oh interfering gods of mischief. M returned to hospital in the early hours of the morning today with an egg-frying temp. The fever was reduced fairly quickly, other things took longer.  Diagnosis is pneumonia, UTI and a throat infection.


It scared me how fast it came on. But ambos were quick and amazing.  The hospital staff also quick and amazing to give first treatments.  Now he's waiting, waiting for a bed in the respiratory ward.  I've been home to sleep and woken to find I'm not so well myself.  Family and friends will be, as always, amazing and helpful and supportive.


But..

sod it.

UPDATE: M has been admitted to the respiratory ward and is stable.  He'll need to be in hospital for several days at least.  I'm taking my coffee pot and my book and going home to my cat.